leadlab model guidelines

GRUNDTVIG PROJECT LEADLABLEADING ELDERLY AND ADULT DEVELOPMENT – LAB . Ref. 502057-LLP-1-2009-1-IT-GRUNDTVIG-GMP

Integrated MODEL ofPERSONALIZED learning G U I D E L I N E S

Grundtvig Project

Leading Elderly and Adult Development – LAB

Reference: 502057-LLP-1-2009-1-IT-GRUNDTVIG-GMP

WP4 – Development of LEADLAB Model

INTEGRATED MODEL OF PERSONALIZED

LEARNING: GUIDELINES

LC 200111

1



Integrated MODEL of

PERSONALIZED learning

GUIDELINES

2



Contents

How to use these Guidelines.......................................................................4

What does it mean personalization?...........................................................7

Why should I personalize?...........................................................................9

At which level can I apply a personalized approach?................................11

How to apply personalization in NVAE?.....................................................13

What does Trainers need in order to personalize an adult learning pathway?...................................................................................................20

How does an Adult learn?..........................................................................20

How to involve all the dimensions of the learner?.....................................22

How to identify adults learning styles?......................................................24

How to co-set learning challenges and learning pathway?.......................27

How to sustain self regulated learning process?.......................................29

How to support self-evaluation processes?...............................................32

What is the role of the trainer in a self-evaluation approach?...................34

How to build an effective interaction?.......................................................36

How should be organized a personalized learning environment?.............38

Can I use an online environment?.............................................................40

In a personalized learning pathway what is requested to the learner?.....41

Which are the core competences of the learners in a personalized approach?.................................................................................................42

How to put together all these elements? The @ model.............................45

References................................................................................................54

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HOW TO USE THESE GUIDELINES

he LEADLAB Model Guidelines are directed at EDUCATORS, TRAINERS

and TEACHERS dealing with adult and elderly learners. They are

designed to help the implementing and operatively applying the

personalized approach designed within the LEADLAB Model of

Personalisation for Adult Education.

T

In the Guidelines the main features of the LEADLAB model are

summarised and operatively referred to practical educational

actions. Educator, trainers and teachers can find examples and

descriptions of practices to effectively lead a personalized approach

in adult courses.

Since the LEADLAB Model of personalization is flexible, it can be

applied at different levels, form basic to high; for practical and

strategic reasons the Guidelines describes only a “high level” of

personalization. Practitioners can adapt it to their own needs and

contexts, deciding to apply it in part or widely.

H O W A R E T H E S E G U I D E L I N E S S T R U C T U R E D ?

To facilitate the comprehension and the applying of

the LEADLAB Model, the Guidelines are structured

as FAQ (Frequently Asked Question), a list of main

questions and answers about Personalization and

its practical application.

The LEADLAB Model Guidelines provide instructions and practical

examples gained from the European practices of personalization in

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adult and elderly education, as recorded in the Status Artis

documents. Thus, the Guidelines try to answer to the following

QUESTIONS:

What does it mean personalization?

Why should I personalize?

At which level can I apply a personalized approach?

How to apply personalization in NVAE?

What does Trainers need in order to personalize

an adult learning pathway?

How does an Adult learn?

How to involve all the dimensions of the

learner?

How to identify adults learning styles?

How to co-set learning challenges and learning

pathway?

How to sustain self regulated learning process?

How to support self-evaluation processes?

What is the role of the trainer in a self-evaluation

approach?

How to build an effective interaction?

How should be organized a personalized

learning environment?

Can I use an online environment?

In a personalized learning pathway what is

requested to the learner?

Which are the core competences of the learners in a

personalized approach?

How to put together all these elements?

The LEADLAB Model at a glance

5



According to the designed LEADLAB Model, in a Lifelong Learning

System inspired to the learning personalization logic,

Personalization can be applied in NVAE at three levels:

at MACRO LEVEL, the design of the adult learner’s curriculum and

the guidance;

at MESO LEVEL, the planning and design of the adult course;

at MICRO LEVEL, the didactic strategies and techniques.

The implementation of these three different levels of personalization

involves as well three different professionals:

LEARNING PERSONALIZATION TRAINERS

INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGNER

TRAINERS OF ADULT LEARNERS

These Guidelines are part of a larger design of the adult learning

personalization model, therefore they are strictly correlated to the

following products:

THE LEADLAB MODEL describes theoretical requirements,

suggested learning approaches and

kind of pathways, educational

methodologies, learning environment

features, educational interaction,

evaluation and assessment

methodologies, fallouts on the Adult

Educational Systems

THE LEARNING PERSONALIZATION TRAINER (LPT) JOB DESCRIPTION

describes the role and the tasks of the

LPT

THE LEARNING PERSONALIZATION TRAINER MAP OF COMPETENCES

describes the competences required

to the LPT

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7



WHAT DOES IT MEAN PERSONALIZATION?

f we look for the term “personalize” in a dictionary, we find the

following definition: “to take (a general remark or

characterization) in a personal manner”. The term PERSONALIZATION is

rich of meanings and still now there is not accordance among

practitioners and researchers; most of them use it as a synonymous

of “individualization”. Furthermore, we need to consider the

difference among the different cultural backgrounds of the European

countries were, at a different levels, personalization approaches are

applied in the adult education.

I

Individualization Personalization

Same objectives for all learners Different objectives for each

learner

Applying of differenced didactic

strategies to achieve the key

competences

Applying of differenced didactic

strategies to promote the

personal potentiality

The educational curriculum is

defined by the educational staff

The learner actively participate to

the construction of his own

curriculum

Valorisation of the cognitive

dimension of the learner

Valorisation of all dimensions of

learner, not only the cognitive

(emotional, social, life experience,

etc.)

Valorisation of previous

knowledge and competencies,

formal and non formal

Valorisation of previous

knowledge, competence, life and

work skill, also informal

Learner’s self-direction as an

accessory skill

Learner’s self direction as a

fundamental skill

Teacher has a key role Tutor has a key role

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In LEADLAB Project we have carried out an inquiry to find a shared

and common definition of personalization in Non Vocational Adult

Education at a European level. We have found that a personalized

approach should include the following dimensions:

All the dimensions of the learner

Personalization does not only include the

cognitive dimension of the person. It has for goal

his/her development, both cognitively and

emotionally, as well as social and citizen.

Self-directed learning

Personalization is based on the learner self-

direction, which means: (a) that he has the ability

to choose by himself the object and to determine

the objectives of his learning (learning self-

determination); and (b) that he can have a

control over the terms and means of this learning

(learning regulation: place, calendar, educational

approach and material).

Learner as actor and co-producer of the learning process

According to a personalized approach, the learner

is seen as the actor of his learning and in this

sense is associated with the decisions of the

training organization.

The trainer as a facilitator

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of the learning process

The role of the teacher/trainer is not to transmit

contents, but to support the learner in the control

of his learning.

Within this common definition it has been also possible to highlight

different and similar aspects of personalization models, concepts,

practices and to identify the following recurrent features:

Involvement of the all dimensions of learner;

Development of self directed learning process;

Development of self regulated learning process;

Co-design of the learning pathway and process;

Development of self-evaluation process;

Learning challenges instead of learning objectives;

Learning pathway instead of instructional curriculum or

training program;

Achievable results are not predictable a priori.

WHY SHOULD I PERSONALIZE?

articipation in adult education is very far from Lisbon objectives.

Recent studies show common patterns in Non Vocational Adult

Education (NVAE): participation declines with age; participation

rates increase as the level of education of the participants rises; the

main obstacles are lack of time, of money, of customized learning

paths, unsupportive social environment, bad previous learning

experience. To be more specific, most of the NVAE learning paths

lack of attractiveness:

P

they are stereotyped, not valorising adult learning styles and

biographic elements;

they are inadequate for elderly people;

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successful approaches are often diffused only in restricted

contexts, and the good pedagogic practices are not

standardized nor recognized out of those contexts.

Adult and elderly people are often disoriented and confused about

the opportunities that could come from education.

