The goal of our project “Adult students on both sides of the sea - The learning path supported by technology and counselling”, shortly Audavia, was to build and strengthen collaboration and partnership between Otavia and Audentes. Peer support was important for us to reach our objectives: to share, update and improve e-learning and e-counselling practices, emphasizing on well-being, special education, and individual career paths of students, along with the skills required for the evolving future working life. Our key priorities were developing the competencies of our online educators, making adult education more accessible, and fostering a more inclusive and supportive educational environment. Our goal was that with the help of the project, we will improve student well-being, fluency of studies, student flow and successful guidance of students for future work transitions or educational transitions.
We applied for this project with a focus on building a partnership between Otavia (FI) and Audentes (EST) online schools. Otavia and Audentes are exceptional providers of distance learning. Our school profiles are very similar, so it was a value-based match which enabled us to recognize both individual and shared challenges faced by our organisations in daily counselling and teaching practices. As unique service providers in our countries, this project served as a platform for mutual peer support and addressing the specific needs of our students. This partnership enabled us to deepen and enhance approaches to challenges our students face, such as dropout, mental health issues, solitude, work-life responsibilities, and the unique circumstances of those living in remote areas. There was a need to broaden our perspectives on how our students experience learning and the effectiveness of the support provided. By engaging in this project, we aimed to exchange insights, find solutions, and develop ideas for improving e-learning and e-counselling practices, and enhancing student well-being. We wished to focus on improving the availability of high-quality learning opportunities for adults and enhancing the competences of our educators.