Module 3: Transition activities from school to Erasmus plus mobilities, using non formal education activities

1. What is non-formal education?

1.1 Formal, non-formal and informal learning

There are three types of learning (Gadoularov and Romanica, n.d):

• Formal learning is the learning typically provided by an education or training institution, structured (in terms of learning objectives, learning time or learning support) and leading to certification. Formal learning is intentional from the learner’s perspective.
• Non-formal learning is the learning that is not provided by an education or training institution and typically does not lead to certification. It is, however, structured (in terms of learning objectives, learning time or learning support). Non-formal learning is intentional from the learner’s perspective.
• Informal learning is the learning resulting from daily life activities related to work, family or leisure. It is not structured (in terms of learning objectives, learning time or learning support) and typically does not lead to certification. Informal learning may be intentional but in most cases, it is non-intentional (or ‘incidental’/random).

More information regarding the differences between formal, non-formal and informal learning can be found online.

1.2 The Principles of Non-formal Learning

The principles of non-formal learning are (Gadoularov and Romanica, n.d):

• Learner-centeredness: the content, the methodologies used, the locations as well as timeframes need to be based on the learners’ needs and interests.
• Transparency: all the aspects of the learning process should be known and agreed by the learners from the beginning.
• Confidentiality: whatever happens in a learning activity is confidential and is not communicated to anyone who is not directly part of the respective process.
• Voluntarism of learners: learners should participate in the learning process voluntary.
• Participation of learners: learners have the obligation to actively participate in the learning activities and processes, as well as, in shaping the learning process.
• Ownership of the learning is with the learners: learners should take the responsibility of their own learning and be motivated.
• Democratic values and practices: during training activities the process used needs to be compatible with the content.

1.3 Techniques of Non-formal Learning

Active participation in non-formal learning is promoted by using certain techniques which are (Peace Corps, US, 2004), (Kokkos, 2014, pp. 138-177):

Techniques	Description
Icebreaker	A short, structured activity designed to relax and energize participants and to introduce them to each other at the beginning of a program.
Lecture	Facilitator presents information on a given subject to audience.
Discussion Questions/Answers	Facilitator uses provocative questions or statements, usually prepared in advance, to stimulate group thinking and contributions to guide discussion.
Brainstorming	The facilitator asks a specific question or describes a particular scenario and participants offer many different ideas.
Demonstration	A structured performance of an activity in order to show, rather than simply tell an audience how it is done.
Group work	Groups discuss or work on given theme and they present their results to others. Group division should be random, only exception is when we need to create groups according to their experience. If you select groups on some criteria, you should explain them.
Self-directed learning	Learners, with guidance from the trainer, decide what and how they will learn. It can be done individually or with group learning, but the overall concept is that students take ownership of their learning.
Fishbowl	The fishbowl is a technique for structured observation of a group process. The group is divided in two, with half the group being the observers and the other half, active participants. The observers stand or sit in a circle around the active, inner group. Both groups are given specific tasks to do; the observers are asked to note specific behavior, while the active participants are asked to accomplish some task together.
Flipped Classroom	Facilitator encourages learners to prepare for the training in advance.
Role playing	A short skit created and acted out by the participants to simulate a real-life situation that illustrates a problem or conflict.
Case study	Individual or group work, when participants look for answers related to presented situation. Situation should be from reality (something that happened or can happen).
Simulation Game	Groups of learners are given critical data about a situation, make their decisions, receive feedback, and take further action. Games encourage people to take charge of their own learning and test new knowledge or skills.
Storytelling	Using storytelling in the learning process can enhance learning and creativity.
Self-reflection	Participants individually analyse situation that happened, previous activities or their behaviour and confront it to their present and future reality.
Field Trip	An excursion to a site where participants can see a real-life example of an activity or a situation that concerns them.

2. Erasmus+ mobilities

2.1 Mobility projects in the field of education, training and youth

The Erasmus+ programme of the European Union finances Actions in the field of youth in order to “provide many opportunities for young people to acquire competences and grow as individuals, through non-formal and informal learning” (European Commission, 2020).

The aim of these programmes is to increase the level of key competences and skills among young people, including those with fewer opportunities, and youth workers, to promote active citizenship, intercultural dialogue, social inclusion and solidarity. Supplementary, the aim is to empower young people to participate in democratic life and the labour market, to foster quality improvements in youth work through enhancing cooperation between organisations in the youth field, to complement policy reforms at local, regional and national level and to support the development of knowledge and evidence-based youth policy, as well as the recognition of non-formal and informal learning, and to enhance the international dimension of youth activities (European Commission, 2016).