In addition, the adult and elderly learner, that has already

delineated a real career of life and has acquired remarkable

biographical elements during his/hers own experiences, will not be

really in ease if inserted in a stereotyped educative pathway not

designed to respect adult habits, abilities and mistakes, or adult

rhythm and pace of learning, and at last limiting the possible

achievable results. Moreover, an adult or elderly learner has a

spontaneous attitude to personalize his/hers own learning

processes.

We know, for example, from Knowles that the self-concept of the

adult is totally based on the feeling of independence from the

others, as a person fully responsible of his/hers actions and

decisions. Another aspect is what Demetrio defines the “masterly

instinct” of the adult. This attitude is reflected also on the learning

experience. Yet each adult learner have a different learning skill set

and a different awareness and mastery of his/hers meta-cognitive

competences. We can consider the strengthen of awareness and

mastery of the learning skill set as a result of an experience of a

learning personalized pathway, not as a requirement. In other term

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it is not possible to delegate the task of personalization to the

learner.

We can assume that after a learning personalized pathway the adult

learner will have empowered his/hers learning and meta-cognitive

skill set and will be able to start autonomously basic personalized

processes and to react more promptly to the intentional inputs of

the LPT and of the context.

AT WHICH LEVEL CAN I APPLY A PERSONALIZED APPROACH?

ccording to the LEADLAB Model three levels of personalization

have been identified. Adult learners need to pass through

several stages of increasing awareness, and increasing level of

personalization: BASIC, MEDIUM, ADVANCED.

A

BASIC

At this level we can suppose that the personalization is referred to

the best arrangement of:

duration of the educational experience;

educational materials;

educational methods, according to the chosen paradigm

(constructivism, behaviorism, cognitivism, complex,…);

educational communication models (one to one, one to many,

many to many) and styles (cooperative, collaborative,

didactic, horizontal, hierarchic …);

evaluation models, tools, strategies;

educational environments;

educational interaction: at a distance or in presence, one

alone or in a small/medium/large group.

All of these elements are to be kept with the detected learning skill

set, learning strategies, learning styles, learning attitudes. As well,

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we have to consider the best arrangement of contents, didactic

units, curriculum, difficulty level, suggestions for deepening, in

keeping with the detected learner’s priorities, motivation, learning

needs, learning request, previous knowledge, previous learning

experiences, previous competences, potential development area.

THIS LEVEL OF PERSONALIZATION COULD BE ALSO COMPUTER-BASED AND ENTRUSTED TO AN AUTOMATED SYSTEM.

MEDIUM

At this level the IDENTITY and the BIOGRAPHY of the learner come into

play next to the specific learning features recalled in the basic level.

Personalization is settled as a customized educational experience,

supporting the self-realization of the learner, in which:

meaningful biography traits are valorized for the solving of

relevant problems, sharing solutions with peer learners;

elements of his/hers previous learning experiences,

competences and knowledge are recalled and re-structured in

the new learning;

resources brought by the learner are integrated within the

pathway;

learning effort is oriented towards an experience focused on

themes and problems significantly connected to the real daily

life.

ADVANCED

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At this level personalization is intended as:

a. a gradual process of gaining awareness about the owned

learning skill and meta-cognitive competences;

b. a gradual process of acquiring autonomy in the capability of

choice, and of the development and co-planning of new

learning experiences.

At this advanced level the ORGANIZATIONAL VARIABLES appear

particularly decisive, since a high level of flexibility is requested.

This issue includes re-negotiation of learning challenges, curriculum,

resources, tools, experiences, duration, courses, etc. The learner

should have a good level of awareness and autonomy for the use of

material and resources, as well as for the interaction with the actors

of the learning experiences; the assessment process can influence

the development of the learning experience itself.

It can happen that the learner realizes that he/she need to include in

the learning pathway something that was excluded at the

beginning, that the chosen challenges are too much high or low,

that the necessary time is more or less than the duration foreseen.

Then, in a personalized perspective, the flexibility itself can vary

from a minimum to a maximum, always according to the rules

defined in a preliminary formative pact and respecting a pedagogic

rigor.

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HOW TO APPLY PERSONALIZATION IN NVAE?

on Vocational Adult Education (NVAE) in Europe is a part of

Lifelong Learning, aiming to create a knowledge society. It is

divided in two segments, formal and non formal:

N FORMAL: delivered by educational institutions, often funded by

public institution, governments, etc.

NON FORMAL: takes place outside the educational institutions,

does not lead to a diploma.

It’s called “non vocational” because there is not a direct linked to

the labour market, but previously to active aging and social

inclusion.

In a Lifelong Learning System inspired to the learning

personalization logic, according to the LEADLAB Model,

Personalization can be applied in NVAE at three levels:

at MACRO LEVEL, the guidance and the design of the adult

learners’ curriculum;

at MESO LEVEL, the planning and design of the adult course;

at MICRO LEVEL, the didactic strategies and tactics.

PERSONALIZATION LEVELS IN NVAEPERSONALIZATION LEVELS IN NVAE

Level GUIDANCE INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN

TRAINER’S PRACTICE

WhatDesign of the

learner’s curriculum

Planning and designing of adult

courses

Didactic strategies and tactics

Who LPT INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGNER

TRAINERS of adult and elderly learners

An adult or elderly learner needs a counseling service to be

oriented, introduced in and guided through a personalized learning

pathway where will find personalized courses and trainers/teachers

adopting learning personalization strategies.

In such a System personalization needs to be applied with attention

to three dimensions:

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Learning

Involving as key variables the COMPETENCES OF

ADULT LEARNERS (self-orienting competences,

learning skill set, personalization competences,

self-learning attitude, previous learning

experiences, previous personalized learning

experiences) and their potential areas of

improvement.

Teaching

Involving as key variables the COMPETENCES OF

TRAINERS of adult learner (andragogic

competences, personalization competences,

attitude to apply to himself/herself adult learning

strategies being a fully autonomous lifelong

learner).

Organization

Involving as key variables the ORGANIZATION

(calendar, courses timetable, courses duration,

recruitment of teachers and trainers, etc.), the

MANAGEMENT, the QUALITY of human resources, for

example the disposability of professional

resources such as Instructional designers, LPT,

teachers and trainers expert of adult learning,

equipment, endowment, structures, relationships

with the local territory, etc.

It is not possible to imagine an effective personalization model

focused exclusively on the learners attitudes or on the trainers

attitudes, since both learners and trainers operate and interact

within an educational Institution that is part of an educational

System that follows national or autonomous educational policies;

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neither it is possible to refer the personalization function only to the

Learning Personalization Trainer isolated from the educational

System.

In a Lifelong Learning System there are many Educational

Institutions addressed to Adults, offering different learning

opportunities; in the perspective of a personalized Lifelong Learning

System these Institutions should have a flexible oriented

organizational approach as concern the courses calendar, the

courses duration and timetable or the courses structure itself.

With specific reference to the courses, it appears decisive that their

structure is designed according to adult learning requirements and

to a flexible curriculum. This will allow the LPT to guide the adult

learners in the multiple training proposals and in the choice of

courses and curricula, co-designing a personalized learning

pathway. In the courses trainers will apply Andragogic

(Anthropogogic) and Personalization strategies.

LEADLAB Model designs AN IDEAL FRAMEWORK, highlighting the core and

decisive elements in order to implement an adult educational

system authentically inspired to personalization.

From an organizational point of view, within the described model, it

is then requested also the interaction, direct o indirect, of three

professional figures:

LEARNING PERSONALIZATION TRAINER (LPT): co-plans, interacting

with adult learners, personalized learning pathways,

guides, motivates, empowers the learning process;

INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGNER (ID): designs macro instructional

processes, flexible curricula and courses structures

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(modules, units, activities, contents, etc.) oriented to adult

learning requirements;

TRAINER/TEACHER: expert of contents, applies learning

personalization method and strategies within the single and

specific adult courses.

