Distance learning for vulnerable adults

The Novucenter team was invited to participate in the project “Distance Learning for Vulnerable Adults,” organized by Vestifex.
We were invited as experts to pilot and develop distance learning methods.

In Estonia, the project involved Svetlana Smirnova, Aleksei Serov, and Olga Volkova (Novucenter OÜ), with Galina Kushanova (Vestifex OÜ) serving as the project coordinator.

Adult education organizations face challenges arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, which occurred unexpectedly and continues to affect adult education even today. More than 70% of adult learners belong to vulnerable groups, who now need knowledge and skills more than ever to adapt to the new conditions brought about by the pandemic. While we all use various strategies and methods for distance learning, commonly used and previously developed approaches often do not work for vulnerable groups due to their specific characteristics, learning barriers, and motivation factors. This realization led to the creation of the current project, driven by the urgent need to find effective solutions in this field.

The main objective of the project is to develop, adapt, and share best practices in distance learning strategies and methods targeted at the following groups:

• Elderly adults

• Migrants

• Adults with special needs

• NEET individuals (not in education, employment, or training)

• Early school leavers

• People living in rural areas

The direct target group of the project includes adult education providers, counselors, and educators.

Partner Organizations:

• Zasavska ljudska univerza – Slovenia (lead partner)

• OÜ Vestifex – Estonia

• Ljudska univerza Jesenice – Slovenia

• Pučko otvoreno učilište Koprivnica – Croatia

• Gear up – Netherlands

• L.C. Educational LTD – Cyprus

Short-term Joint Staff Training Events – LTTs:

• Distance learning for adults with special needs and unemployed people – Cyprus

• Distance learning for elderly adults and migrants – Estonia

• Distance learning for rural residents and early school leavers – Netherlands

Project Outcomes:

The first LTT took place in September 2021 in Cyprus. It was structured into five components:

1. Introduction to the adult education system in Cyprus (presentations, meetings, study visits)

2. Learning about the host organization L.C. Educational LTD and its best practices in working with people with special needs

3. Workshops on distance learning practices for unemployed adults

4. Workshops on distance learning for learners with special needs

5. Reflection and evaluation

As a result of this LTT, two educational packages were developed for professionals in the education sector.
The participants from Novucenter – Svetlana Smirnova, Olga Volkova, Aleksei Serov