The partnership sought successful hybrid learning solutions to aid disadvantaged adults, promote inclusion, and enhance the quality and availability of learning opportunities. During the project's preparation, we realized the permanent impact of the pandemic on education; hybrid learning had to be accessible to everyone, regardless of their location or special needs. We believed that enhancing the competencies of adult educators would lead to improved learning outcomes for learners. The project aimed to develop supportive materials for organizing hybrid learning for disadvantaged adults, ensuring more inclusive and equitable adult education in the participating regions. We specifically focused on individuals with intellectual disabilities, immigrants, and learners in rural areas, reflecting the demographics of our target groups. Through local and international partnerships, our plan included developing a toolkit of methods and tools to aid learners in hybrid environments, alongside with a training program and an e-learning self-study course for adult educators.
In 2021, the second year of the pandemic, we applied for this project as we were just beginning to return to our classrooms. The pandemic had fundamentally altered our approach to education, making it clear that a return to exclusively face-to-face classes would not be feasible. We were compelled to adapt to a hybrid learning format. Hybrid learning is understood as an educational model where some students participate in-person, while others join virtually. This transition presented a significant challenge for most teachers and adult educators worldwide as they navigated the shift to online learning. However, it soon became evident that, despite the possibility of conducting sessions offline, there remained a persistent risk that some participants could not attend due to illness, geographical barriers, or other factors. Consequently, it was imperative to devise effective hybrid learning strategies, particularly challenging when working with disadvantaged learners. Our goal was to enable not just the passive participation of online attendees in face-to-face sessions but to ensure their active engagement and inclusion, fostering a sense of belonging within the group and promoting effective learning.