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Adult learners to LPT

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Within the range of possible personalization levels (basic, medium,

advanced), according to the LEADLAB model, the personalization

process involves both the personalization of the whole learning

pathway and the personalization of each single course combining

the personalized curriculum, where the adult learner will interact

with trainers/teachers adopting adult learning and personalization

strategies.

LEARNING PERSONALIZATION TRAINER

ADULT LEARNER

20

PERSONALI

ZED

PATH

PERSONALI

ZATION

PROCESS

INTERVIEW

NEEDS

ANALYSIS

INFORMATION

Who is the learnerHis previous knowledgeHis experienceHis learning style

What the learner is looking forWhat kind of course, where, how much long, what level, which strategy

Learning opportunities and resources

Co-design of the learning challenges and co-planning of learner’s curriculum



Applying the personalization design requests a high level of

flexibility. The Adult Educational System and the Adult Educational

Institutions, according the designed model, are indeed requested to

design flexible curricula and courses, to be dynamically combined

and eventually re-combined.

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WHAT DOES TRAINERS NEED IN ORDER TO PERSONALIZE AN ADULT LEARNING PATHWAY?

rainers are involved in the direct interaction with adult learners

within one or more courses of the learning pathway co-

designed, in the proposed LEADLAB model, by the LPT and the

learner. To the trainers is requested to carry out the course applying

personalization strategies.

T

Following are presented some practical instructions and examples in

order to guide trainers applying at a high level the adult learning

personalization.

To know how adult learn

To apply personalization strategies

To improve self evaluation culture

To change some consolidated teaching routines

To improve the meta-cognitive and self learning skill

set of the adult learner and his/hers autonomy in the

learning process

First of all, to personalize adult and elderly learning experience it is

decisive to know how an adult learn.

HOW DOES AN ADULT LEARN?

1.For adult learners EXPERIENCE is important as well the

KNOWLEDGE, consequently the most appropriated learning

activities are the ones recalling real and concrete

situations, and the analysis of experiential contents.

2.For adult people PERSONAL IDENTITY coincides with the work

and life experience. Adults identify themselves on their

experience. Then every time their experience is ignored

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they feel not only as their experience is ignored but as they

itself are personally ignored.

3.Adult learning is focused on the TASK. Then it is important to

focalize activities on themes and problems more then on

contents.

4.The self concept of adult is based on the SENSE OF

INDEPENDENCE, as a person responsible of his/hers decision of

his/hers life. Then adults are motivated to learn what they

really need in order to afford autonomously their daily life.

5.Nevertheless adult learners look for someone giving them

clear INSTRUCTIONS AND RULES in order to afford an assigned

task.

6.Adults need to COMMUNICATE THEIR EXPERIENCE and to express

their masterly instinct. Then the improvement of the

awareness of adult as a “master” as well as an intentional

actor of learning represents a meaningful pedagogic effort.

It is important that adult learners are not only required to

execute tasks, but to give them the opportunity to add

examples, tools, strategies in order to solve a problem or to

realize an activity. They need to be co-producer of the

learning experience.

7.To learn is for adults a TRANSFORMATIVE EXPERIENCE, learning is

often as a transformation of the previous knowledge. To

learn it is not only to add new information or knowledge,

but above all to modify and transform the previous

attitudes, ideas, logic connections of his/hers previous

experience.

8.LEARNING ENVIRONMENT should be a decisional environment

where adult learner can express their previous experience,

their knowledge (practical and theoretical) and their

masterly instinct.

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9.Adults need to CO-SET THE LEARNING OBJECTIVES in view of

practical, meaningful, useful aims.

10. COURSES should be flexible and fit to the dynamic

interests of adult learners; should be include daily life

situation within the learning pathway; should valorize and

exploit stimulus coming from informal contexts of learning;

should over cross traditional limits represented by the

disciplines; should involve adult learners in the co-planning

of learning programs and learning activities; should

encourage and show how to enlarge the learning

experience.

Taking in mind these adult learning features, LEADLAB Model

Guidelines propose the following framework in order to personalize

adult and elderly learning:

Involvement of the all dimensions of learner;

Development of self directed learning process;

Development of self regulated learning process;

Co-design of the learning pathway and process;

Development of self-evaluation process;

Learning challenges not learning objectives;

Learning pathway not instructional curriculum or training

program;

Achievable results are not predictable a priori.

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HOW TO INVOLVE ALL THE DIMENSIONS OF THE LEARNER?

iographical approach represents a possible strategy to involve

all the dimensions of the learner. It allows giving the due

attention to the personal identity that for adult and elderly people

coincides with the work and life experience.

BThe proposed activity consists in a WRITING AN EXERCISE OF SELF-

BIOGRAPHY. The opportunity for learners to describe themselves and

their experiences, competences, potentialities, expectations,

supports the improvement of the self-awareness and it is a starting

point also for a process of reciprocal acknowledgment and

socialization in a learning group.

Writing a brief history helps learners reflecting on their personal

development and prepare them using of reflection as a tool and a

source of learning. Moreover it offers them the opportunity to re-

read their profile with a critical sense detached from practical or

professional implications, in a transformative perspective,

evaluating elements that had an influence on their biography,

strengths and weakness, new expectations for the future. Trainers,

through this exercise, has the task to support the process of

acquiring awareness about learning needs, learning expectations,

development potential of learners.

Starting the activity, it is important to remind the learners that:

to write a biography is not to write a professional curriculum,

but is telling about themselves;

it is requested to highlight elements of his/hers life relevant

with reference to the new learning experience and that have

contributed to become what he/she now is;

the focus is on the informal and not formal previous learning

experience including also personal life;

negative experiences are relevant as well positive

experiences;

25



the telling must be of 1 page ½ at all.

BIOGRAPHY GUIDE

WHAT DO YOU DEAL WITH AT THIS MOMENT?

WHICH WAS YOUR STARTING POINT AND HOW DID YOU START?

WHICH HAVE BEEN THE RELEVANT PHASES OF YOUR IMPROVEMENT?

WHICH HAVE BEEN UNEXPECTED AND ACCIDENTAL CHANGES?

WHICH RESULTS AND BENEFITS HAVE YOU GAINED?

WHICH DIFFICULTIES OR CRITICAL SITUATIONS HAVE YOU FACED?

WHICH EVENTS OR PEOPLE HAVE INFLUENCED YOUR LIFE?

WHICH OPINION DO YOU HAVE ABOUT YOUR ACTUAL BEING

AND ABOUT YOU ARE BECOME WHAT NOW YOU ARE?

WHICH ARE YOUR EXPECTATIONS ABOUT YOUR FUTURE?

HOW TO IDENTIFY ADULTS LEARNING STYLES?

cquiring information through questionnaires on learning styles

of the adult learners, according to the LEADLAB model,

represents a basic level of personalization. It could, anyway,

integrate the information collected through the biographic interview.

A

A set of simple descriptors can support the analysis of cognitive

styles of learners. There is not probably a pure cognitive profile;

26



indeed the same learner can adopt a different approach or a mix of

cognitive styles according to the requirements of different contexts

and situations. It is any way possible to identify a cognitive

tendency.

Global cognitive style before starting to study a new content I

like to have an overview of the learning

materials and of contents.

Analytical cognitive style I prefer to start from details and to

reconstruct a global vision as a result of

the reconstruction of single concepts.

Field independent

cognitive style

when I study I prefer to isolate single

elements and I don’t care about the

connection among contents and contest

which concepts belong to.

Field dependent cognitive

style

when I study it is important to highlight

the connection among single concepts in

a wider context of meaning.

Visual cognitive style I prefer the visual-space code, dynamic

images, pictures, schemes and tables

help me to better understand a concept.

Verbal style I prefer memorize concepts repeating by

voice

Convergent To find a solution or to execute a task or

an exercise I prefer to follow clear

instruction and examples. I prefer to

learn what is really requested to learn.

cognitive style To find a solution or to execute a task or

27



an exercise I like to explore all the

possible strategies and ways, identifying

all the possible answers to the same

question or problem. I like to deepen an

argument even if not requested.

