Context/background of project It is essential to differentiate and modernize the study process in all education stages by making it more convenient and accessible to individuals. Distance education, especially distance learning is a mode of delivering education to students, often using personalized approach. This mode of studying continues to develop along with technological advancements. Distance learning provides flexibility to students to complete the chosen study programme irrespective of their disabilities, illness or any other personal reasons that prevent them from attending traditional on-the-ground courses. Another advantage of online learning is that it can be practiced virtually anywhere and anytime. Pre-condition for learners is to have a PC and internet access. In the field of adult education the situation, however, depends on the way of learning - there are adult learners who prefer individual learning, while others require assistance in defining their learning mode. Adult learners may also need guidance in using various digital and on-line learning tools. The current project addresses various segments of the target group, including elderly generation and those who need assistance in formulating their education and training needs. Project objectives The objective of the project “Developing EU through online innovation” is to develop seven thematic digital courses in various languages and disseminate prepared courses in local communities. Each course is expected to contain 15 units. All courses can be grouped according to the following themes in adult education: (i) career and business life, (ii) personal improvement, (iii) connecting work and private life. The courses will be prepared in the following languages - English, Italian, Spanish, Latvian, Greek, Hungarian, Bulgarian and Turkish. Digital course materials will be developed by an international team to soothe multicultural differences in carrying out the created digital courses. Number and profile of participants Project foresees participation of seven partner organizations, each being in charge of developing certain digital course. Grobiņa Adult education centre will develop a digital course "Live online". Iniciativas de proyectos de formacion will produce a digital course “Learn languages online“. Superficie 8, LTD will develop a digital course “Career skills advice“. Turgutlu Kaymakamligi will be responsible for developing a digital course “Entrepreneurial skills“. G.G. Eurosuccess consulting, LTD will prepare a digital course “IT skills“. Iniciativi za grajdansko obshtestvo will undertake to develop a digital course “Communication and self-improvement“. EcoCenter Alapítvány will develop a digital course “Sustainable life“. Description of activities Project partners plan to share their expertise on various aspects of adult education pertaining to envisaged preparation of several digital courses for adult education purposes. All involved participating organisations also plan to organize and deliver thematic seminars during the course of the project. Several thematic digital training courses are expected to be developed as a result of project activities, namely: • Digital training programme course “Live online” • Digital training programme course “Learn languages online” • Digital training programme course “Career skills advice” • Digital training programme course “Entrepreneurial skills” • Digital training programme course “IT skills” • Digital training programme course “Communication and self improvement” • Digital training programme course “Sustainable life” The created online courses will be piloted in all the partner organizations. Improvements to the courses will be made after the completion of the piloting process. All course materials will be made publicly available at the websites of organisations, as well as disseminated during thematic seminars in all the partner countries. Methodology As regards development of the course materials, it is planned that a special platform “News from the partner organizations” will be established. Prepared materials will be stored at this platform. Representatives of the participating project organisations expect to hold regular on-line meetings and discussions about the achieved progress and tasks still lying ahead. Envisaged impact In addition, it is expected that more than a thousand participants through all participating organizations will be presented with an opportunity to raise their self-awareness and motivation to acquire new skills through digital learning and to improve their IT skills. Accessibility to learning opportunities for adult learners, including disadvantaged learners will be improved. The created digital distance learning courses will be available to be introduced to any national or international adult education centre. The quality of the developed course materials will inevitably play a major role to ensure sustainability of the produced intellectual outputs. Another advantageous aspect of the planned intellectual outputs is that course materials will be prepared in national languages of project partners. The created courses will be included in the curriculum of the adult education centres. Created course materials will be available to the public at the project website for 5 years. Potential long-term benefits It is believed that the project will increase the educational offer in adult education by providing a new programme for social integration process of disadvantaged groups from local to international level. It is also expected that the course participants will develop competences of the 21st century in virtual world. Developed intellectual outputs – course materials - will serve as a teaching resource after completion of the project. promote processes of collaboration among students, improve relationships between students, teachers and staff and therefore improve the social climate in the adult centers.
The context of the project is essential to modernize the study process in all education stages by making it more convenient and accessible to individuals. Distance education, especially distance learning is a mode of delivering education to students, often using personalized approach. Distance learning provides students to complete the chosen study program irrespective of their disabilities, illness or any other personal reasons that prevent them from attending traditional on-the-ground courses. Another advantage of online learning is that it can be practiced virtually anywhere and anytime provided the learners have a PC and internet access. The current project addresses various segments of the target group, including elderly generation and those who need assistance in formulating their education and training needs. The main aim of the project “Developing EU through online innovation” was to develop seven thematic digital courses in 8 languages English, Italian, Spanish, Latvian, Greek, Hungarian, Bulgarian and Turkish - and disseminate the prepared courses in local communities. Each course consists of 15 units. All courses can be grouped according to the following themes in adult education: (i) career and business life, (ii) personal improvement, (iii) connecting work and private life. Each partner organization was in charge of developing one digital course. • Grobiņa Adult education centre developed program 1 - digital course "Live online" • G.G. Eurosuccess consulting, LTD worked on creating program 2- digital course “Learn English online” • Superficie 8, LTD developed program 3 - digital course “Career skills advice “ • Turgutlu Kaymakamligi was responsible for developing program 4 - digital course “Entrepreneurial skills “ • Iniciativas de proyectos de formacion produced program 5 - digital course “IT skills “. • Iniciativi za grajdansko obshtestvo developed program 6 - digital course “Communication and self-improvement “ • Eco Center Alapítvány worked on developing program 7 - digital course “Sustainable life “. Apart from the created 7 programs consisting of 15 chapters each, the project partners also organized seminars for adult educators. In each project meeting, there was one seminar, each touching a certain theme of adult education. There were 7 project meetings. The 1st project meeting was devoted to the analysis of the job market in each country. During the next project meetings partners analyzed 3 created chapters of each program. The working language was English and the chapters were created in English. If the chapters were accepted by the partners, they were translated in 7 native languages and placed on the project website www.adultcourses.eu During project meeting 6 alongside analyzing chapters 13 -15, project partners discussed how the created materials will be piloted. A group of adults piloted all the created programs and provided suggestions on how to improve the course materials. After the piloting stage the project partners improved their programs and in May multiplier events were organized in each project partner organization to disseminate the created 7 digital programs to the interested organizations and people. The last project meeting was devoted to summarizing the work done during the project and analysis of the multiplier events. It is expected that the created courses will be included in the list of courses adult centers offer to the public, thus more than a thousand participants will have an opportunity to raise their self-awareness and motivation to acquire new skills through digital learning and to improve their IT skills. That will lead to the sustainability of the produced project intellectual outputs. The created digital distance learning courses will be available to be introduced to any national or international adult education center. Another advantageous aspect of the planned intellectual outputs is that course materials will be prepared in 7 national languages of project partners and will be available to the public at the project website for 5 years. Potential long-term benefits are that the project will increase the educational offer in adult education by providing a new program for social integration process of disadvantaged groups from local to international level. It is also expected that the course participants will develop competencies of the 21st century in the virtual world. Developed intellectual outputs – course materials - will serve as a teaching resource after completion of the project. Another long-term benefit will be collaboration among students, a better relationship between students, teachers, and staff. Thus, also the social climate in the adult centers will have improved.