
Innovative teaching methods Erasmus course for adult education staff
Overview
Using innovative methods of teaching is an essential skill for teachers and education staff. Research shows that innovative approaches can significantly enhance the student learning process. However, teaching adults requires a different approach: one that values experience, autonomy, and real-world relevance.
This course focuses on innovative methods designed specifically for adult education, helping teachers and trainers engage their learners in meaningful, practical, and empowering ways.
Participants will explore a variety of modern approaches in the framework of adult learning theory, non-formal education, project-based learning, ICT for Adult Learning, and other innovative teaching practices that promote reflection, collaboration, and self-directed learning.
Target Audience
This course is addressed to adult educators, teachers, trainers, educational counsellors, career counsellors, school psychologists, headmasters, school management and administrative staff working in vocational schools, training centres, adult education schools, higher education and NGOs. If you work in primary or secondary schools, please consider enrolling in the course “Innovative teaching methods for teachers and school education staff”.If instead you work with children 0-6 years, you can consider enrolling in “Innovative teaching methods for Preschool teachers”
Languages
The course is held in English.
For groups with at least 8 participants, we can organize an ad-hoc session in a different language. Please write an email to
info@erasmuslearningacademy.eu
to get more information about it.
| Location | Starting Date | Ending Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zagreb | 18/10/2026 | 24/10/2026 | Open for Enrollment |
| Tenerife | 01/11/2026 | 07/11/2026 | Open for Enrollment |
| Athens | 29/11/2026 | 05/12/2026 | Open for Enrollment |
| Zagreb | 29/11/2026 | 05/12/2026 | Open for Enrollment |
| Palermo | 21/02/2027 | 27/02/2027 | Open for Enrollment |
| Bologna | 28/02/2027 | 06/03/2027 | Open for Enrollment |
| Tenerife | 21/03/2027 | 27/03/2027 | Open for Enrollment |
| Palermo | 06/06/2027 | 12/06/2027 | Open for Enrollment |
| Zagreb | 06/06/2027 | 12/06/2027 | Open for Enrollment |
| Bologna | 20/06/2027 | 26/06/2027 | Open for Enrollment |
| Tenerife | 04/07/2027 | 10/07/2027 | Open for Enrollment |
| Athens | 26/09/2027 | 02/10/2027 | Open for Enrollment |
| Porto | 03/10/2027 | 09/10/2027 | Open for Enrollment |
Skills
What will you learn?
Through hands-on workshops, discussions, and peer exchange, participants will learn how to make their teaching more dynamic for their adult learners and discover how to design activities that respect their needs, motivations, and professional contexts. The course offers a supportive environment to experiment, share experiences, and co-create new strategies for lifelong learning.
Learning Outcomes
This course provides participants with an overview of the trending innovative teaching methods specifically designed for adult education, as well as a cooperative, inspirational and stimulating space where to experiment and practice new tools, strategies and approaches.
The main goal is to promote quality and innovation in adult education by empowering and motivating adult educators, trainers, headmasters and other education staff to make their learning experiences more engaging, relevant, and effective for adult learners. Participants will share best practices and experiences with adult educators from across Europe, gaining fresh ideas, new perspectives, and a deeper understanding of adult learning in different European contexts.
Innovative teaching methods for adult learning
Gain an overview of innovative teaching approaches — including Non-Formal Education and Project-Based Learning — understand their benefits, and learn how to apply them effectively with adult learners.
Tools, technologies, and interactive learning practices
Develop practical skills to design and deliver interactive learning activities, integrate digital tools and ICT meaningfully into adult education, and use feedback and peer assessment effectively.
Collaboration, exchange, and international networking
Share good practices and discuss challenges with fellow educators, learn in an inspiring international environment with trainer support, and strengthen your professional network in the adult education field.
Daily Program
Please find below the standard indicative daily programme that will be personalized on participants needs and professional profiles.
Our standard programme comprises 7 days, of which the first one is dedicated to networking, preparation and cultural immersion and the last one to follow up, specific needs and cultural activities. Please note that we always do our best to accommodate the specific needs of our participants in a flexible way, including but not limited to budget restrictions and travel arrangements. Participants can choose to arrive 1 day before the start of the course and/or leave one day after the end of it in order to enjoy a deeper cultural immersion. Upon specific request we may organize longer versions of this course.