Divergent cognitive style I prefer action and concreteness, I try to

find the more effective solution to

execute a task o to solve a problem, I

search within the available information

what I need to solve a problem. I prefer

summarized clear texts to acquire the

necessary knowledge.

Solver cognitive style I like to find articulated answers to a

specific question even if not directly

connected with the requested task. I like

to compare the ideas and the positions of

several authors to comprehend a specific

problem.

Assimilator cognitive style I try to find a solution analyzing one

variable at time. It is important to have

clear instruction, to have clarified

preliminary knowledge required.

Systematic cognitive style I like to make my personal hypothesis

and then to check if they are fit with the

real solution.

Intuitive cognitive style I prefer to try a solution more then to

previously evaluate accurately all the

possible solution and to choice the better

one; I do not plan my study, when I’m in

28



mood I study.

Impulsive cognitive style I prefer to wait to take a decision I like

previously evaluate accurately all the

possible solution and then I choice the

better one; I plan and organize accurately

my study time and activities.

HOW TO CO-SET LEARNING CHALLENGES AND LEARNING PATHWAY?

he self-biography offers the base of information in order to build

the FORMATIVE PACT. The formative pact represents a tool and a

strategy of co-setting learning challenges and planning the learning

pathway. It can be individually or collectively co-planned. The

design of the formative pact is, for the learner, a decisive exercise

of reflection about the learning challenges and the necessary

pathway to meet them. Trainer, supporting the learner in the co-

design of the formative pact, offers a significant opportunity to

improve the autonomy of the learner in:

T

EXPLICATING of the learning request;

IDENTIFYING the necessary stages to answer this request;

CHOOSING the relevant contents and activities;

BECOMING AWARE of the requested effort to meet the co-settled

learning challenge.

Trainer can propose the formative pact also as an effective tool of

self-evaluation, supporting the learner comparing the realised

learning activities with the designed plan.

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The co-design of the formative pact duly takes in account the

attitudes of the adult and elderly learners. The self-concept of adult

is indeed based on the sense of independence. Co-designing the

formative pact allows learners to view recognized their sense of

responsibility and to choice to learn what they really need in order to

afford autonomously their daily life. Formative pact as well satisfies

the expectation of adult learners for someone giving them clear

instructions and rules in order to afford an assigned task. Trainer

has a decisive role in guiding the learner in this process, helping

him/her to improve awareness of learning needs and expectations. A

possible format for the design of a formative pact is the following.

1. WELCOME MESSAGE WITH A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE COURSE, INDICATING:

TITLE AIMS DURATION LOCATION CONTENTS AND ARGUMENTS METHODOLOGICAL APPROACH

2. WHAT WILL BE ACHIEVED BY THE LEARNER:

ABILITIES

COMPETENCES

KNOWLEDGE

3. HOW COULD BE USED THE ACQUIRED KNOWLEDGE BY THE LEARNER

4. RESOURCES AT DISPOSAL OF THE LEARNERS

HUMAN RESOURCES: TRAINERS, TUTORS, EXPERTS, ETC. MATERIAL RESOURCES: BOOKS, PAPERS, EXERCISES, GAMES, TECHNOLOGICAL RESOURCES: E-LEARNING PLATFORM, E-LEARNING COMMUNITY,

BLOGS, SOCIAL NETWORKS, ONLINE CONTENTS, ETC.

30



LOGISTIC RESOURCES: CLASSROOMS, LABORATORIES, ETC.

5. WHAT IS EXPECTED FROM THE LEARNER

…

6. WHAT IS EXPECTED FROM THE TRAINER

…

7. EVALUATION

APPROACH

STRATEGY

TOOLS

STEPS

OUTPUTS

ACTORS

OBJECTS

8. CONCLUSIVE ENCOURAGEMENT MESSAGE

DATESIGNATURES OF LEARNERSIGNATURES OF TRAINER

HOW TO SUSTAIN SELF REGULATED LEARNING PROCESS?

ccording to the LEADLAB Model, in order to personalize the

learning pathway of adult and elderly people it is requested to

sustain self regulated learning process, involving all dimensions of

learner, within co-planned learning pathways instead of instructional

curricula or training programs, where learning challenges are fixed

not learning objectives, and the achievable results are not pre-

defined nor predictable a priori.

A

How to satisfy all these conditions?

One possible solution is as simple as effective: involving learners in

a BRAINSTORMING EXERCISE realizes all the listed requirements.

Brainstorming is a creative technique aimed to stimulate innovative

ideas for the solution of a problem or for the creation of a new

product, in a positive climate encouraging each participant to freely

31



express his/hers thinking and ideas without prejudice or preliminary

critiques.

According to the adult and elderly learning attitudes, brainstorming

meets the requirement that for adult learners experience is

important as well the knowledge, consequently the most

appropriated learning activities are the ones recalling real and

concrete situations, and the analysis of experiential contents.

Then it is important to focus the brainstorming on a concrete

situation within an experiential contest in order to solve a problem

related to the daily life.

Brainstorming technique has a divergent phase, aimed to freely

produce new ideas, followed by a convergent phase aimed to

analyze, evaluate and select the most feet and interesting.

The exercise is articulated in the following phases:

1.Creation of the group: preferably no more than 10 people,

including the moderator, interested and at least basically

expert in the matter to be afforded.

2.Introduction of the aim and of the matter of the meeting.

The moderator introduces the argument of the discussion,

writing a synthetic header on a white board; explains the

rules of the discussion. The rules of the discussion are few

and simple: to avoid critics during the phase of

brainstorming, to propose as much ideas as possible, even

divergent or bizarre, to find possible connections among

32



the proposed ideas, to have a clear common aim, to allow

and encourage everybody to express his/her point of view

in a collaborative climate.

3.Creation of the individual ideas: each participant is invited

to reflect on the assigned matter for few minutes, and to

take note of his/hers ideas on block-notes.

4.Gathering and registration of the ideas. The moderator

invites each participant to read and explain his/hers ideas,

and writes it on the white board visible to the entire group.

The result is a disordered and redundant list of ideas.

5.Organization of the ideas: the listed ideas are gathered in

conceptual classes and cleaned by eventual repetitions.

6.Evaluation of the ideas: the ideas are discussed and

evaluated with the aim to select the most interesting

The qualifying element of the brainstorming technique, applied

according to the LEADLAB Model, lies in the opportunity that people

have to draw on all their previous experience and knowledge.

People are requested to focus on significant elements of their

biography in order to afford a concrete task, to compare them with

the experience and knowledge of other people. Doing this, people

are stimulated to improve awareness of their knowledge and

competences, and to compare it with the others. That also means to

start a self-evaluation process.

It is not possible to foresee ex ante the result of the brainstorming

as collective process of reasoning and learning, since it will be the

authentic result of the learning interaction among participants and

not the application of pre assigned rules for the solution of an

exercise. Each one is requested to express the best he/she is able to

be.

In this perspective brainstorming is a good exercise toward the

acquisition of competence in a self-regulated learning process. The

33



role of the moderator is fundamental. The moderator guarantees

that everybody can express his/hers knowledge and point of view, to

underline meaningful elements useful for the surfacing of new

awareness, to guide the self-evaluation process.

Within the LEADLAB Model perspective, the brainstorming exercise

is specifically a collective strategy, aimed to promote self-regulated

learning process, to encourage self-evaluation, to effectively

valorise previous knowledge and competences of learners. The

collective dimension represents an added value, underlying the

social process of learning. The result of the brainstorming is a result

of the whole group, at the end of the brainstorming process also

who had divergent and a contrary position is author of the final

result.

With the aim to apply a high level of personalization, according to

the LEADLAB Model, brainstorming exercise can be used also to co-

set the formative pact, to co-plan the learning pathway, to

collectively build the track of the self- biographic interview.

