After a long and extensive process of collecting tools and instruments, we are happy to announce that the ALE Toolbox, prepared by DVV International Headquarters in Bonn, is ready to be used by all relevant institutions and organisations in adult education worldwide.
The toolbox provides instruments, methodologies and approaches in Adult Learning and Education/ALE free of charge, and is divided into three segments:
- teaching and training;
- organisation and management;
- system development.
The ALE Toolbox is intended to be used by adult education and academic institutions, adult and youth educators teaching different subjects and skills, government offices from national to local level involved in adult education, non-governmental organisations and anyone interested in educational tools.
The ALE Toolbox is available in English and German, and can be accessed here.
Besides the ALE Toolbox, today we are happy to present another instrument that could help all adult education providers and education authorities in their efforts to establish quality assurance system.
It is the report of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) entitled “Improving the Quality of Non‑Formal Adult Learning - Learning from European Best Practices on Quality Assurance”.
The report is structured around five chapters. Chapter 1 provides some background information necessary to put the study into context, including definitions of the main concepts and the challenges faced by institutions in setting up quality assurance systems for adult education. Common tools used to ensure quality in adult training across European countries are then examined and carefully detailed, distinguishing between those imposing minimum quality requirements on providers (such as quality labels in Chapter 2) and those relying on less strict requirements (e.g., self-evaluations in Chapter 3).
The importance of adopting a wider, holistic approach to quality in adult education is emphasised in Chapter 4, with a discussion of the role played by additional support structures, such as the validation of prior learning, the professionalisation of the teaching staff, and the involvement of the social partners. Chapter 5 concludes, proposing a decision tree to help authorities identify what are the main areas of discussion and action to develop a quality assurance system for non-formal adult learning.
Read the Report here.
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