Peer Learning Activity on Adult Monitoring

22 March 2009 to 25 March 2009
Bratislava, Slovakia

Peer Learning Cluster or other group

Working group on adult learning

Background

The second Peer Learning Activity (PLA) on adult learning organised on 22 – 25 March 2009, in Bratislava, was hosted by the Academia Istropolitana Bratislava.

 

Focusing on the topic of Adult Monitoring, its main purpose was to contribute to one of the key tools  for the implementation of the European Commission’s 2007 Action Plan on adult learning: ‘It is always a good time to learn’.

 

The PLA comprised six types of sessions/activities involving presentations on developments in adult learning monitoring policy and practice and working groups. 

 

Participants were initially asked to present their individual expectations for the PLA. The following arose in terms of: 

  • Adult learning terminology and definitions;
  • Monitoring adult learning: ways to collect data, to create a common approach to monitor and use them, etc.
  • Further technical issues.

Description

Key issues addressed :

 

As part of new priorities in the context of lifelong learning, monitoring adult learning is essential at local, regional, national and European levels to produce better empirical evidence for increasing the participation of adults and to show the efforts made by the sector. Policy makers, adult education and training providers, learners. require information on, for example:

  • the availability, type and location of adult learning programmes/courses;
  • cost/benefit analysis;
  • the reasons for non-participation in adult learning.

In this context, the PLA targeted the following issues: 

  • the need to produce an agreed glossary of key definitions used in the adult learning sector;
  • understandings of ‘monitoring’;
  • the objectives of monitoring;
  • what adult learning is being monitored;
  • monitoring methodologies;
  • uses of monitoring: the stories behind;
  • challenges in monitoring adult learning;
  • conclusions about monitoring.

Conclusions

 

All participants agreed with the clear need for improved quantitative and qualitative data on adult learning for accountability and improvement.

 

The conclusions e.g. stressed that follows: 

  • Failure to demonstrate the benefits of adult learning is a major weakness in the sector;
  • A new sense of urgency is required throughout Europe in relation to the challenges posed at all levels by the lack of useful data on adult learning;
  • Reliable and comparable baseline information on education and skills levels of the adult population is an essential in all country;
  • Clarity on what is to be monitored is critical;
  • Critical need for agreement on adult learning terminology and definitions at European level;
  • Significant commitment, time and resources on the part of stakeholders are required;
  • The development of a specific resourced national action plan for the adult learning monitoring is vital, etc.

These enabled participants to formulate recommendations in the context of the Action Plan 'It is always a good time to learn'.


For further reading, see:
Knowledge System for Lifelong Learning