The Purpose

The purpose of the project "Knowledge is Power, Age ain't Matter" is:

to provide more educational and development opportunities for people aged 50+

to make them more active (particularly men)

and to prevent their social and digital exclusion

 
by developing and disseminating the know-how on how to implement and conduct non-vocational education at Higher Education Institutions within the framework of the Academic University of the Third Age.


International Partnership

Five universities from different parts of Europe take part in the project: from Poland – the WSB University in Poznan, from Turkey – Kütahya Dumlupinar University, from the United Kingdom – University of Dundee in Scotland, Italy – University of Salerno, Spain – University of Vigo.

The participation of and experience exchange among partners representing public and private universities, specializing in different disciplines from economics to technical, to medical, to pedagogical, and with different experience in the tuition of people aged 50+, coming from different countries diversified in terms of territory, culture and religion, and at different economic and social levels shall ensure that the solutions and outcomes of the project will be international in nature and applicable in practice.


Reasons for the project

 

Low level of activity

low level of activity or participation in non-vocational education by people aged 50+, in particular males. Reason: lack of a non-vocational training offer suited to their needs and interests, and lack of motivation due to insufficient awareness of people aged 50+ about the benefits from lifelong learning - LLL

 

Low level of digital competencies

low level of digital competencies- ICT, and lack of motivation to use them resulting in social and digital exclusion of people aged 50+

 

Unused HEI potential

missing know-how at many higher education institutions related to the use of the potential they have: educational, organizational and infrastructural to drive and conduct non-vocational lifelong learning for people aged 50+

 

Lack of competences in teaching 50+

lack of competencies among academics to prepare and conduct non-vocational courses adapted to the needs and learning capabilities of people aged 50+

To help counteract and address the presented problems the following actions were planned in the project which shall translate into results - Intellectual Outputs.


The main product of the project - Intellectual Outputs


Activities and results of the project:

The research and the report on the interests of people aged 50+ and their motivation to undertake non-vocational development courses.
Preparation an catalogue with an offer of 50 non-vocational workshops and courses for people aged 50+ tailored to their interests.
Development of a marketing strategy and promotional materials tailored to people aged 50+ that will motivate them to undertake activities and personal development.
Preparation of Moodle 50+ platform, 5 online or blended courses to motivate 50+ people to use ICT and to develop their digital competences.
Development of teaching methodology manual for the teaching staff with instructions on preparing and conducting workshops or courses for 50+ people.
The international and internal trainings for trainers and teachers of 50+ learners.
Testing the results of the project: O2, O3, O4, O5 on a group of 100 people aged 50+: in the newly opened Academic University of the Third Age at Dumlupinar University in Turkey and in the existing AU3A at WSB University in Poznan in Poland. Evaluation and Improvement.
All the Intellectual Outputs make up the Academic University of the Third Age – AU3A Guidebook - which includes the know-how on how to: prepare an offer of courses for 50+ people, how to run them and how to encourage 50+ people to participate in them.
Organization of the international and national conferences for project results dissemination in the project partner universities.

Project title: Knowledge is power, age ain't matter, Number: 2015-1-PL01-KA204-016999, Duration: 01.12.2015 – 30.06.2018.