Methods

An exciting rally on the historical traces of remarkable women from Ulm, where the influence and work of these women becomes visible.

Mixed method for teaching  and giving new information and knowledge with elements of participation.  It has two phases: lecturing and training to do presentation imitating different audiences. Presentations are prepared with the help and directions of the lecturer. The group members debate the presentation and evaluate the achieving the aim of it.

Critical Workshop in the Arts and Humanities Within critical workshops, participants learn how to use their experience and knowledge in order to change attitudes in the Arts and Humanities. This method is relevant to those in the fields of: Performing Arts, Literature, Languages, Linguistics, Philosophy, Visual Arts, Classical Studies, Music, Religious Studies, etc. The “critique" workshop is considered a platform to both encourage the attending of theatre performance and to support their reception and their understanding through specific training activities. This critique workshop represents a tool for a qualitative survey and, at the same time, the first level of a multi-annual audience building programme. Its purpose is to promote: a) an autonomous choice of theatrical activities by young potential spectators and (b) their conscious reflection on their tastes, desires and cultural needs. The critique workshop also aims to obtain from the young participants insights useful to the renewal of the theatrical offer.

In the simulation the participants perform a certain activity in conditions, as closely as possible to the real situation. The method is useful, where practice is required for the performance of certain tasks, and it is not possible to practice the activity concerned. The method allows participants to apply directly the learning outcomes.

The method helps organizations from different countries and different spheres of activity to work together and exchange best practices in areas such as adult social inclusion and the acquisition of new cultural and / or linguistic skills through formal and non-formal education and training. The creative process of the seminar encourages creative expression of thoughts and feelings in thematic areas related to the living environment, history and cultural identity of the participants.

As a method, mobility allows the exchange of experience, practice and methods to better understand the diverse cultural, social and economic trends in Europe as well as areas of common interest. It helps to enhance the opportunities for adults to study and work with students in other countries to promote their self-esteem and to increase their adaptability.

The application of the method contributed to the development of an educational program with themes, subtopics, methods and educational tools enhancing the role of third-age people in the civil dialogue process at all levels. It helped the exchange of ideas and knowledge between generations, nations and cultures. The method contributed to improving the social environment in the Danube countries through the organization of continuing education.

Drama Game is a basic learning activity. This is how students are stimulated to think and experience their individual or social problems. Older learners could learn to explore, explore, and experiment with their problems, events and relationships. Drawn by the drama, they draw their knowledge and experience of the real world.

Lifelong learning of people of every age group, also old adults, is not a luxury but a social necessity. The method serves to consolidate or apply knowledge, skills and competencies in practice. It consists of deliberately carrying out certain actions and repeating them in order to form and improve one or other skills and habits. The character and the methodology of their application depend on the specific curriculum, as well as on the level of preparation and development of elderly learners.

The main purpose of these festivals is to improve the quality of training by enabling participants to exchange experiences, information and promote among them the contemporary understanding of European awareness, and dialogue between cultures and the generations.

Individual learning is one of the most effective educational method because it is consistent with the individual socio-psychological features of adult learners. The method encourages creative expression of thoughts and feelings on the topic of the river Danube and Danube countries that have to do with the older people's living environment, history and cultural identity. It helps to develop the individual learning skills of older people for comparing and learning about other countries and cultures, provokes reflection on intercultural competences and contributes to their widening.

Lifelong learning is the key to assuring that experience and competences of older people are not lost to society. The method was used to enhance the participation of older learners, intercultural and intergenerational dialogue, and to increase the participants’ creativity on the topic of the river Danube and Danube countries through telling personal stories.

With the help of the trainers, the seniors were able to get basic knowledge in coding.

In order to explain and make the seniors understand the concepts of augmented and virtual reality, we used several games and application for mobile. We played with cars inside the classroom, even though cars didn’t exist in reality, or brought birds or elephants inside.

Just showing some concepts and explain how to do something is not enough. Seniors were asked, for example, to create a Google account by themselves or to adapt the existing code and colour an existing background from blue to yellow.

A short Interview was conducted before the research really took place. Objectives were defined for gaining as much as possible data about buildings, urban places, way of life in the town. Objectives were defined. What the interviewers wanted to achieve was to obtain stories about the town. The type of interview was chosen and who would be the interviewees. Decisions were taken on the type of respondents needed and their characteristics (older people who have lived in the town for decades, who are analytical enough, etc.). It was decided how the interviews would be conducted. Face-to-face, and if the interviews would be recorded or not. It was decided how the sample would be constituted.

Focus groups in which were representatives of project partners were conducted to define and monitor performance indicators (metrics), assess the quality of the project results, its progress and impact. Focus groups are important part of the evaluation process (formative and final evaluation) and enabled information about dynamics of the project implementation, challenges in implementation, obstacles for partners in the project, their satisfaction with project management and with the results, suggestions for improvement of implementation.

Semi-structured Interviews were conducted to explore older people’s perceptions and ideas about the required and desired competencies of professionals working with the population in their later life. Empirical work was conducted in five countries, so that the views of elderly people from different regions of Europe could be fully considered and integrated in a culturally comprehensive framework (a qualitative approach; sixteen semi-structured interviews in each country). This methodology permits elderly people to express their ideas and perceptions in an in-depth and freely way, giving the space and time that is offered to elaborate on specific needs and desires which can be oriented by cultural, social/environmental or individual factors.

Desk research was conducted to identify innovative and effective learning/teaching approaches for working with older people. The desk research was focused on innovative and effective learning/teaching approaches used in training of health and social workers and focused on supporting interaction skills. Innovative learning approaches for working with the elderly was identified; opportunities were described. Based on this inventory, best practices and innovative teaching methods were identified based on the research, and examples of good practice were provided.

This training process was based on activities that grow out of one common centre of interest of adult learners (called “golden topic”). The golden topic was “Old cooking recipes”. Around this topic were set three main branches of activities: ICT, literacy and English courses. In this training was also included development of another two basic skills: literacy, with reading and creative writing courses and Basic English communication skills. The methodological approach was based on four pillars: motivation, learning through acting, self-confidence and active participation of the adults all along learning process.