Mobility projects for young people and youth workers can last between a few days and up to two years and can comprise one or more of the following activities: (1) Youth Exchanges, (2) European Voluntary Service and (3) Mobility of youth workers (Ibid.). In particular:

• Youth exchanges enable groups of young people to undertake a structured programme of activities (e.g., a mix of workshops, exercises, debates and role plays) in another country, within or outside the EU. They are open to all young people aged 13-30 years. Activities last 5-21 days.
• European Voluntary Service (EVS) offers opportunities for young people to develop skills by contributing to the daily work of organisations in areas such as social care, the environment, non-formal education programmes, ICT, culture and many others. EVS is open to young people aged 17-30. An EVS activity lasts between 2 and 12 months but in some cases shorter term EVS activities from 2 weeks and up are possible.
• Youth workers’ mobilities support the professional development of youth workers through e.g., international seminars, training courses, contact-making events, study visits or job shadowing abroad to an organisation active in the youth field. Mobility activities last 2 days - 2 months.

Erasmus+ further supports partnership projects for organisations, institutions, companies and research organisations willing to exchange good practices or to develop innovative ones. It also supports policy dialogue and cooperation on youth issues across the EU, to/from non-EU countries, along with international organisations (notably the Council of Europe), and European non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in the youth field (Ibid.).

3. Schools and Erasmus+

3.1 Opportunities for Schools Within the ERASMUS+ Programme

Erasmus+ offers a programme that schools – pre-primary, primary and secondary – can join. There is funding available for staff mobility projects and cross-border partnerships. Either whole classes or groups of pupils can visit partner schools, or individual pupils can spend a longer period at a school in another country (European Commission, 2019).

Under this programme there are two key actions:

1. The first key action provides funding for the professional development of school staff, so that teachers and staff can spend a period abroad at another school or take a training course in another country.
2. The second key action offers project partners the chance to exchange staff and pupils, or to develop a new and innovative product. The funding covers short group stays (3 days to 2 months) or longer exchange periods (2 to 12 months) for individual pupils in secondary education (Ibid.).

According to the 2018 report of Sirius, the European Policy Network on Migrant Education, non-formal education has a greater role to play in the development of children, whilst a great potential lies especially in the cooperation between non-formal education providers and schools. For example, field trips to museums and science centres can create excitement, spark interest, and develop positive attitudes towards science. Non-formal education in general can boost self-esteem, self-awareness and create a feeling of responsibility, sometimes it promotes active citizenship, communication skills and peer-networking. The report therefore recommends a greater effort on behalf of schools to form partnerships with community actors to supplement their formal curriculum with non-formal education (Lipnickienė, K., Siarova, H., van der Graaf, L., 2018).

4. Activities for Informing Young People/Pupils/Teachers about Erasmus+ Mobilities

Some activities that can be implemented according to the techniques used in non-formal education, and facilitate the transition of young people from school to Erasmus+ mobilities are highlighted below:

Testimonials

Testimonials are a type of review and social proof that serve the purpose of guiding potential customers and helping overcome objections, providing evidence from our peers “that the decision we’re about to make is the right one” (Patel, 2017). Social proof “is a psychological phenomenon where people conform to the actions of others under the assumption that those actions are reflective of the correct behavior” (Santora, 2020).

In the context of activities to teach pupils and teachers about Erasmus+ mobilities, testimonies of successful participants should be collected and shared with the target group. These testimonies can be made as a text or in video format or being included in promotional material on websites or print media.

Info Evenings

The info evenings can play a role as well in an information-event meant to inform pupils, teachers and/or parents of the possibilities of Erasmus+ mobilities. Here various non-formal elements can be included to engage participants, such as managing expectations and evaluation of the outcome by dot voting.

Fair

Organising a fair is larger in scope than an info evening, while the aim is to connect the providers of Erasmus+ mobilities with the target groups. In such a fair, international Erasmus+ volunteering services and youth exchange events can be introduced to pupils and teachers. Youth, as well as volunteer-based organisations using the Erasmus+ programme, from all over Europe will present themselves through information stands, flyers and short presentations or workshops for interested youngsters.

