Easy Learning - Innovative Curricula

Short summary

AIMNETWORK is a cultural not profit association based in Ferrara, Italy in 2012. We promote Intercultural and interreligious dialogue by the meant of intercultural mediation and we cooperate with other local and international youth organisations and schools, against stereotypes, xenophobia and stigmatization of migrant and refugee people. Our aim is to help their integration through intercultural education to spread an intercultural understanding, to avoid early school leaving and the risk of their social exclusion

Studies show that traditional way of teaching cannot fully provide youth with the skills and competences required by the labour market. Although we still witness a monopoly of formal education, non-formal education contributes more and more to the life-learning process and to the development of human capital. In this context, experiential learning is adding an essential ingredient to youth education – that is self-reflection about the things we are experiencing daily both in school and outside of it.

The overall aim of the Easy Learning project is to enhance the development of new non-formal teaching methods in different field of studies. Objectives of the project are:

1. To increase the competences of youth workers, trainers, youth leaders and volunteers in designing new activities based on experiential learning model

2. To design new training curricula based on innovative teaching techniques

3. To create a toolkit with tested non-formal educational tools for developing youth abilities and skills, available for free

4. To improve cooperation between people working in the field of European youth organizations, youth workers and young people.

Activities:

The project used the following methods: group dynamic games, ice breakers, brainstorming, group discussions and bilateral discussions, group presentations, workshop, individual work, brainstorming, problem analysis techniques, design thinking model.

After being involved in this project the participants will be able to create and deliver trainings in the field of intercultural dialogue, young entrepreneurship, early school leaving and human rights in an innovative way and with greater impact in youth development. The project will also lead to the development of a new design of international educational pathways in line with students’ need. This will generate the recognition and validation of the skills and qualifications across the national borders and in the labour market.

The main tangible result of the Easy Learning project was the ELC (Experiential Learning Cycle) Toolkit called Easy Learning Toolkit. The Toolkit is developed as a brochure that can be used by trainers, professors, youth workers and other professionals when designing trainings for youth. You can find it on the Toolbox of SALTO, it is accessible for free for all the members.https://www.salto-youth.net/tools/toolbox/tool/easy-learning-toolkit.1672/

 

It gathers 11 new and innovative methods created by the participants together with the trainers - the methods are focused on the following topics:

A) intercultural dialogue / intergenerational dialogue

B) young entrepreneurship / early school leaving

C) human rights

Each method was created following the next structure:

-purpose of the method

-steps for implementation; materials needed

- topics approached

- context: when to use it and with which target group

- learning points/impact.

The design of the toolkit and the content was established together with the participants during the ELC Toolkit Fair.

The aim of the tool is to provide new experiential learning techniques that education practitioners can use in order to develop new trainings meant to facilitate youth access to labour market. Supporting youth workers and youth leaders to think in innovative ways of approaching youth related topics and develop creative solutions will increase the impact and efficiency of youth activities and will generate innovative methodologies that increase effective participation of all project-actors involved in youth projects: partners, young people, youth workers, local communities, and policymakers.

The Easy Learning Toolkit is an instrument that helps organizations to develop new training programs for youth and enhances their capacity to deliver quality training for them in order to prevent unemployment.Learning by doing principle, as the fundament of experiential learning, is respected through all the activities included in the toolkit.

 

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Target group of good practice:

Other

Country:

Italy

Related links:

AIMNETWORK

Author:

Maria Kavouri

Institution:

AIMNETWORK

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