Grundtvig Award 2009

Access to and participation in adult learning and education has been one of the main topics for policy makers, educators and providers in the adult learning sector for years. There are still too many people not participating in learning activities, and the less education they have, the less likely they are to participate. Problems and barriers to adult learning encountered by the learners can fall into several categories such as costs and motivators, learner support and services, lack of experience, time and geographical situation.

Over the years, many efforts have been made to remedy this situation, but the general trends seem to be very persistent. Nevertheless, looking into student demographics and understanding motivators helps organisations to target new adult learners appropriately. As a result many organisations have developed creative and innovative ways to reach out to new target groups, to find new methodologies and infrastructure for learning, to make adult learning and education more fun/an enriching experience for adults facing barriers to learning and with negative learning experiences.