Activity 3.1

Module Title	Module 3: Transition Activities from School to Erasmus plus Mobilities, Using non-formal education activities
Activity Title	Planning and Designing an Erasmus+ Fair
Activity Code	A3.1
Duration of the Activity (in minutes	120 minutes
Type of resource	Activity sheet
Aim of activity	The aim of this activity is to support youth workers, educators, trainers and youth leaders to plan and design an Erasmus+ Fair in order to inform young people/pupils/teachers about the opportunities that exist to take part in Erasmus+ mobilities after finishing school. The final output will be a plan that can be followed in order to implement a successful Erasmus+ Fair.
Materials Required for Activity	Note taking materials, pen or pencil. Optional: a digital device such as computer, laptop, tablet or smart phone with a text editor.
Step-by-step instructions	The National Association for Secondary Education decided to ask you and your team to organize an Erasmus+ Fair to inform parents/young people/pupils/teachers about the existing opportunities of taking part in Erasmus+ mobilities after finishing school. The total number of participants has decided to be 80 persons, including 30 last secondary grade pupils. In order to successfully design and plan this event you have to follow a number of steps that will lead you to creating in the end a detailed event plan: Step 1 – Take it seriously and prepare yourself mentally: Organising an event is not a simple task. If you’ve ever organised an event, you know that not everything runs to plan and you have to face various challenges. So, it will be important to act as a team-player, with patience and you will need to be well-prepared and determined enough to cope with any kind of difficulties. To prepare yourself mentally for the hard work and inspire your teammates it is suggested to read the article “The Key To Mentally Preparing Yourself To Face Any Challenge Step 2 – Define the purpose and format: Formulate your goal as specifically as possible: do you want to convey knowledge to participants or to inform them about a specific topic? The format of the event will depend on the answer: its concept, timing and duration, role distribution within the team, the layout of the hall, catering and sound. And try not to get stuck in traditional formats. Take a look at TED format, thematic brunches, online events, open-air events. What counts is that your format helps to achieve the goal of the fair. Step 3 – Pay sufficient attention to planning: the plan should include among others logistics and content. Create a document available to the entire team that is going to support you in the process, where each member would be able to see the tasks of the others and the big picture. First, prepare a list of the main tasks, and then flesh them out in as much detail as possible in the form of specific steps that must be completed. It is important to designate the timeframe in the plan: the time required for completing a task. It is often underestimated and preparation goes slower than you expected. You can use Google templates, programs such as Trello or even a simple Excel won’t let you down. Step 4 – Draft your budget: Look at the list of tasks and reflect them in your budget. It is also worth thinking about a reserve in case of unforeseeable situations. As an option, you can use an online budget template, adapt it or create your own. Step 5 – Be prepared for anything! If you want to pleasantly surprise your guests, think about everything down to the smallest detail: how they register, who will greet participants and how, what music will be playing, do you have an interesting photo corner, how do your presentations look and how is your team dressed, what to do during breaks. Step 6 – Allocate responsibilities: It is very important to distribute tasks among the team members that are going to take part in the organisation and implementation of the event. For example, someone is responsible for the registration zone, someone else for greeting the speakers, a different person for the equipment, for catering, communication with the press, etc. Every person needs to be responsible for a zone throughout the entire duration of the fair. Give each member of the team a document with the assigned responsibilities, so that every person knows who to contact for any specific issue. Step 7 – Ask for feedback: Ask participants to complete a printed evaluation form at the end of the event or an online form when they get home. Ask them to assess various aspects of the event: logistics, speakers, locations, and the work of the organisers. This information will help you avoid mistakes in the future and improve the quality of your events. If possible, get feedback through social networks or record video reviews / testimonials at the end of an event. This will come in handy if your event is held again. Here are few sample forms you may choose from: Event Evaluation Survey FREE 9+ Event Evaluation Samples in PDF | MS Word | Excel Your Complete Guide to the Event Evaluation Process Whatever event you organise, be optimistic and don’t be afraid of surprises and your event will be a success!