HOW TO SUPPORT SELF-EVALUATION PROCESSES?

he evaluation process is a decisive and integral part of the

LEADLAB learning personalization model. It reflects and

respects all the highlighted dimensions. Consequently the

evaluation will involve:

T

ALL THE DIMENSIONS OF THE LEARNER: an evaluation inspired to the

personalization approach does not only include the cognitive

dimension of the person. It has for goal his/her development,

both cognitively and emotionally, as well as social and citizen.

SELF-DIRECTED LEARNING: the personalization is based on the

learner self-direction, which means that the evaluation will

support the autonomous choice of the objectives of learning

(learning self-determination) and will increase the control over

34



the terms and means of this learning (learning regulation:

place, calendar, educational approach and material)

LEARNER AS ACTOR AND CO-PRODUCER OF THE LEARNING PROCESS as

well of the evaluation of learning process;

THE TRAINER AS A FACILITATOR OF THE LEARNING PROCESS: the role

of the teacher or of the trainer is not only to mark, but to

support the learner in evaluation of his learning.

The self-evaluation here is intended as a process gradually guiding

to empowerment of an advanced meta-cognitive competence

allowing the adult and elderly learner to acquire awareness about

the knowledge and competences owned, the potential development

area.

Self-evaluation, according to the LEADLAB Model, is intended as a

strategy for an active and aware involvement of the learner in the

co-design of the learning pathway and in the learning experience

itself. The evaluation strategy, tools and steps are indeed co-

designed in the formative pact.

Evaluation process, as well learning process, can be implemented

from a minimum to a maximum of personalization grade.

For example, in a preliminary diagnostic evaluation step, to be

carried out before the learning pathway, learner can be guided to

co-diagnose the potential development area:

at a BASIC LEVEL the adult learner could be guided to recall

and become aware of the representative elements of

his/hers biography, of his/hers previous learning

experiences, competences and knowledge better linked

with the new learning experience in the perspective of the

co-planning of the future learning experience;

at a MEDIUM LEVEL the adult learner could be supported to

identify by him/herself the representative elements of the

his/hers biography in the perspective of the co-planning of

the future learning experience;

35



at an ADVANCED LEVEL learner could be assigned to realize a

self directed analysis of his/hers biography in order to

identify by him/herself the representative elements in the

perspective of the co-planning of the future learning

experience.

The trainer can valorize again the self-biography result in order to

guide, in the preliminary diagnostic evaluation step, the analysis

and self-reflection of the learner about the starting point of a new

learning experience and the possible and achievable learning

challenges.

At an advanced level the analysis of the representative biography

could be realized in-group among peers instead of in a one to one

relation with the trainer.

The formative self-evaluation step asks again for an active

involvement of the learner. Operative tasks and reflection in action

allow the adult learner to check learning results, to experience

additional or alternative learning strategies and to verify if the

learning challenges can be reached or need to be re-settled. The

ongoing self-evaluation supports motivation and self-realization. It

can happen that motivation decreases during the learning

experience, for example if the co-settled aims are too difficult or too

easy to be reached.

36



WHAT IS THE ROLE OF THE TRAINER IN A SELF-EVALUATION APPROACH?

rainers who want to apply a personalised evaluation approach

should SUPPORT LEARNER in the analysis of the achieved results,

highlighting the progresses done, enhancing the awareness about

the improvement in the adoption of learning strategies.

T

To support the formative self-evaluation activity, trainer can invite

learner to register all the relevant events of learning in a DIARY. This

story telling can be used to verbalise the strategy of learning, to

describe trip and tricks used to memorize concepts, rules. A learning

diary can be precious also in the final step of the evaluation to re-

read all the learning process and to find out the decisive phases. To

write and read is useful to acquire consciousness and to fix

experiences. Re-reading the diary helps learner to compare the

learning approach adopted at the beginning and the new strategy of

learning acquired or perfected meanwhile; to reflect on how the way

of learning is changed; to compare the achieved learning results

with the starting point.

The self-evaluation can be enriched through a PEER-TO-PEER

COMPARISON. Trainer can organise a workshop, inviting learners to

show and compare the achieved results with other people. A group

discussion, guided by the trainer, can help learners to identify ideas

in order to perfect the achieved results using the other products as

model or as stimulus or as an example. The group discussion works

as a peer self evaluation and represents the basis in order to repeat

a task an perfect the realized product

The peer-to-peer self-evaluation experience can be enriched with a

BENCHMARKING ACTIVITY among other groups. Inviting the learner to

compare the achieved results with the initial expectations, through

a task analysis trainer can support the learner awareness about

what is missing, what is still requested, which task has been

correctly achieved and which one not, to better focus on key

37



contents or relevant activities. To conduct this analysis trainer can

adopt the SWOT strategy.

Finally, at the end of the learning experience, trainers guide learner

to re-read all the learning experience, comparing the achieved

results with the co-settled challenges, helping learner to identify

also unexpected achieved results.

The final evaluation is the again a diagnostic evaluation step, to co-

diagnose the new potential development area and to decide about

next learning experiences.

The expected result of such process of self evaluation, at an high

level of personalization is that the adult and elderly learners will

empower the learning needs analysis capability allowing them,

individually or in a group, to set:

learning challenges;

curriculum;

resources;

tools;

experiences;

duration;

courses, etc.

HOW TO BUILD AN EFFECTIVE INTERACTION?

n the perspective of a personalized learning experience the

educational interactions are oriented towards the expression of I38



the potentialities of the learner and to the progressive development

of his/hers learning autonomy.

The educational interactions sustain the self-realization of the

learner. Teaching and learning strategies, consequently, ought to

carefully respect:

learner’s psychological profile;

learner’s culture;

learner’s biography;

learner’s priorities.

As well, educational interaction should:

include the biographic method;

focus the intervention on a perspective o themes and

problems, instead of contents and disciplines;

adopt a situational approach;

focus the intervention on concrete tasks;

promote reflection in action;

valorize and supports the autonomy of the learner;

valorize the masterly instinct of the learner;

preserve a flexibility margin in the development of the

educational experience.

The educational interaction is aimed to guide the learners to find,

analyse, select, choose, use for their specific aims the disposable

resources, both in the formal contexts and in the informal contexts,

within or outside the learning environment where a specific course

is carried out.

39



Educational interaction should encourage inductive processes of

knowledge, explorative and research attitude as well as self-

orientation. Trainer should offer assiduous and continuous

interactions, scaffolding and well-timed feedback to the learner,

motivating him/her through the construction of an encouraging

space. A didactic or directive interaction, in the LEADLAB MODEL, is

minimized.

The educational interaction is oriented to animate the learning

processes, to encourage the contextualization and the practical use

of the acquired knowledge and competences within the real context

of action of the learners. Since a learning experience, even if

personalised or self directed, it is not necessary a one alone

experience, it is fundamental a custom-made training interaction

that schedules the development of valuable competencies,

particularly about social support: emotional, affective and

motivational scaffolding, safeguard of a reciprocal trust climate,

stimulating collaborative activities, analysis of interpersonal

relations, conflict resolution. Then in a collective interaction

tutorship and leadership are requested to be dynamic and not fixed

ex-ante. Within this group the expert or the trainer interact as a

primus inter pares participating as an ANIMATOR of the learning

community. Learners are encouraged to identify, time-by-time, who

within the learning group is an expert de facto according to the

specific given tasks.

40



HOW SHOULD BE ORGANIZED A PERSONALIZED LEARNING ENVIRONMENT?

ccording to the LEADLAB definition of learning personalization,

also the learning environment is the result of an integrated co-

building actively involving the learner. The learning environment is a

personal, wide and customizable learning space, where the learners,

progressively enhancing their own awareness, became more and

more able to furnish it with contents, tools, learning resources useful

in order to meet the settled learning challenges.

A

The learning environment, as well as the learning process is no

more developed on the base of a standardized and packed platform,

or within the classroom’s boundaries, both limited to static

functions, predisposed by someone other, and impossible to be

modified by the learner.

