Learning methods in TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) and Yangsheng: towards excellence in adult education Erasmus Project

Project Title

Learning methods in TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) and Yangsheng: towards excellence in adult education

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for adult education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2016

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Health and wellbeing; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Entrepreneurial learning – entrepreneurship education

Project Summary

Background and partnership: The “Learning methods in TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) and Yangsheng: towards excellence in adult education” project, born from the joint efforts of four different partners in four different EU countries (OTTO Tuina and Qigong Professional association – Italy (coordinator), Vestifex – Adult education and vocational training, international mobilities and strategic cooperation, Estonia, Drei – Länder Schule e.V. – School for TCM professional training, Germany, IMNE – Spain -Institute of Natural and Energetic Medicine working for the diffusion of Traditional Chinese Medicine, natural-complementary therapies) took its first steps starting from three different bases, which up to now have not been explored together yet and which may seem not visibly connected at a first glance: Chinese Medicine and Yangsheng ancient practices, adult Education, and health literacy. The Chinese Yangsheng practices could be used enabling people to preserve, support and empower their health and well-being through simple but powerful practices useful to develop transversal competences and strong awareness in adult students, meeting the requirements of modern adult education. The project team includes professionals in the adult education field, with specific expertise in teaching disciplines such as TCM, Tuina and Qigong, experienced in promoting popular science and health literacy through the health promotion approach of the Classical and Traditional Chinese Medicine. Professionals with expertise in competences validation and certification, labour market and professional qualifications are also included. Objectives: The aim the partnership had in mind when starting the project was to mainstream the development of the transversal skills typical learning of the classical Chinese philosophical and medical thought into adult education and training, creating instruments for assessing and recognizing competences (including the ones deriving from non-formal and in-formal learning) and for conveying the transversal skills into adult education and training programmes, especially in the fields of well-being and health. Description of undertaken main activities: Through the partners meetings and the theaching/learning activities, the research of related literature and the ideas exchanges we had over the past two years we have achieved the objectives, though, we felt the goal we set for our project could be expanded to include also other aspects, for example the idea of a new professional called “Yangsheng educator”, which could gather all the competences and skills which emerged from our joint work. Implementing the conceptual model, we have developed a professional reflections process within the workgroup to “build conceptual bridges” in the workgroup itself: a bridge between Yangsheng and adult education and a bridge between adult education and the professional profiles. Activities path: A)Which are the learning methods in the traditional approach to Chinese Medicine; B)What could be conveyed into adult education (in particular in the health literacy field); C)The aim of developing transversal competences in adult students; D)The use of Chinese Medicine and Yangsheng for developping transversal competences; E)A definition of health literacy in the Chinese Medicine and Yangsheng perspective. Other steps: From a keywords library to professional competences, a dynamic comparison among Yangsheng, Chinese Medical teaching and adult education; the description of a new professional summing up the competences of Yangsheng and adult education: the Yangsheng educator. The competences library is presented in tables where the single competences intersect the classification based on typology (core, specialist, transversal). Yangsheng Health Literacy: the curriculum was tested several times in Italy, Germany, Spain, Estonia. TCM-Yangsheng curriculum analysis framework: the instrument aims at accompanying in mapping the state-of-the-art of health education/adult education/TCM-Yangsheng professional profiles and studies curricula based on an analysis model that allows a comparison among the curricula themselves and among curricula from different European countries. Non-formal and intentional informal learning assessment Framework. Results and impact attained: the results aim at giving a contribution to the support of a virtuous salutogenic process and are extensively described in the final output: Yangsheng health literacy Handbook.In the first part, after the introduction, the reader can enter into the different theoretical dimensions on which the project action and its instruments are based. Said instruments are available in the second part both for an immediate use and to further elaboration and development. Yangsheng forAdultEdu TOOL-CASE describes the instruments extensively and in details. Longer-term benefits: the knowledge is now available in a contemporary form also from a scientific point of view.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 51710 Eur

Project Coordinator

ASSOCIAZIONE OPERATORI TUINA QIGONG E TECNICHE ORIENTALI & Country: IT

Project Partners

• Drei-Länder-Schule e.V.
• Instituto de Medicina Natural y Energetica
• OÜ Vestifex