EbALW (Research and Development Project)

Siamak Farhur

EbALW (Research and Development Project)

EbALW (Development of a part-time postgraduate program for the academic qualification and professionalization of teaching staff in continuing vocational education)

The project, funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB), is developing a well-founded, pedagogically grounded concept for qualification in continuing vocational education. The resulting program is aimed equally at teaching staff in continuing vocational education and at stakeholders who wish to become active in continuing vocational education. On this basis, a model postgraduate program is being developed and tested empirically for one year in the form of a certificate course (which includes the module units of the designed degree program). The course offering is designed in such a way that it can generally be transferred to other universities and education providers.

To this end, among other things, a reference framework (requirements or qualifications framework) is being developed that can contribute to professionalization.

The project aims to contribute:

to clarifying a broadly defined and inconsistent professional profile and the associated understanding of tasks in continuing education,
approaches to pedagogical quality and quality development in continuing vocational education,
to expanded opportunities for professionalization in continuing education,
to a broader pedagogical qualification of continuing education instructors and thus ultimately
to intensifying and increasing the social recognition of part-time learning.

The concept is to be presented and discussed with an interested professional audience at events such as seminars and workshops. The results of the project will be made accessible to all project participants and interested parties (e.g. providers of continuing vocational education and universities). The EbALW project therefore also sees itself as a transfer between academic education (in the field of education) and professional practice.

The certificate course developed within the project and piloted since 2017 is designed as a permanent offering that can, in part or in full, become a component of a pedagogy degree program with different orientations.

Staff
Prof. Dr. Sascha Liebermann (Academic Director)
Dipl. Soz.-Wiss. Siamak Farhur M.A. (Project Director)
Dr. Anne Meuter (Research Associate)
Dr. Julia Gronewold (Research Associate)
Nina Börner B.A. (Student Assistant)

Project partners
External partners collaborate on specialist consulting and evaluation.

Data
Acronym: EbALW
Duration: 01.12.2015-31.12.2018
Project Director: Dipl. Soz.-Wiss. Siamak Farhur M.A.
Project Coordination: Dr. Anne Meuter
Funding body: Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), represented by the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training. As part of the BMBF funding program “Innovative approaches to future-oriented continuing vocational education”.
Institutional home at the university: Institute for Philosophical and Aesthetic Education, Department of Vocational Education

Campus II der Alanus Hochschule in Alfter bei Bonn

Certificate course: Teaching Staff in Continuing Education

The adult education certificate course Teaching Staff in Continuing Education is aimed particularly at professionals working in the continuing education sector and at interested individuals who wish to further qualify and professionalize in continuing vocational education. The course is studied part-time alongside work and lasts 2 semesters, during which participants can systematically deepen their knowledge and purposefully expand their competencies.
Study content and structure

The certificate course consists of in-person phases and phases of self-study. During the in-person phases, participants attend required courses and can also choose from additional offerings at the university. These courses may include seminars, workshops, and project work.

Among other things, the course covers the following topics:

Introduction to academic work
Introduction to pedagogical practice research
Didactics and theory of adult education
Upbringing and education
Art and speech formation, as well as other freely selectable offerings provided at Alanus University as part of the Studium Generale.

A continuous and systematic reflection on participants’ own professional practice for the professionalization of continuing education work applies to all courses.

The lecturers consist of teaching staff from Alanus University as well as stakeholders and practitioners from vocational pedagogy/adult education.

The certificate course is characterized by close and effective learning support, small groups, and efficient learning. Contact and support are also offered outside regular office hours.
Qualification

After successfully attending all courses and completing a project paper, participants receive a certificate from Alanus University.

In addition, Credit Points (CP), awarded according to the European Credit Transfer System, can be earned through successfully completed courses and may be credited toward a regular degree program leading to an academic qualification.