Vita Activa and ADD LIFE

1

• Vita Activa and ADD LIFE!
• Non-traditional students in Austria two
  projects on Learning in Later Life at the KFU
  Graz
• Marcus Ludescher
• University of Graz, Austria
• Thursday, 07 December 2006
• Graz, Austria

2
Overview

• Non-traditional students in Austria (NTS) and
  alternative routes to Higher Education (HE)
  Senior Students in Austria Learning in Later
  Life (LLL) Research Project
• Project Vita Activa Basics and Progress
• Project ADD LIFE Basics and Products
• Contact

3
Why do we deal with NTS LLL?

• Ageing population e.g. Styria 23 over 60
  (2005) 33
  over 60 (2030)
• Not only the economy and the labour market but
  also our civil society cannot afford to lose the
  skills, competences and experiences of older
  people
• Mission of our universities as state funded
  institutions is to transfer their knowledge to
  the society (University Law 2002)
• Development plan of our university
  2005-2010Uni for Life university education
  for everyone between 18 and 88 university shall
  become a partner in learning for students of
  any and all ages.

4
Non-traditional students in Austria Definitions

• No overall definition that applies to all systems
  of HE
• 3 dimensions which distinguish traditional from
  non-traditional students (normal students
  biography)
• Access to higher education (secondary school
  leaving certificate Matura)
• Time of enrolment and age (18-19 years )
• Patterns and intensity of study (full-time)
• Results of a survey (H. Pechar et al. 2001)
• Only 28 of Austrian students belong to this
  group although every second student enrolled
  immediately after secondary school, a growing
  number of students has a full-time (16), or a
  part-time job (23), or works occasionally during
  the semester (27,6).
• Motives gain practice, financial

5
Austrian Education System
6
Alternative routes to Higher Education Overview

• Externistenreifeprüfung
• Studienberechtigungsprüfung
• Berufsreifeprüfung
• 4,2 of students (2005) have chosen one of these
  routes to HE.
• ad 1. Some secondary schools offer (evening)
  classes to prepare external candidates for
  A-Level (very traditional high drop out
  rates!)
• ad 2. Specialized university entrance
  qualification, which gives access to a chosen
  subject as Medicine, Business Management, etc.
  (1985)
• ad 3. equivalent to the Matura and gives
  general access to Higher Education (1997)

7
Alternative routes to Higher Education SBP BRP

• Studienberechtigungsprüfung (SBP)
• Prerequisites previous professional experience
  or training in the area of the target field of
  study Austrian citizenship min. age 22 years
• Exams 5 1 essay, 1-3 core subjects, 1-3
  optional subjects Medicine (1 essay, Biology,
  Chemistry 2, Physics 1, 1 optional subject)
• Preparatory courses Universities (application
  for admission, examining board), Certified Adult
  Education Centres (up to 4 of 5 exams)
• Duration approx. 1 year

• Berufsreifeprüfung (BRP)
• Prerequisites completion of an apprenticeship
  (e.g. electrician, hair dresser), intermediate
  technical or vocational school (min. 3 years)
  nurses, medical laboratory assistants, etc.
  min. age 17 years (last exam not to be taken
  before 19)
• Exams 4 German, Mathematics, Foreign Language,
  subject-related exam
• Preparatory courses Secondary schools
  (application for admission, examining board),
  Certified Adult Education Centres (up to 3 of 4
  exams)
• Duration approx. 2 years

8
Senior students in Austria facts figures

• Definition according to Austrian Rectors
  Conference (1978) female students 40 and male
  students 45 without vocational interests and
  aims
• 2 routes in terms of enrolment status regular
  students (credit-bearing courses leading to an
  academic degree) versus irregular students the
  latter was a popular way for senior students to
  pursue their own interests without any pressure
  of taking exams
• Number of older students fell after introduction
  of tuition fees 2001/02 The number of irregular
  students at the KFU Graz (55) fell from 1,246
  (13.7 of all irregulars) in winter term
  2000/01 to 168 (lt 3 of all irregulars) in winter
  term 2002/03.
• In 2005/06 3.8 of the regular students at
  Austrian universities are 40, 0.59 are 60.

9
Learning in Later Life Results of a research
project

• Study carried out by the Department of Sociology,
  University of Vienna (F. Kolland, 2005) 2003-04
  
• 27 non-standardised interviews with experts from
  educational, seniors and social organisations
  and standardised telephone surveys of 610
  trainers
• Some results
• Apart from informal learning activities, learning
  activities in later life take place mainly
  outside traditional institutions of adult
  education / HE 2/3 of these activities are
  provided by non-formal institutions such as
  charity organisations, churches, lobby groups
  etc.
• Elderly (70) are under-represented
• women are over-represented almost 1/3 of the
  activities are attended exclusively by women
• F. Kolland (2005) Bildungschancen für ältere
  Menschen. Ansprüche an ein gelungenes Leben. LIT
  Verlag Wien.

10
Vita Activa Basics (1)

• Title Development of a Concept for a University
  of the Third Age as well as Testing and
  Evaluating of Pilot Modules
• Started on 1 September 2005 Duration 23 months
• Supported by two Austrian Federal Ministries
  Federal Ministry of Social Security, Generations
  and Consumer Protection and the Federal Ministry
  of Education, Science and Culture
• Considerable contribution by the University of
  Graz
• Target groups senior citizens and
  non-traditional students (women returners,
  drop-outs, persons without university entrance
  qualifications, etc.)

