Research
We explore how adult education can be made inclusive, digital and effective.
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Digital tools, specialist portals and data – for teachers, researchers, students and interested parties.
Institute
We offer research, transfer and infrastructure for lifelong learning.
The economy of education identifies various kinds of usefulness of education: individual benefits and also so-called external benefits, by which society profits (internal as well as external benefits can be monetary or non-monetary). These dimensions of usefulness differ in the degree to which they can be quantified. The benefits of education have not been researched as thoroughly as its cost. The more far-reaching welfare effects of further education are especially hard to measure. The evalu…
The book provides an overview of the current situation in Adult and Continuing Education in Austria. At the beginning stands an introduction into the Austrian education system together with a delineation of the historical evolution of Adult and Continuing Education. The portrait thoroughly informs about the legal foundations, governance approaches as well as institutions, quality assurance, financing, provision and participation. Moreover, the occupational field and strategies for professionali…
Adult education is also stamped by linear legends, including its implicit models of biography. These are, as shall be shown in the first section of this consideration, concepts of a setting-out-biography. They oversee the aspect of life coming to an end. For that reason adult education often just shows half of the picture of an adult. The adult appears as a timeless entity, being in principle open for development. His “Unteachableness” is not really seen as a result of the structural rigidity o…
Data on adult education centres kept since 1962 shows interesting longitudinal historical results regarding time structures for adult education classes offered at adult education centres: (1) The increase in continuing education activities which can be observed on the whole is only accounted for by course-type classes, not by individual classes. (2) The average course time has decreased by about 20 percent over the last 20 years. (3) With respect to forms of time organisation, the evening cours…
Similarly to Austria and Switzerland adult education competencies could be recognized cross-provider in Germany. Within a joint research and development project the DIE and different associations of adult and continuing education develop basics for a correspondent method for teachers. The authors focus on preceded feasibility studies and needs assessments of the DIE. These show an overwhelming approval of the target group to initiate such activities, but also see risks as well as opportunities …
For over 40 years, the „Bibliography of Adult Education“ has been published. This service of the DIE (German Institute of Adult Education) has now been changed into a more modern online format. Looking back, the bibliography may well have been a little hampered by its aspiration to completeness, but it still has performed an essential role in making adult education an important discipline within educational science.
Hanft, Anke; Zentner, Tim: Qualification and personnel development – a competence gap in adult education institutions? Results of an empirical study on qualification of staff in adult education institutions The contribution analyses how adult education institutions and universities prepare their staff with education and training for changed structural requirements and reforms. In the centre are two studies of German state universities and public adult education institutions in the country N…
Designing consultancy Research on consultancy for adult education and extracurricular youth education? Besides a scientific debate, the following contribution is about facing the challenge of the action competence consultancy in the context of making pedagogues professionals. The aim is to modify and design existing interdisciplinary knowledge for consultancy in the context of adult education. How consultancy in the practice of adult education can be analysed interdisciplinary and which po…
