The AONTAS Lifelong Learning Conference will take place online on the 24th of November between 9:30am-12:30pm.
The event will focus on themes of educational equality, flexible learning and the role of adult learning in addressing and overcoming challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The event aims to recognise the need and value of lifelong learning as an investment in the citizens of Europe. In addition, it will seek to strengthen the profile of adult education through building awareness and understanding of the impact of diverse learning pathways; and their capacity to include and support marginalised and vulnerable adults who have previously been excluded and/or hard to reach in formal education systems.
AONTAS is the National Coordinator for the European Agenda for Adult Learning (EAAL) in Ireland since 2014. Its current project is titled Adult and Community Education: Supported Learner Pathways 2020-2021. This project aims to develop innovative and community-based methods, identify the needs of learners, and develop policy recommendations for engaging vulnerable and marginalised adults in Irish adult education. This will involve a framework of activities that collectively analyse and build an understanding of current learner pathways in Ireland, develop new models of best practice, and offer clear policy solutions to Irish and European policymakers.
Agenda (subject to change)
- 9.30am – Welcome and Introductions – AONTAS CEO, Niamh O’Reilly; AONTAS Chair, John D’Arcy
- 9.40am – Highlights from EAAL project 2020 – 2021
- 9.50am – Keynote Speaker – Prof Ellen Boeren, Professor in Education and Director of Research at the University of Glasgow School of Education
- 10.20am – Panel Discussion on Educational Equality – Representation of diverse range of communities
- 11.15am – Comfort break
- 11.30am – Reflections on Flexible Learning – Eline Wigdel, Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills, Norway
- 11.45am – Flexible Learning Offers in Finland – Erno Hyvönen, Project coordinator at Ministry of Education and Culture, Finland
- 12.05pm – Q&A / Breakout Sessions
- 12.30pm – Wrap-up and close – including graphic harvest reveal