11
Vita Activa Basics (2)

• Background Development plan KFU Graz Uni for
  Life 2005-2010
• Main objectives of the project
• develop a profile, an organisational model, a new
  (university-accredited) programme and
• institutionalise what has been developed
• Quality
• research-based level
• accompanying programme including personal
  growth, study skills, IT-skills

12
Vita Activa Progress

• Project environment analysis
• a. Desk-based research Statistical data
  gathering and analysis
• b. Survey of providers of Learning in Later Life
  done from Jan March 2006 in Styria results 18
  institutions, 107 courses topics IT-skills,
  personal skills, languages, health and
  well-being mostly short courses, max. 2-weeks
• Organisational models (organisation and
  management, basic structure programme, resources
  needed, finance model) - comparative analysis of
  best practice (examples in progress)
• a. Access to regular university studies
  accompanied by additional seminars
• b. U3A as a separate programme, e.g. Studium
  Generale
• Pilot Modules Summer University Vita Activa
  2006 What does Nano Research contribute to
  improving the quality of our everyday life?
  (September 2006, 1-week programme)

13
ADD LIFE Basics 1

• Title ADD-LIFE! ADDing Quality to LIFE through
  inter-generational learning via universities
• Duration 1 October 2006 30 September 2008
• Supported by EC (SOKRATES, Grundtvig 1)
• Aims (amongst others)
• Explore different models of inter-generational
  learning, collaborative learning between older
  and younger learners, and inter-generational
  collaboration on designing new modules
• Develop learning opportunities that will promote
  participation of individuals in European civil
  society as promoters and facilitators of others
• Design 12 modules using different models, pilot 6
  of these

14
ADD LIFE Basics 2

• Basic Framework
• Project Contractor University of Graz, Austria
• Project Co-ordinator Dr. Andrea Waxenegger
• Project Administrator / Local Co-ordinator Dr.
  Marcus Ludescher
• Consultant Prof. Dr. Franz Kolland, University
  of Vienna, Austria
• Evaluator Prof. Dr. Raymond Thomson, University
  of Strathclyde, Scotland

15
ADD LIFE Basics 3

• Full partners
• University of Graz, AT, Co-ordinator Andrea
  Waxenegger
• Brno University of Technology, CZ Petr Vavrín
• Goldsmiths University of London, UK Mary Claire
  Halvorson
• Summer University of Jyväskylä, FI Anneli
  Hietaluoma
• University of Pécs, HU Valéria Pavluska
• University of A Coruña José Millán-Calenti
• European University Continuing Education Network
  EUCEN Pat Davies

16
ADD LIFE Basics 4

• Associate Partners
• Technology Centre Deutschlandsberg Ltd in
  cooperation with the Municipality of
  Deutschlandsberg, Austria
• Association of Third Age Universities, Czech
  Republic
• The Learning from Experience Trust, United
  Kingdom
• Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel, Germany
• Educators Center Association House of Civic
  Communities, Hungary
• Provincial Association of Pensioners and Retired
  Persons from A Coruña, Spain)
• European Association for the Education of Adults
  - EAEA
• Links with other European and National LLL
  Networks and Networks for Learning in Later Life.
  

17
ADD LIFE Products 1

• Taught Modules
• developed year 1, piloted year 2
• Sustainability and Development
• Information Society - Digital Literacy
• Employability and Mentoring/Coaching/Guidance/Advi
  ce
• Civil Society
• Culture
• Health Sciences
• Basic features Adopt one model of
  inter-generational teaching/learning setting
  explore the use of ECTS for Lifelong Learning
  (target 2-3 ECTS as well as university-accreditati
  on), academic content and functional part, use of
  ICT as integral part of the learning
  arrangements, integrate European dimension

18
ADD LIFE Products 2

• Facilitated Open Modules
• developed year 2
• Negotiated with the potential target groups
• In a collaborative process
• Comprising different generations
• Could be specialised module following the taught
  module new theme soft skills IT-skills
• Basic features explore the use of ECTS for
  Lifelong Learning
• target 2-3 ECTS as well as university-accreditatio
  n

19
ADD LIFE Product 3

• Developmental Material to be produced
• Report ADD LIFE! - Lessons learned 1
  Inter-generational teaching and learning in
  university teaching Experiences and
  Recommendations
• Report ADD LIFE! - Lessons learned 2 The
  universities potential role in training
  promoters for different fields of voluntary and
  paid work Experiences and Recommendations
• Re port ADD LIFE! - Lessons learned 3
  Facilitated collaborative design of
  inter-generational university courses
  Experiences and Recommendations.
• The reports will be in English and translated
  into the languages of the partner countries
  involved, i.e. DE, CZ, HU, FI, ES.

20
Contact

• Dr. Marcus Ludescher
• E-mail marcus.ludescher_at_uni-graz.at
• Vita Activa http//www.uni-graz.at/vita-activa
• ADD LIFE http//add-life.uni-graz.at

supported by
ADD LIFE 229596 - CP -1-2006-1- AT - GRUNDTVIG
G1PP