AER is happy to share a successful project from Umbria region, aimed to provide a good practice adaptable for future projects in the field of formal and non-formal adult learning.

PRALINE  project – ‘Peer Review in Adult Learning to Improve Formal and Non-Formal Education’, funded by the Erasmus+ Programme, aims at developing innovative and sustainable initiatives to support Adult Learning (AL) providers through a piloting of the European Peer Review methodology adapted to the adult education sector and tested in five countries: France, Italy, Lithuania, Malta and Portugal.

The final conference of this project, part of the EAEA’s campaign – the Year of Adult Education in Europe 2017, was organised in Brussels on 10th May at the Umbria region office and got an high number of participants as well as relevant speakers and experts. AER Secretariat was in attendance, getting the chance to learn about the project’s experience and findings.

Why PRALINE?

Quality Culture is a priority in the EU Agenda for Adult Learning aimed at ensuring the “possibilities for adults to access high-quality learning opportunities…” Quality of human capital ensures competitiveness. Most of the countries are currently developing or transforming their legislation for this sector, focusing more on quality assurance. Implementation of strategies on adult learning is challenging (Panteia, Developing the adult learning sector, p.XII – 2013).

What is the aim of PRALINE?

• Developing innovative and sustainable initiatives to support Adult Learning providers, specifically targeting those in non-formal education sector, in approaching Quality Assurance in their organisation and training provision.
• Raising awareness on the positive impact of education in terms of personal and professional development, as well as social integration.

What are the main findings?

• ‘Warming-up Strategy for developing a Quality Culture’ to achieve the overall objective of initiating Formal and Non-Formal Adult Learning providers to Quality Culture
• Turning quality assurance into practice by implementing activities including piloting of the Adapted Peer Review methodology in AL providers, production of Recommendations for developing a quality culture and implementing peer review in formal and non-formal adult learning sector and dissemination/exploitation of the results.

The results on the project can be found in the Qualitative Analysis of the Piloting of the Peer Review Methodology for the Adult Learning Sector and in the Recommendations for Developing a Quality Culture and Implementing Peer Review in Formal and Non-Formal Adult Learning Sector.

Qualitative Analysis of the Piloting of the Peer Review Methodology for the Adult Learning Sector

It helps to understand what are the strengths and areas of improvements by piloting the European Peer Review methodology.

The methodology previously validated for other educational domains was confirmed to be:

• Flexible enough for providers with non-mature Quality Management systems in place
• Effective for the non-formal learning sector and thus able to support the dialogue with formal learning providers and their more structured and regulated approach
• Functional for the reinforcement of soft skills
• A support to the organisations going through period of change
• A way to improve the use of self-assessment practices in the organisations QM systems coherently with the objectives of EU policies.

However, some aspects could be improved. In particular, some tools in the European Peer Review Tool-Box needs to be simplified. More flexible ways for application of the methodology needs to be formed in order to adopt it to specific contexts. The role of Peers as catalyst needs to be investigated for a smooth approach to quality assurance. Better impact assessment of participation to Peer Reviews is needed in terms of soft skills development. The educational value of the Quality Areas has key role in quality culture development, therefore, its promotion is inevitable.

Recommendations for Developing a Quality Culture and Implementing Peer Review in Formal and Non-Formal Adult Learning Sector 

Recommendations are made starting from the results of the ‘Warming-up Strategy’, as well as from the conclusions of ‘the Qualitative Analysis of the Piloting of the Peer Review Methodology for the Adult Learning Sector’ and of the Stakeholders’ Committees.

Some potential implementation areas at both provider and policymaker levels were identified.

For policy makers:

1. Systemising the framework of the European Peer Review Methodology in a transversal way to encompass all educational sectors
2. Clear position of European Peer Review in wider quality assurance system of adult learning sector to ensure its use and recognition at national and European level
3. Encouraging synergies between policies and instruments, greater transparency and consistency between sectors also operating separately

For adult learning providers:

1. Promoting the professional qualification and continuing training of staff responsible for education and training, in particular on issues of quality assurance and the consequent recognition of these skills as relevant to their professional profile.
2. Considering the possibility of adaptation to the specificities of the organisations and of the educational offer, in order to include everyone in the process of improvement, starting from the sharing of a common framework.

For both policy makers and adult learning providers:

1. Integrating Peer Review methodology with other Quality Assurance methods moving towards a system of “performance-based awarding schemes”.
2. Supporting an approach based on voluntary basis through institutional and shared forms of recognition and visibility, as Registers of Peers, a Peer Review European Label, etc
3. Identifying links between European and national levels for a sustainable introduction and mainstreaming of the European Peer Review methodology
4. Supporting opportunities for interaction and exchange between VET providers and AL providers for the sake of quality of learning offer.
5. Developing quality network among providers, valuing and rewarding initiatives of mutual evaluation among organizations also from different sectors
6. Promoting information and training meetings on the issues of quality of learning offer addressed not necessarily, or not only, to quality specialists.
7. Supporting the use of the conceptual framework of the European Peer Review methodology (Quality Areas, criteria and related indicators) for self-evaluation and in order to raise awareness about the importance of a culture of quality among different AL providers.

For AL providers:

1. Promoting the professional qualification and continuing training of staff responsible for education and training, in particular on issues of quality assurance and the consequent recognition of these skills as relevant to their professional profile.
2. Considering the possibility of adaptation to the specificities of the organisations and of the educational offer, in order to include everyone in the process of improvement, starting from the sharing of a common framework.

If you wish to learn more about this project and ways to cooperate with Umbria region, please get in touch with the AER Secretariat.