Learner is encouraged and guided to CO-BUILD THE LEARNING SPACE

integrating learning experiences, technologies and media,

resources, formal and informal environments, real and virtual

environments.

The fulcrum of the planning process moves from the trainer to the

learner, who assumes a wider control of the learning process,

including also the arrangement of the learning environment or,

better, the learning environments.

41



The learning environment is a learner-centred environment

including both the concrete learning places and the ideal learning

space intended as the learning experience itself. The

implementation and building of such a vision of learning space

follows the same line of the progressive and shallow implementation

of increasing levels of personalization of the learning process and of

the evaluation process, from a basic level up to an advanced level.

According to the shared meaning of personalization the adult

learner is involved in the co-planning of learning challenges,

learning pathway as well the learning environment. The enhanced

capability of an adult learner to set and to organize the learning

environment is one of the results of a personalised learning

experience. It can start from the simple choice of didactic tools that

can be furnish his/hers learning place, fit to his/hers detected

learning strategies, learning styles, learning attitudes, up to the

inclusion of informal learning spaces or virtual learning spaces. The

learning environment is intended as active and ubiquitous; learner

builds a personalized space using all the tools and resources

(human and technical) for research of information, communication,

publishing, collaborating, and acting and interacting in the

experience of learning. At the same time the whole learning

environment, made of people, resources, tools, etc. is intended as a

system helping learners to:

enhance control over their learning

have access to different teaching and learning approaches

and resources that meet learning needs.

have access to people who are able to extend and develop

understanding in the learners’ chosen areas.

have access to learning environments and resources that

enable learner to develop the understanding and experience

in authentic and appropriate contexts.

42



Material features of the learning environment are of great

importance in order to facilitate the implementation of the described

concept of wide and personalized learning space. The features of

the physical learning environment doesn’t really determine learning

results, but influence the positive disposition and attitude to have a

learning experience as a pleasant experience. It is important to take

care of the wellness conditions through a good lighting, large spaces

and air conditioning. It is relevant to furnish and set the learning

spaces in order to create a positive feeling of welcoming, to

preserve common spaces with chairs, tables, coffee break corner or

open cooking corners, where to meet together, to put nice pictures

and posters on the walls, defining the learning space as a pleasant

meeting point where have also social networking.

Some simple solutions support the active involvement and

motivation of learners. For example the arrangement of classroom

tables in a circle allow people to see each other and facilitate the

interaction; the use of wood supports on the walls allow learners to

show and view the results of the work done; libraries organized for

thematic areas; French windows. Clear and open arrangement of

timetable, learning spaces, learning materials and learning groups is

decisive to encourage and support a free access to people and

resources.

CAN I USE AN ONLINE ENVIRONMENT?

f course ICT can be used to design and implement a digital,

flexible personalized learning environment. ICT in its different

forms, including computers, Internet, mobile phones, CDs, well

combines with the defined core idea of personalized learning

environment. The flexibility of digital resources indeed allows

learner to co-build the learning space integrating technologies and

media, resources, formal and informal environments, real and

O

43



virtual environments. Moreover ICT-supported learning approaches

can be combined with more traditional and familiar face-to-face

learning experiences where people gather together for learning and

social interaction in a common space.

The LEADLAB dialogic personalized learning approach describing the

trainers’ practice can be effectively realized thanks to ICT-enabled

networking tools, such as social computing, providing new ways of

being social and interacting with other people. The biographic

approach, as well the formative pact, or the brainstorming

technique can be indeed realized also at a distance in a web-based

interaction. Nevertheless it requires a preliminary empowerment of

digital competences both of trainers and learners.

The acquirement of Digital competences, above all among adult and

elderly people, still represents a challenge and a frontier to be

conquered. Specific Guidelines should be designed for the

application of the LEADLAB model within digital environments.

IN A PERSONALIZED LEARNING PATHWAY WHAT IS REQUESTED TO THE LEARNER?

Reflective Skills

The ability to set goals, monitor and evaluate

own progress, invite and encourage feedback

44



from and to others, discuss knowledge in

meaningful ways with different audiences.

Self Management Skills

Organizing time and resources, commitment to

the learning process, flexibility of approach, seek

out challenges and responsibilities, build and

maintain relationships, identify, manage and take

risks.

Independent Enquiry

Identifying and resolve questions, work with

knowledge from different perspectives, analyze

and evaluate information, support conclusions

with reasoned arguments, consider the influence

of circumstance and personal culture on

understanding of knowledge.

Creative Thinking

Generate ideas, link ideas from self and others in

meaningful ways, question assumptions, use

different approaches to tackle problems, look at

the BIG PICTURE.

Effective Participation

Identifying and planning improvements supported

by reasoned arguments, negotiate and balance

diverse opinions to find practical solutions, take

responsibility for the performance of co-learners

as well as self, participate in a wider context that

LEARNING ABSORBER.

Team Working

45



Collaborating with other towards common goals,

adapt behavior to take different roles, provide

constructive feedback and support to others,

show fairness and consideration to others.

WHICH ARE THE CORE COMPETENCES OF THE LEARNERS IN A PERSONALIZED APPROACH?

personalized learning requires also the progressive

acquirement of awareness of the META-COGNITIVE SKILLS and of

SELF-LEARNING SKILLS. Then a further group of competences required

to the learner and to be implemented and exploited by the trainers

are:

A

Reflection: includes the reflective practices applied to the

actions in the real contexts, generating new knowledge and

new competences. Reflection is the common denominator of

core components of the self-learning process such as the

acquiring of awareness, the autobiography, the observation

and the self-evaluation.

Self-realization: includes all the emotional and affective

elements of the self-learning experience. The self-realization

represents indeed the aim where all the motivational energies

are addressed, inducing the strength and the constancy in the

learning.

Self-direction: refers to all the components of coordination and

management of the learning experience, through the use of

specific learning methods and strategies. It implies a self-

awareness of the meta-cognitive competences.

Autonomy: refers to the mastery and maturity as concern the

task of self-learning.

46



The Reflection is the starting point of this process

that is characterized

by the following stages:

ACQUIREMENT OF AWARENESS: there are meaningful themes and

problems able to activate in the adult the perception of

learning needs and to stimulate the search of pathway that

allow to meet them;

AUTOBIOGRAPHY: it represents the matrix where to install the new

learning experience, it is up to the learner to identify the

representative elements of his/hers previous experience and

knowledge and competences, useful for the new learning

experience;

OBSERVATION: it is a key element of the reflection attitude in

order detect strength and weakness and to became aware of

the learning needs;

SELF-EVALUATION: it is a self-regulation process allowing the

learner to monitor the development of the learning experience

and verify the learning results.

The Self-realization is the engine supporting the

constant development of the

self-learning process, it includes:

SELF-MOTIVATION as the necessary attitude to afford the

inconstant fluctuation of the learning behaviour, thanks to the

volition, curiosity and intentionality;

PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY as the capability of the learner to take

on the consequences of his/hers choices and to maintain a

taken commitment.

47



The Self-direction implicates:

SELF-SETTING of the aims to be achieved;

ATTENTION AND CONCENTRATION, as the attitude of the learner to

effectively address his/hers tensions, emotions and efforts to

the achievement of the learning aims, in an ergonomic and

strategic key of adaptation to the continuous changing of

environments and contexts;

SELF-PLANNING, as the necessary attitude to organize the

learning experience as concern the timing as well as the

choice of the learning strategies;

SELF-MONITORING AND COMPARISON refer to the attitude of the

learner to evaluate the quality of the learning experience and

to identify the better learning practices and solution, also

referring to the experiences of other learners.

Autonomy is the final step of the process

including the acquirement of the

self-studying mastery and the complete maturity

about the management of

the self-learning process.

At the same time it is the new starting point of a new learning

experience as the result of a SELF-TRANSFORMATION PROCESS: the

new awareness and acquired autonomy represent again a

implementation and a transformation of the previous

48



perspective. It implicates a new disorienting dilemma

generating a new development need.

