Non-Formal Learning Can Prevent Early School Leaving Erasmus Project

Project Title

Non-Formal Learning Can Prevent Early School Leaving

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 school education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2014

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Recognition (non-formal and informal learning/credits); Early School Leaving / combating failure in education; ICT – new technologies – digital competences

Project Summary

Non-For-Lesl addresses the challenge of Early School Leaving (ESL) at the stage of school level-intervention. The cooperational basis together with EU countries is to meet the headline target set in the EU 2020 Strategy to reduce ESL to less than 10%. Research has shown that ESL is a complex phenomenon that can cause serious consequences, on the students and their families, as well as on the society and the economy as a whole. ESL is a process rather than a one-off event. It often starts in primary school when students can experience time school failure and growing alienation from school for the first time. School failure often affects students’ perception of themselves, which leads them to adopt restraining characteristics: Growing sense of alienation from school, disruptive behaviour, high level of absenteeism and a lack of confidence and self-esteem. These characteristics might cause them to drop out of school. At the same time, it is well known that a “rich source of human capital” is achieved deliberately or incidentally (OECD) in everyday life. Non-For-Lesl helps students to make their everyday skills, knowledge and competences visible.

The consortium developed and pilot-tested MyKey (www.my-key.online). It is an innovative, multi-dimensional OER validation tool and can be used by students additionally to school assessment procedures. MyKey is based on a holistic view of student’s learning while it draws away from boundaries caused by subjects. It presents and validates skills, knowledge and competences acquired through non-formal and informal learning related to the key competences and transversal skills. With MyKey students get the opportunity to showcase their progress and achievement. Throughout their work with MyKey they are engaged in a continuous reflection process towards their own learning. To document the outcome of their additional activities students are able to generate a certificate which is monitored by their school. With this certificate, they can apply for internships and on the job market.

The project consortium is made up of six partners: The coordinator, the Institut für Didaktik der Demokratie of the University of Hanover, has a focus on civic education, specialising on key skills and social competences. It has a strong record for developing state of the art educational tools, curricula and teaching material. Platon School is a private school in Katerini with experience in EU projects and the development of learning material and e-learning platforms. Pixel from Florence is a very experienced non-profit organization (NPO) and education and training centre, accredited by the Ministry of Education of Italy with a special focus on ESL. Ingenious Knowledge from Cologne is an SME enterprise, specialized on IT-solutions and is involved in many e-learning tools. Emphasys is a Centre for Education for ICT Training and non-formal learning specialist and provider, accredited by the Cyprus Ministry of Education. Finally, EuroEd is a NPO, which delivers educational services and international training courses, accredited by the Roman ministry of Education. Very experienced in implementing EU projects, they received several awards for the quality of implementation.

The project was completed in 25 months and includes six main Intellectual Outputs in following order: 1) a Comparative Study Analysis in which the issues under investigation were analysed and the opinions of the target group (students and teachers) were collected with the use of questionnaires; 2) a framework and a system for the validation of non-formal/informal learning within school based on the key competences; 3) the OER MyKey, 4) step-by-step guides for students, teachers and administrators with background information on the project and on how to use and implement MyKey successfully; 5) an implementation phase of 5 month with an implementation report in the form of case-studies and finally 6) an overall comparative implementation strategy and evaluation: a “ready made – ready to implement” pack for operation.

During the whole project, a three-step dissemination strategy was implemented: starting from the school, growing from local to national and arriving at international level. The evaluation has shown a strong and positive impact on the students’ self-esteem, identification with their school and their relationships with their teachers. They see themselves as full-fledged human beings. MyKey received very positive feedback and support from schools, stakeholders and ministries. Several schools will implement MyKey in 2017. They believe in the benefit of MyKey and how it will help their students in the long run. They will gain motivation and higher self-esteem which results in reducing the risk of ESL drastically.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 279214,01 Eur

Project Coordinator

GOTTFRIED WILHELM LEIBNIZ UNIVERSITAET HANNOVER & Country: DE

Project Partners

• Ingenious Knowledge GmbH
• Fundatia EuroEd
• PLATON M.E.P.E.
• A & A Emphasys Interactive Solutions Ltd
• PIXEL – ASSOCIAZIONE CULTURALE