KEY COMPETENCES TO LIFELONG LEARNING IN EDUCATION OF SENIORS

Scientific aspect of the project

It is worth noting that, apart from the educational aspect, the KEY project also had a scientific dimension. Qualitative and quantative research was conducted during the duration of the project. Quantative reasearch was conducted by means of questionaires, both before and after the project, with the aim of assessing the effectiveness of the workshops. Focus groups were also organized at each stage in order to evaluate the workshops. During these focus groups, the seniors expressed their opinions about the workshops, indicating both their strong and weak points. On the basis of this, valuable feedback was obtained, which enabled the programme of activities to be adapted and improved.

Practical conclusions for the education of seniors resulting from the KEY project

On the basis of the experience gained during the project, it is possible to apply practical conclusions for the education of elderly people :

- Recruitment is a key factor. It should be noted that in preparing the project's programme of activities it was assumed that the participants already have at least a basic knowledge of English and computer skills. Thus, the recruitment process should attempt, as far as possible, to select a homogenous group of seniors.

- Flexibility. During evaluation of the project, it was the opinion of many seniors that there were too few lessons (each module consisted of 10 lessons of 1.5 hours each). This time limit often left them hungry for more, as some of the lessons were so interesting for them that they wanted to continue. Thus, it is important that as far as possible the lessons should be flexible.

- The senior as a party to the education process. It is very important that seniors should be treated as a party to the education process. This means that the senior should be familiar with the subject matter of the lessons and have some influence on the shape of the workshops. Seniors should feel that they are not just passive participants in the education programme, but that they also have some say in its formation.

- Interesting and practical activities. From the feedback obtained from the participants, the attractiveness and practicality of the lessons was very prominent. Seniors, as people who "no longer have to do anything", expect the lessons to be interesting. It is also important that the lessons should have some practical bearing on their lives, as they don't want to waste their time on something which is impractical and irrelevant. Reference to their own experiences should also be part of the lessons, because then the content will be better assimilated.

- Group atmosphere is a very important factor in the success of workshops, and can be influenced by both seniors and teachers. It is very important neither to judge nor criticise seniors during the course of lessons. Participants should feel accepted and able to comfortably express their own thoughts during group forums, without fear of being laughed at. This is particularly important when working on personal biographies, because sharing life experiences is often difficult and a great challenge for the participants.

- Material adapted to elderly people. Material used during the lessons should be adapted to the specifics of the elderly. Texts should be printed in large type, tasks should be clearly defined, and notes should be confined to the relevant content of the lessons.

Summarising, evaluation of the KEY project shows that the workshops were interesting for the participants, and had a positive effect on an increase in their key competences in lifelong learning.