| Sunday | – Participants arrival – Orientation and information about the venue and the city – Networking activities – Walking tour in the venue’s city | ||
| Monday | – Course introduction – Needs and expectations evaluation – Team building exercises – Reflections on current teaching practices and challenges to better tailor the course sessions – Introduction to innovation in adult education – Barriers and motivations for adult learners – Introduction to adult learning: Knowles’s framework | ||
| Tuesday | – Basic concepts and principles about non-formal education – How non-formal education can empower adult learners – Practical work: designing, preparing and implementing engaging non-formal activities for adult learners – Promoting strategies for peer assessment and teamwork | ||
| Wednesday | – Key principles and benefits about outdoor education and outdoor learning – The value of outdoor education for personal, social – The key components of Project-Based Learning (PBL) – What PBL looks like for adult learners – Formulating your Driving Question – The importance of student driven activities in PBL for adult learners – Practical work: designing an effective PBL activity for adult learners – Cultural activities in the venue’s city | ||
| Thursday | – Introducing ICT tools: exploiting the power of digital apps to engage adult learners in the learning process – Practical work: creating interactive learning material for your lessons – Testing and practicing ICT tools for classroom formative assessment | ||
| Friday | – The key principles of Mezirow’s Transformative Learning Theory – Understanding the importance of critical reflection in adult learning – The role of dialogue and perspective-taking in transforming beliefs and practices – How transformative learning can empower adults to become more self-aware and autonomous learners – Farewell dinner | ||
| Saturday | – Exchange of best practices and experiences and space for discussion of future cooperation – Space for discussion of future cooperation and planning follow up activities – Course roundup and final evaluation – Validation of learning outcomes and certification ceremony – Additional training session tailored to specific needs (optional) – Participants departure |
Other relevant facts
Methodology
All our courses have a standard duration of 7 days, totaling 35 hours of training. This includes both formal teaching sessions and practical activities, as well as moments for discussion, cultural experiences, and networking, ensuring a comprehensive learning experience in line with Erasmus+ quality standards.
We tailor the working methods based upon participants’ needs, attitudes and professional profiles in order to ensure high productivity, effectiveness and transferability into practice.
The standard methodology is highly practical and participative with hands-on approach that comprises real-job examples, case studies examination and simulations. We embrace collaboratively working methods that foster mutual learning and cooperation among participants. Our focus is on learning in an interactive and international environment knowledge applicable to the real contexts and/or in the classroom. The pedagogical methods that we use are based upon experiential training, group and peer activities, learning-by-doing and best practices’ exchange. They include visits with local schools and institutions allowing the participants to better understand the local education system as well as exchange ideas and contacts.
Morning Wrap-up and brief daily evaluations are foreseen to ensure quality of education and to adapt the learning programme to participants’ needs better tailoring the education.
We organize optional social, networking and cultural activities in order to give participants the opportunity to know Italy as well as to exchange best-practice and establish professional cooperation and links.
The training and staff team is multinational thus giving a full European dimension to the course.
Costs and Erasmus+ Funding
Teachers, trainers, headmasters and any other staff of education organizations are eligible to receive an Erasmus+ grant covering all the costs to attend our training courses including travel, board and lodging, cultural activities and all fees. Our training courses are tailored to be fully funded by Erasmus+ and we offer different options to ensure the best comfort and quality at a price that is within the Erasmus+ grant.
We offer our courses in an all-inclusive format: training and accommodation in the same venue, networking meals during the courses as well as cultural visits are provided by us and are fully covered by the Erasmus+ funding. In this way participants just need to organise their international flights and can rely on us for all the other practical arrangements.
If you prefer you can take care of some of the practical arrangements (e.g. meals, accommodation…) by yourself but we strongly recommend entrusting us with the accommodation booking in order to ensure optimal logistic organization, networking with fellow
participants, safety and time-efficiency.
Read more about how we take care of your subsistence and practical arrangements.
The most common option that we offer to schools and organizations costs EUR 1,415 in Bologna, EUR 1,235 in Palermo and Zagreb, EUR 1,265 in Tenerife, 1215 EUR in Athens and EUR 1,335 in Porto. This price includes the course fee, certification and support fee, accommodation in single room, breakfast, 2 coffee breaks per day, 3 networking meals (shared lunch/dinner opportunities with other participants), a walking tour in the venue’s city and a sum-up dissemination video.
Please note: in Bologna the price includes full board (all meals), whereas in the other locations only the 3 networking meals are included alongside breakfast.
Prices shown may vary for specific courses that include extra services or visits to schools and associations. More detailed pricing information for each course is available upon request or at the time of enrolment.
For schools sending 2 or more participants we can offer accommodation in double rooms and we can provide as well accommodation for people or relatives accompanying the participants.
When attending our courses, we recommend you to request 9 days of individual support for your subsistence costs, 7 days for the course plus 2 additional days for the travel. In this way you can have more flexibility in planning your stay and you can enjoy all the cultural activities planned from the first to the last day of course. You can read here more about the Erasmus+ funding. Shall you have need any help with filling the budget during the application stage or have any problem with your grant please let us know and we will see how to support you.
Certification and Validation of learning outcomes
At the end of the course, each participant will be awarded a certificate of attendance, together – if requested – with the Europass Mobility Certificate.
The certificate are in line with the Erasmus Quality Standards and include a short description of the course and its learning outcomes, dates, venues, the name of the course provider and the course instructor(s).
We support the participants in every step of certification and validation of learning outcomes with specific focus on European instruments and Erasmus plus requirements such as staff mobility/learning agreement, quality commitment and Europass mobility certificate.
We experienced that schools and education organizations may require additional documents to certify the competences learned or the presence in the training course. Upon request we can provide additional certification and reporting documents as well as we provide photos of the training course and a sum-up video that can be used for visibility and dissemination purposes.
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