Adult Life Long Learning in Social Work (ALLISW)

A European Network for Social Work as Adult Education and Blended Learning.
Keywords:  Social work education as adult studies, work-and-study-situation, part-time program, international networking

Short Description

The particular needs and options of social work students in adult or continuing education have not been yet addressed at European level, although increasing number of students are studying especially the MA-level of social work besides working in the field. The ALLISW network will undertake significant steps in developing professional education of social work offered as adult studies according to the concept of Life-Long-Learning. Students who have already entered the working life visit the university mainly during the evenings and weekends. This calls for particular pedagogical solutions and also opens new options for direct practice research.

ALLISW will add to shared European knowledge of social work in the particular work-and-study situation, opening new realistic options for adult students who have problems to participate to conventional student mobility programs. The concrete aim of the ALLISW is to develop international learning options for the adult students in work-and-study situation to match their particular situation. Adult students can seldom use the 6- or 12 months ERASMUS-options for exchange study. But teachers’ mobility programs, shared forms of blended learning methods (internet-based class rooms, distance learning, shorter joint seminars and mutual practice visits) are possible, for instance.

The network is coordinated by the University of Jyväskylä, Kokkola University Consortium Chydenius, Finland.

Members of the Network:

1. University of Jyväskylä, Kokkola University Consortium Chydenius, Finland, Tuomo Kokkonen and Kati Turtiainen
2. University of Ljubljana, Slovenia, Lea Sugman Bohinc and Gabi Cacinoviclea.SugmanBohinc[a]fsd.uni-lj.si;
3. University of Lisbon, Portugal, Maria Pena, maria.pena[a]iscte.pt;
4. University of Petrosani, Romania, Felicia Andrioni, Felicia_andrioni[a]yahoo.com;
5. Mykolas Romeris University, Vilnus, Lithuania, Faculty of Social Policy, Jolanta Pivorienė, jolantapiv[a]mruni.eu;
6. Univerzity Hradec Králové, Czech Republic, Jan Hloušek, jan.hlousek[a]uhk.cz