Many adults all over Europe still lack digital, communication and learning to learn competencies necessary in the 21st century. To address this challenge, the consortium for this project “FLIP-IDEAL – Flipped Learning in Adult Education” proposes to explore flipped learning in the context of teaching low-skilled adults. The flipped classroom methodology supports individual learning opportunities and differentiated instruction, and has the potential of improving the quality of learning. However, our adult educators have different concerns when compared to teachers of school education or university lecturers: many of our educators work with immigrants, early school leavers, basic skills/literacy students, or second chance learners. The flipped classroom as a teaching method can be challenging for teachers with students who lack study skills, have literacy issues and/or have limited access to internet and technical facilities. The project team will produce open learning material for adult educators on the flipped classroom approach, particularly suitable and adapted for basic skills learning and for teaching adults with low digital skills. By developing these materials, the FLIP-IDEAL project improves the quality of adult education and provides educators with tools and innovative approaches they can use in their daily teaching. The main objectives of the FLIP-IDEAL project are: - To develop practical tools for increasing adult educators’ competences in implementing and adapting flipped classroom methodology when teaching low-skilled adults - To develop adult learners’ basic skills, particularly literacy, digital skills and independent learning skills through quality learning opportunities around blended and flipped learning - To increase the strategic and integrated use of ICT in adult education, using tools such as virtual learning environments and games (eg. Seppo, Moodle, Edmodo) - To develop Open Digital Badge process to recognise the professional development of adult educators in the area of flipped classroom and effective use of ICT in teaching of literacy, numeracy and basic skills - To network and share experiences with European adult education partners on using flipped classroom in practice The project will actively engage with 24 adult educators (4 from each partner) whose profile differs according to the partner organisation. Including educators who work with different groups of low-skilled adult learners is important for acquiring a wide scope of perspectives on how to implement flipped learning in diverse adult education contexts. The participating educators work for example with students in second language learning, basic skills (literacy, numeracy, ICT), or second chance to learn. The 24 adult educators trained in the 4-day workshop on the flipped classroom methodology will pilot their learning in practical work, participating also in the creation and development of the Intellectual Outputs. In this way, the content for the Intellectual Outputs is based on real-life experiences and tested in practice to ensure that the methodology proposed can also be replicated elsewhere. The participating teachers will be accredited with an advanced level Open Digital Badge for their learning. The four Intellectual Outputs of the project will offer solutions to integrate flipped classroom in the context of teaching students with low digital skills. - IO1, Theoretical context: explores the pedagogy behind the flipped classroom method and looks at ways to adapt flipped classroom method for the target groups of low-skilled adults - IO2, Online course for adult educators: provides cases and experiences from real-life on the use of flipped classroom with low-skilled adults - IO3, Guidelines: introduces guidelines for good quality content for flipped classroom in adult education - IO4, Open Digital Badge system: gives guidance on how to use Digital Badges in order to accredit adult educators’ and learners’ skills and competences In the final stage of the project, each partner will organise a national dissemination seminar, in total six (6) multiplier events. The expected overall impact includes: - Increased staff competence in implementing and adapting of the flipped classroom methodology for teaching of low-skilled adults; - Improved basic skills of adult learners, particularly literacy, digital and learning to learn competences by providing them quality learning opportunities through flipped learning; - Increased understanding of how to capture and measure impact of learning and professional development through Open Digital Badges; - More effective, strategic and integrated use of ICT in adult education; - Increased awareness of impact of use of technology in adult learning among the European adult education partners; - Increased awareness and knowledge of the challenges and benefits of using the flipped classroom methodology when teaching basic skills for adult learners.
In general, the flipped classroom methodology supports self-directed learning and has the potential of improving the quality of learning. However, this methodology can be challenging for adult educators with students who lack study skills, have literacy issues and/or have limited access to internet and technical facilities. This target group was our main interest as there was little existing material or guidance available on flipped learning in adult basic education context. The aim of the project was to promote the use of flipped classroom methodologies in adult education, and to create engaging and accessible content for adult learners with low digital competences and/or basic skills. In the project we produced open learning material for adult educators on flipped learning. In particular, the objectives included: - To develop practical tools for increasing adult educators’ competences in implementing and adapting flipped classroom methodology when teaching adults learning basic skills - To develop adult learners’ basic skills, particularly literacy, digital skills and independent learning skills through quality learning opportunities around blended and flipped learning - To increase the strategic and integrated use of ICT in adult education, using tools such as virtual learning environments and games (eg. Seppo, Moodle, Edmodo) - To develop Open Digital Badge process to recognise the professional development of adult educators in the area of flipped classroom and effective use of ICT in teaching of literacy, numeracy and basic skills - To network and share experiences with European adult education partners on using flipped classroom in practice ACTIVITIES The learning, teaching and training (LTT) 4-day event benefited in total 27 participants ranging from second language teachers to vocational teachers and adult basic education teachers. Having these diverse target groups in each partner country allowed us also to change practices and ideas of how flipped learning can be adapted in different contexts to engage learners better. Partners shared their earlier expertise related to digital pedagogy and learnt new skills both through peer-learning and through external experts. The participants were accredited with an advanced level Open Digital Badge for their learning. After the LTT event, the 27 adult educators trained continued and pilot their learning in practical teaching work. These piloting activities were central in the creation and development of the Intellectual Outputs of the project: participants developed short videos for the online course (IO2) and descriptions of good practice (IO3). LTT participants also organised internal training sessions in each partner organisation to tutor their colleagues on flipped learning. Four Intellectual Outputs were developed to offer support for integrating flipped classroom approach in adult education. - IO1, Theoretical context: explores the pedagogy behind the flipped classroom method and looks at ways to adapt flipped classroom method for the target groups of adults learning basic skills - IO2, Online course for adult educators: presents cases and experiences from real-life on the use of flipped classroom with adults learning basic skills - IO3, Good practice guidelines: offers guidance to create good quality content for flipped classroom purposes in adult education - IO4, Open Digital Badge system: explains why and how to use Open Badges to accredit adult educators’ and learners’ skills and competences RESULTS AND IMPACT By training educators, developing project outputs and disseminating the learning resources created in the project, we have increased adult educators' competence in implementing and adapting of the flipped classroom methodology for teaching adult learners basic skills (literacy, digital and learning to learn competences). The outputs provide educators with tools and approaches they can use for planning their lessons and delivering the content, and also increase awareness and knowledge of the challenges and benefits of using the flipped classroom methodology with adult learners. The project has also increased understanding of how to capture and measure impact of learning and professional development through Open Digital Badges. In total 130 Open Badges “FLIPing the Adult Classroom” related to project results were released between December 2020 and February 2021. Overall, the project reached: - 27 adult educators (4+ from each partner) trained in the flipped classroom methodology - 150 educators trained internally in our partner organisations - 244 adult learners involved in the piloting phase, hundreds more later on - Over 2300 stakeholders directly through project dissemination efforts: workshops, events or presentations - Thousands of people through the FLIP-IDEAL website, national EPALE sites, e-newsletters, and social media