HOW TO PUT TOGETHER ALL THESE ELEMENTS? THE @ MODEL

ere we propose, as operative example, a process combining

main of the listed approaches: self-biography, brainstorming,

project work, workshop, benchmarking, self-evaluation, in a unique

strategic collective personalized collaborative process named @ OF

SELF EVALUATION.

H

The form of the @ has been chosen for the similarity with a spiral

and with the cyclicality of the described process. The self-

assessment @ is indeed a symbol of the path that leads towards

consecutive surfacing levels of personal internal and group external

awareness of knowledge and competences, in a steady, recursive

and progressive spiral of growth. The process activates meta-

cognitive and critical reflection skills that allow verifying the

efficiency of one’s own learning strategies and, if necessary,

changing them. The main tool is the person whom is asked an active

and self-responsible role.

The process focuses however on the group interaction more then on

a single person. The group assesses objective attainment and the

processes implemented to achieve them, through a qualitative and

holistic meta-reflection on the strategies adopted. Everyone is asked

to describe his or her own behaviour and attitude:

how did I work?

how did I interact and communicate with others?

what criticalities have I surfaced?

49



Thus self-assessment deals with the communicative, emotional and

social areas as well as with specific contents. Summarizing the @

procedure, the items of the outline are below included in order from

1 to 10.

@50

1. FOCUS BRAINSTORMING

2. SIGNIFICANT BIOGRAPHIES

3. SHARING OF SELF-ASSESSMENT CONCEPTION

4. MAKING KNOWLEDGE EXPLICIT

5. TRANSFORMING KNOWLEDGE INTO COMPETENCES

6. INTEGRATION

7. PROJECT

8. LEARNING FROM OTHERS AND BENCHMARKING

9. FINDING GOOD PRACTICES

10. FOCUS GROUP



SELF-ASSESSMENT @: PATH REPRESENTATION

1.Focus brainstorming;

2.Significant biographies;

3.Sharing the self-assessment conception;

4.Making knowledge explicit;

51



5.Transforming knowledge into competences;

6.Integration;

7.Project;

8.Learning from others and benchmarking;

9.Finding good practices;

10. Focus group.

@ OF THE SELF ASSESSMENT: THE PATH LEVELS

Level

Definition Description

1

FOCUS BRAINSTORMING

(focusing on the topic skills)

General introduction of the activity and the phases; explanation of what topics will be discussed during the meetings; educational contract; agreement among moderators and participants about the reciprocal commitment.

2SIGNIFICANT BIOGRAPHIES

Formation of the work groups; first meeting with the tutor, who has the task of guiding the group during the fine-tuning of the first phase; members socialization, information exchange, personal biographies sharing.

3

SHARING THE SELF-ASSESSMENT CONCEPTION

First product and assessment:

Internal assessment within the group, to verify if the product is considered satisfying by its members;

External assessment among groups, to verify if the product is coherent with the expected outcomes and reaches the minimum standard of quality.

4MAKING KNOWLEDGE EXPLICIT

Project work. The tutor has the fundamental role to guide the group in the project phase, building a learning community.

5

TRANSFORMING KNOWLEDGE INTO COMPETENCES

Theoretical knowledge is changed into practical competences to make an effective work.

52



6 INTEGRATION

The different group works are assembled to create an unique document. This phase is realized by the tutors only, who compare the various projects and integrate them in a shared document.

7 PROJECT Finalizing the collective product and presenting it to all groups in a plenary meeting.

8

LEARNING FROM OTHERS AND BENCHMARKING

By the suggestions given by the tutors, participants can find external resources to improve the collective product.

9 FINDING GOOD PRACTICES

The document is compared to other similar products, to find the differences and eventually integrate some interesting aspects.

10COGNITIVE CLOTTING -

FOCUS GROUP

The final focus group represents a “cognitive clotting” in which it is possible to identify the passage from the learning community to the community of practice

This process has been experienced in several training courses for

trainers, involving people from 30 to 50 years old, also within a

group of 160 members. It is here operatively summarized and

exemplified focusing on:

Task;

Process development;

Duration;

Organization;

Approach;

Environment.

The task

53



The assigned task is intentionally simple. It mast not require

previous technical competences. The first time that the group carry

out the @ process it is important that the attention is focused on the

process itself more then on the content. During the first experience

of the @ process it is not important the content but the way in which

whatever content can be afforded. The acquisition of consciousness

about the development of the process is the previous result of the

learning path.

Going through the stages of the process the group, guided by the

trainer, progressively acquires consciousness of the process itself.

At the end of the process, the trainer shows the steps of the @

process, guiding the group to recognize the phases of the concluded

experience. The symbol of the @ represents just an iterative cycle of

progressive improvement of the participant who acquires at each

step abilities, knowledge, competences.

Once the process has been experienced and the rules are

interiorized, it can be applied to learning contents or problem to be

solved. Participants are invited to branch themselves in groups of

ten; each group is called to choice a name and to designate an

observer who will take note of the behavior of the components of

the group and of the whole group and will report the results of the

group during the plenary sessions.

The first assignment is to design a grid for the presentation of the

group. To be effective the grid must contain the essential

information useful in order to decide what each component is more

apt to do within the simulated project to be actuated.

54



The assigned task is intentionally ambiguous and ill-structured.

Neither examples, nor models are offered, in order to encourage

processes of problem finding and of problem setting, the production

more than the re-production of knowledge, the use of self-

evaluation and self-guidance competences. These conditions allow

participants to really express their potentialities, using all their

cognitive resources, experiences and competences. The building of

a grid for the presentation of the group is a pretext in order to

stimulate the self-biography telling.

The @ process development

1. FOCUS BRAINSTORMING

The first reaction by the participants is normally to ask for more

information about the content and the structure the grid must have.

They ask for examples or for more specific instructions. The trainer

at this stage encourage the groups to self-coordinate the

development of the work and to choice the solutions they consider

more effective, to be compared and tested later on. It is the phase

of focus brainstorming. During this phase each group designs its

draft of the presentation grid, negotiating the contents and a first

structure. The acceptance of this strange and not so clear task, by

the groups, generates a sort of internal formative pact in the shape

of a collaboration agreement among the members of the group.

2. SIGNIFICANT BIOGRAPHIES

Each group component presents itself to the others components

following the order of the fields designed in the grid. This exercise is

a pretext that allows participants to stand out their representative

biographies, to socialize, to exchange information, to better know

each other and acquire more confidence.

3. SHARING SELF EVALUATION CONCEPTION

55



As a result of the first draft of the grid, through presentation of

representative biographies within each group, participants try to

find new information to improve the structure of the grid structuring

it into categories and sub-categories. This is a first step of a self-

evaluation process within each group. Trainer invites each group to

share the results of this self-evaluation with the other groups in a

workshop and to compare its results with the grids realized by the

other groups. During this phase, trainer invites people to make

explicit the criteria used for the evaluation.

4. MAKING KNOWLEDGE EXPLICIT

Trainer highlights how this first self-evaluation answers to different

questions made at the beginning of the process, and underlines how

a new level of consciousness about the nature of the work to be

carried out has been reached by single and by groups. A first level

of awareness takes place on the basis of the knowledge shared

during the self-evaluation stage and on the basis of the

competences used by each component of the group for the task of

planning.

5. TRANSFORMING KNOWLEDGE INTO COMPETENCES

Trainer invites each group to perfect the grid using the feedbacks

acquired during the workshop.

6. INTEGRATION

Trainer invites again each group to present and describe the new

version of the grid in a plenary session of workshop; he also invites

all the participants to identify the best elements of each grid and

define a sort of “ideal type” as a format of a presentation grid.

Criteria for the evaluation and the choice of the best elements are

explicitly formulated and highlighted during the comparison of the

grids.

7. PROJECT

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Trainer invites the groups to work together, asking to design a

common grid on the basis of the best elements. He thus assigns the

homework to be carried out by each participant, consisting in

searching other examples of similar grids realized by other people.

Participants are requested to exercise their research competences,

self-guidance competences, to explore within their personal

experience and context, in order to find sources.

