Category:
Education
Location:
Anna Grabowska - project animator, Slaska 35/49, 80-379 Gdansk, POLAND
PRO-MED sp. z o.o. Dolne Migowo 16 C, 80-952 Gdansk, POLAND
Gdansk University of Technology, Narutowicza 11/12, 80-233 Gdansk, POLAND
Summary:
The project „e-senior.eu in action” has an aim to integrate and activate the members of Senior’s Club at Gdansk University of Technology (GUT) using ICT tools, especially Learning Management System Moodle. Face to Face workshops with elements of e-learning have been organised in a computer laboratory since October 2009. A dedicated web based service was established. More over seniors take part in the open-air meetings, where their knowledge and skills gained during e-courses is verified (e.g. English language communication, Nordic Walking). One of the most important issue is the participation of seniors in Socrates Grundtvig Partnership projects' meetings in Poland and abroad. During these meetings experiences and skills gained in the “e-senior.eu in action” project are presented and documented in online albums.
Vision, objectives and goals:
Nowadays the importance of ICT increases day by day in every part of people’s social life. Not only for their private life but also being a member of Europe requires an access to current information flow. In many European countries +55 adult people do not have the required knowledge and opportunity to access ICT. The objectives are as follows: developing ICT skills among senior citizens, integrating and activating people over 55 by buiding online community, increasing interest in different languages, improving learning capacities and mental health of elder people, reducing the digital gap between old and young, promoting an active citizenship, developing lifelong learning of high quality by valorising and sharing former and ongoing EU projects results.
The role of ICT:
ICT plays the main role in the project because the communication among participants is based on Learning Management System Moodle and on real use of different software which enables seniors writing, drawing, publicating and sharing ideas, photos etc. We use Forum, chats, blogs for every day communication. The most popular are online photo albums where we document each meeting in Poland and abroad. For safety reason login and password are needed.
Target groups and impact:
Intergenerational activities are promoted. And thanks to this approach we involved all target groups. The instructors can be old and young. In fact the most important is the knowledge/skills they can share with others. For example we have English language teacher in different parts of the world. Our Nordic Walking trainer is of our seniors. The idea is to activate and integrate children, grand children, parents, grand parents using blended learning approach.
Achievements, milestones and wins:
The first experiences were gathered within "Meeting of Generations" project http://www.meetgen.org/, 2001-2003.
The idea of intergenerationl approach is used in "e-senior.eu in action".
In the project, curricula for two course models were developed. Essential PC skills and knowledge were initially introduced in a foundation course, and these were then built on in an ensuing Internet course for beginners. On the one hand this entailed preparing and training the young teachers in a variety of didactic methods and pedagogical and psychological perspectives, on the other hand, it involved creating subject-based curricula and a functioning, web-based learning environment for the Internet course. Both course models were undertaken in each partner organisation. The outcomes, experiences and materials that evolved from this process have been posted on the project website and are also available to any interested members of the public in the form of a training hand book and CD.
The second project which is still ongoing one is Connecting +55 Grundtvig Partnership, 2008-2010.
The idea of ICT and language training is applied in "e-senior.eu in action".
In this project FirstClass platform has been using for partners communication. In fact this project gave the birth for seniors' meetings with computers at Gdansk University of Technology.
In order to achieve the project's aims the Partnership enables all involved to use the internet based platform FirstClass, contributes to enhancing language learning and learning about the partners’ cultural identities, shares expertise, concerning different approaches to adult learning.
The third one is "MindWellness – Improving learning capacities and mental health of elder people", http://www.mindwellness.eu/, 2008-2010.
The Physical Fitness e-module is applied in "e-senior.eu in action".
Mindwellness is a 2-year international project, funded by the European Union’s “Grundtvig” programme.
There are 11 project partners in 9 countries, including relevant specialists in adult education, pedagogues, medical doctors, university researchers, ICT experts and social researchers.
The project will develop innovative training material aimed at older people (working or retired) to help them retain mental flexibility. The outcomes of the project include: a national and comparative analysis on the current position of older citizens and learning in higher age, a collection of good examples and best practice related to brain training, online training material with exercises on brain training, a handbook on brain training for older people, providing a theoretical basis for use by trainers and experts.
The fourth one is Grundtvig Partnership "LLLab - LifeLong Learning for Active Citizenship and Capacity Building", http://www.lilelab.com/default.aspx.
The concept of e-workshop is applied in "e-senior.eu in action".
The objectives of the partnership are as follows: to promote the vision for LLL in partner countries, to educate the staff about its aims, outcomes and the background, to promote access and increase participation in Lifelong Learning for the staff and clients of the partner organizations, to broaden access to Lifelong Learning opportunities and innovative expressions, to promote flexible education and training methods and approaches to create a culture of learning, to create learning opportunities, seminars, workshops for the employees/members of partner organizations by the help of the identified practises and activities derived from these, to improve the quality and accessibility of mobility in adult education by increasing the volume of cooperation and to significantly improve the degree of involvement within the learning process and also the evaluation criteria, to visibly increase the investment in human resources in order to turn to good account most of the human potential; to make sure that every one gets easy and permanent access to quality information and advice about what they want to learn in the country and in Europe, to develop capacity and institution building by developing LLL skills in general, basic competencies and critical thinking derived from knowledge based society to adjust them to the continuous change in the society and in their work, to support innovative and creative expressions at work and in the community, to facilitate personal growth and as result of it; social cohesion, to create a multinational and intercultural environment and promote intercultural dialogue, to provide motivation and foster language learning, to increase productivity at work and personal fulfilment both at work and in the community by developing skills, competencies and knowledge within personal, civic, social and employment perspectives.
In order to valorise, share and preserve LifeLong Learning projects results described above the "e-senior.eu in action" project started in September 2009 and will be finished in April 2010.
The idea is to gather all valuable results (intergenerational approach, ICT and language training, Physical Fitness e-module, the concept of e-workshop) in Moodle based platform.
At Gdansk University of Technology there is a will for building UTA Online (University of Third Age Online). We co-operate with U3A Online http://www3.griffith.edu.au/03/u3a/ which is a world-first virtual University of the Third Age delivering online learning via the Internet.
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