The project EduSenNet is the project which focuses on the learning possibilities of the elderly over 50 on the chosen UTAs and countries with the aim to realise pedagogical research with the outcomes about formal, non-formal and informal learning of the elderly. The partners will focus on non-formal and informal learning possibilities of UTAs, evaluate them and describe links with formal education at the universities. The offer of the study programs for elderly learners will be described by collected data in the form of a Peer Review table. The findings from the interviews and from questionnaires will be completed and evaluated by the Research Study. Qualitative and quantitative analysis of the collected data from both groups of the elderly (students and non-students) will be used for the evaluation. The contacts with the young university students can bring the results for effective solutions towards the intergenerational learning in the university environment. Summarizing of experience, encouraging of the elderly will promote the development of their learning interests and taking part in learning activities. Active engagement of the elderly will promote and extend their abilities and knowledge. It is necessary to investigate Learning objectives, motivation and barriers of the elderly participants in adult learning programs, as well as of those who don´t take part in the study. The project activities will contribute to the inclusion of the elderly in the learning activities and promotion of their educational needs. All the findings will be used to design new innovative study subjects, appropriate programs and educational methods for elderly learners not only at the universities, but especially for those who are not involved in the learning process yet. The elderly in city communities, clubs, residential homes and in rural areas will be contacted by the elderly learners from the UTAs, who will give them information about learning possibilities in their background, advantages of learning and participation in the educational activities as well. The elderly will be asked for the information and their opinions about the motivation, barriers in the study, their educational needs, using of ICT in learning, suggestions for new learning subjects with the intention to reduce the number of elderly with low skills and knowledge. The elderly will directly take part in the project activities by arranging debates, doing interviews and filling in the questionnaires as elderly learners as the elderly not involved in learning. Most relevant priorities as "Contributing to a reduction in the number of low-skilled adults" and "Facilitating the validation of non-formal and informal learning and its permeability with formal education pathways" will be guaranteed by the possition of the project partners, the UTAs which are part of the state universities or have link to the parent universities. The project partners will enlarge their international cooperation in the European context at the universities and their international relations also with other universities not involved directly in the project as partners by realising the project tasks. All the findings will be published in the final Booklet which will be a part of the EFOS (European Federetation of Older Students at the universities) website freely available for the public. This also applies to the project Newsletter, which will be important for the sustainability of the project findings.
The project EduSenNet is the project which focused on the learning possibilities of the elderly over 50 on the chosen UTAs and countries with the aim to realise pedagogical research with the outcomes about formal, non-formal and informal learning of the elderly. The partners focused on learning possibilities of UTAs, evaluated them and described links with formal education at the universities. They presented and exchanged the best practices and innovations of the programmes. The main goals of the project supported fulfilment of the learning needs and their development in their own environment. Project topic showed, that learning of the elderly is very important not only for the individuals but for whole society throughout Europe. The project consisted of 7 partners form 6 European countries (Czech republic, the Netherlands, Germany, Slovakia, Sweden and Spain): 5 state universities and 2 nongovernmental institution with the links to the state universities. Partly have been involved to the project other institutions from Austria and Poland not supported by the project budget. Goals of the project: - to focus on learning possibilities, conditions and learning methods of the elderly learners on the universities; - to examine the opinions, learning needs, motivation and barriers to learning of the older persons who take part in the programmes as well as of those who do not (from rural areas and other communities); - developing of learning programmes and activities, introduction of new programmes and the upgrading of old ones to involve older people in activities more suited to their needs; - summarising experiences and encouraging older people to take part in learning activities; - promotion of the international cooperation in the education of the elderly and networking between the universities throughout Europe. Results and fulfilment of the project goals: - The offers of the study programs for elderly learners have been described by collected data in the form of a Review table; - The findings from the interviews and from questionnaires have been completed and evaluated by the Research Study; - Qualitative and quantitative analysis of the collected data from both groups of the elderly (students and non-students) have been used and evaluated; - Research on learning conditions, methods and learning needs, comparison of results about motivation and barriers of the elderly participants in adult learning programs; results have been used as a basis for innovation of the programmes for the elderly; - The recommendations for further development of non-formal and informal learning with promotion of the interests of new learners, which have been contacted in the rural areas and in other communities, as well as of those who don´t take part in the study. - Summarizing of experience, presentation of the best practices encouraged the elderly and promoted the development of their learning interests and taking part in learning activities; - The project contributed to the inclusion of the elderly in the learning activities and promotion of their educational needs, using if ICT in learning and proposals for creation of new learning programmes; - The active engagement of the elderly by giving lectures in the communities, by collecting data, doing interviews, which supported project results; - Evaluation of the possibilities for formal learning of the elderly with comparison of non-formal learning possibilities and educational systems showed the preferences of the elderly for non-formal learning system; - The project promoted development of the international cooperation and exchange of experience in the part of adult learning in universities; - The project results have been summarised and documents in the project booklet "Education for seniors in Europe" and brochure "Educational Senior Network", as well as on the project website, besides the other dissemination tools. Impact and benefits of the project: Older people in the communities showed interest in learning, which encouraged the organizers to innovate programs and themes as well as to look for opportunities for new learning places. The new programs will open the elderly space for development of their knowledge and active participation in education in the future as well. The impact is not only on the institutions involved but also on the target groups of older students and older people in communities and rural areas. Institutions have received many research results to serve them in the future to create new or upgraded old programs as well as to implement new training methods and practices. The new programs will open chance the elderly to develop their knowledge and offer active participation in education in the future as well. The project involved more than 4,000 respondents with active participation of the target group of older learners. Our support for community education as a significant part of active aging has created the basis for the inclusion