8. LEARNING FROM OTHERS AND BENCHMARKING

Trainer invites participants to show the results of their research. The

group discuss about the differences and common elements of the

findings, comparing them with the grid realized together, and decide

what implement and how to perfect the work done. The

benchmarking is another step of the @ of self evaluation and

another phase of acquiring a new level of consciousness: from the

initial self-evaluation the group has compared its knowledge with

the whole group of participants and now it compares it with a wider,

potentially worldwide, external group of peer or experts.

9. FINDING GOOD PRACTICES

Once several examples have been identified, it is necessary to

select which are the best of them according to the operative context

where the grid could be used. Trainer invites the group to define

shared evaluation criteria. It is an important exercise: the choice of

good practices is strictly connected to operative contexts; this

directly involves experience, biography, competences, sensibilities

and attitudes of each participant. Trainer assigns homework to be

carried out by each participant: to find out official sources

(normative references, scientific criteria, technical criteria, etc.)

where objective criteria for identification of good practice are

described. The group identifies the criteria for the selection of best

practices that can be applied to the operative context. During this

phase the group acquires more consciousness about the typology of

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the project that could require the use of the presentation grid, and

tries to outline the frames of a really feasible project. The selection

of criteria for the identification of good practices is another step of

the self-evaluation process: the group search for objective criteria,

using official sources, and integrate these criteria adapting them to

specific contexts of action.

10. FOCUS GROUP

This is the final step as well as the start of a new cycle of the @

process. The trainer shows to the group the steps of the @ process,

guiding the group to recognize the phases of the concluded

experience. The process is described as a sort of knowledge route,

made by progressive stages of improved, collective and individual,

consciousness based on continuous, internal and external, individual

and collective, self-evaluation activities. The group acquires the

consciousness to be a community that can afford, through this

approach, every kind of problem, or can achieve every kind of aim.

Duration

6 meetings of 4 hours each one

Approach

The @ model is based on an inductive approach, not didactic, nor

directive. The role of the trainer is to scaffold and offer peer

tutoring. During the whole life cycle of the @ process, trainer with

his/hers assistants goes through the groups, gives suggestions,

answers the questions, encourages participants who are less

involved, makes questions, etc.

Environment

The implementation of the @ process requests large and quiet

spaces, allowing people to interact in circles and in plenary sessions.

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REFERENCES

How to use these Guidelines

These Guidelines are conceived to be used with the LEADLAB Model

and other two main documents: the Learning Personalization Trainer

job description and the Learning Personalization Trainer Map of

competences.

To find these documents, if you still do not have read them, check

the LEADLAB website: http://leadlab.euproject.org

What does it mean personalization?

Our LEADLAB project team has carried out an inquiry to find a

common and shared definition of “personalization” and to gather

the best personalization practices in Italy, France, Spain, Finland,

Greece, Germany and Switzerland. The research summary is

available on the website: http://leadlab.euproject.org

Why should I personalize?

See European Commission document Adult education trends and

issues in Europe (2006),

http://ec.europa.eu/education/pdf/doc268_en.pdf

Suggested readings for Knowles: Knowles, M., Self-Directed

Learning, Chicago: Follet, 1975; Knowles, M., The Adult Learner. A

Neglected Species (3rd Ed.), Houston, TX: Gulf Publishing, 1984;

Knowles, M., Andragogy in Action, San Francisco, Jossey-Bass, 1984.

Duccio Demetrio is an Italian adult education scholar and self-

biographic method expert: suggested readings are D. Demetrio,

Apprendere nelle organizzazioni; proposte per la crescita cognitiva

in età adulta, Roma, NIS, 1994; D. Demetrio, Teorie dell’identità e

pedagogie dello sviluppo, Roma, NIS, 1990.

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http://ec.europa.eu/education/pdf/doc268_en.pdf

http://leadlab.euproject.org/

http://leadlab.euproject.org/



At which level can I apply a personalized approach?

Computer-based automated system: we’re talking about computer-

based training (CBT), a type of education in which the student learns

by executing special training programs on a computer. CBT is

especially effective for training people to use computer applications

because the CBT program can be integrated with the applications so

that students can practice using the application as they learn.

How to apply personalization in NVAE?

Formal, non formal and informal learning are defined in the

European Commission’s Memorandum on Lifelong Learning (2000),

http://ec.europa.eu/education/lifelong-learning-policy/doc/policy/

memo_en.pdf

How does an Adult learn?

Another interesting work about adult learning is Mezirow, J. (1991).

Transformative Dimensions of Adult Learning. San Francisco, CA:

Jossey-Bass.

How to involve all the dimensions of the learner?

Autobiographical or self-biographical method refer to

autoetnography: see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autoethnography

How to identify adults learning styles?

About learning styles, see the voice on Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Learning_styles

Maybe you would deepen the issues about multiple intelligences:

refer to Howard Gardner’s website, http://www.howardgardner.com/

How to co-set learning challenges and learning pathway?

About the educational pact: Halina Przesmycki, La pédagogie de

contrat, Hachette Éducation, Paris, 1994.

61

http://www.howardgardner.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Learning_styles

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autoethnography

http://ec.europa.eu/education/lifelong-learning-policy/doc/policy/memo_en.pdf

http://ec.europa.eu/education/lifelong-learning-policy/doc/policy/memo_en.pdf



How to sustain self regulated learning process?

A summary of brainstorming techniques by the University of North

Carolina:

http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/brainstorming.html

How to support self-evaluation processes?

If you want to deepen the issue: K. Evans, N. Kersh, Facilitating

learning success and contributing to social inclusion through

recognition and self- evaluation of personal competences: lessons

from UK, 2004,

http://www.cedefop.europa.eu/etv/upload/projects_networks/paperB

ase/EvaKa04a.pdf

What is the role of the trainer in a self-evaluation approach?

About the role of the trainer in a learner-centred approach:

http://www.finchpark.com/courses/method1/01teachrole.htm

How to build an effective interaction?

See P. Jarvis, Adult education and lifelong learning: theory and

practice, Taylor & Francis, 2004.

How should be organized a personalized learning

environment?

Hints for designing effective learning environments:

http://www.trainingplace.com/source/research/designingenvironmen

ts.htm

Can I use an online environment?

A JISC’s article on how to build an effective virtual learning

environment: http://www.jiscinfonet.ac.uk/InfoKits/effective-use-of-

VLEs

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http://www.jiscinfonet.ac.uk/InfoKits/effective-use-of-VLEs

http://www.jiscinfonet.ac.uk/InfoKits/effective-use-of-VLEs

http://www.trainingplace.com/source/research/designingenvironments.htm

http://www.trainingplace.com/source/research/designingenvironments.htm

http://www.finchpark.com/courses/method1/01teachrole.htm

http://www.cedefop.europa.eu/etv/upload/projects_networks/paperBase/EvaKa04a.pdf

http://www.cedefop.europa.eu/etv/upload/projects_networks/paperBase/EvaKa04a.pdf

http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/brainstorming.html



In a personalized learning pathway what is requested to the

learner?

The set of competences of self learning is summarized from Beronia

G., Autoformazione. Un approccio globale, Roma, Learning

Community, 2008, for sale on www.learningcom.it

Which are the core competences of the learners in a

personalized approach?

The Wikipedia voice about metacognition:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metacognition

How to put together all these elements? The @ model

The @ Model of self evaluation has been ideated and developed by

a group of experts in educational processes led by the Italian

scholar Marco Guspini, who has been professor at University Roma

Tre (Rome). The @ Model is presented and described in Guspini M.

(a cura di), Learning Audit. Autovalutazione per l’istruzione e la

formazione nell’era della conoscenza, Roma, Anicia, 2003, pp. 159-

166.

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metacognition

http://www.learningcom.it/

leadlab model guidelines

Documents

personalized learning

adult learning pathway

leadlab model guidelines

personalized approach

i n e s grundtvig project

adult education

i n e s examples

adult courses