Activity 3.2

Module Title	Module 3: Transition Activities from School to Erasmus plus Mobilities, Using non-formal education activities
Activity Title	Selecting Techniques and activities for engaging young people/pupils/teachers
Activity Code	A3.2
Duration of the Activity (in minutes	120 minutes
Type of resource	Activity sheet
Aim of activity	The aim of this activity is to support youth workers, educators, trainers and youth leaders to decide which activities would be appropriate for engaging the young people/pupils/teachers in a non-formal training session regarding Erasmus+ mobilities.
Materials Required for Activity	Note taking materials, pen or pencil. Optional: a digital device such as computer, laptop, tablet or smart phone with a text editor.
Step-by-step instructions	Your hometown secondary school invited you and your team to organize an engaging activity regarding Erasmus+ mobilities for young people/pupils/teachers. The total number of participants has decided to be 40 persons, including 25 pupils in their last grade of secondary education. In order to select the appropriate activity for engaging the young people/pupils/teachers in this non-formal training session you should carefully follow these steps: Step 1- Write down the title of the activity you are going to deliver and determine the people that are going to assist you so as to successfully deliver this activity. Step 2- Learners’ Size & Profile: take into account the number of the participants and analyse your learners’ profile: age, level of education, hobbies etc. Step 3- Determine the learning outcomes: what knowledge and skills your learners will acquire at the end of the activity? How their behaviour will change? Step 4- NFE technique & Duration: what non-formal education technique will you choose to use, for what reason, and for how long? For example, you could split the learners in groups of 5 and use the “group work” NFE technique assigning the groups a clear task, i.e., search the web for 15’ min for a specific topic that each group will present after in 5’ min. This way you will enforce the communication skills and the ability of the learners to cooperate timely for a common purpose, understand in depth a topic and present the results of their effort to others. In addition, check out a video under the title ‘How to develop Non-Formal Education activities | Tips and Tricks for trainers’ that will help you understand how to choose methods for a learning activity. Step 5- Keep them engaged: Decide about the questions that are going to be used for keeping your learners engaged in the learning process. Organise your topics in a logical order is of paramount importance for the participants to absorb the information more easily. Step 6-Infrastucture: what technological or other kind of infrastructure you need to deliver this activity? Step 7-Evaluation: how will you monitor and assess the process? How will you determine what worked and what didn’t? How will you be sure that the learning outcomes were achieved? To understand better the meaning of evaluation in non-formal education environment watch the video called ‘What is Evaluation in Non-Formal Education environment? Process and Importance of Evaluation’. Step 8-Risks: Try to think some of the most significant risks that could impact your activity and prepare a plan B. Step 9-Date & Place: When and where will this activity take place? Prepare on-time your work and avoid being late. During all the aforementioned steps, you should keep in mind the theory part of this module as well as the following key factors: The mode of mutual interaction and communication; The way in which information from this activity is shared outside; The practical aspects to ensure an effective activity.

Activity 3.3

Module Title	Module 3: Transition Activities from School to Erasmus plus Mobilities, Using non-formal education Activities
Activity Title	Developing an Evaluation Questionnaire
Activity Code	A3.3
Duration of the Activity (in minutes	120 minutes
Type of resource	Activity sheet
Aim of activity	The aim of this activity is to support youth workers, educators, trainers and youth leaders to find the best way for evaluating a non-formal training session regarding Erasmus+ mobilities delivered to young people/pupils/teachers.
Materials Required for Activity	Note taking materials, pen or pencil. A digital device such as computer, laptop, tablet or smart phone with a text editor.
Step-by-step instructions	A parent’s association of an elementary school decided to invite you to organize a non-formal training session regarding Erasmus+ mobilities delivered to young people/pupils/teachers but in order to evaluate it you need to develop an Evaluation Questionnaire. Before you start you should bear in mind that an evaluation questionnaire contains a list of questions that are used to articulate the assessment of a particular situation. This questionnaire is commonly developed when the goals and objectives are already certain. In general, evaluation questionnaires are useful: To develop a structured assessment. To guide the whole process of evaluation. To present accurate result. To successfully complete this activity, you should carefully consider the following steps: Step 1- Write down the title of the activity for which you are going to develop the Evaluation Questionnaire. Step 2- Determine who and how will complete the evaluation questionnaire. Know who are the people involved in the assessment. Determine also the people who are going to help you collect the answers or if you will do it by yourself. Step 3- Deliberate relevant questions. Use questions that have relevant importance to the activity focusing on the related goals and objectives. Step 4- Decide what type and which questions should be included in the evaluation questionnaire. Prioritise the questions based on their significance and how well address the evaluation needs. According to your target group choose between closed-ended questions (which can be answered by a simple “yes” or “no”) and open-ended question (those which require more thought and more than a simple one-word answer) Step 5- Verify the questions. Make sure it’s connected to the assessment of the activity. During all the aforementioned steps, you should keep in mind the following key factors: Make the questionnaire concise. Provide a brief introduction and statement of purpose. Include open-ended questions and rating scale Keep your questions neutral. Consider alternative answers. Ensure that your questions are not assuming. Rank your questions according to its level of difficulty. Review your questionnaire. Provide blank space at the end for the comments.

Resource 3.1

Module Title:	Module 3: Transition Activities from School to Erasmus plus Mobilities, Using non-formal education Activities
Title of Resource:	YOUTRAIN video project: What is non-formal education? 7 principles of NFE
Resource Code:	R3.1
Introduction to the resource:	In this short video an experienced professional explains what non-formal education is, whilst it introduces the definition, the context and the 7 key principles of non-formal education.
What will you get from using this resource?	Learners will become familiar with the meaning of non-formal education in a pleasant and relaxing way. This video is also helpful in terms of learning more about youth work in the frame of Erasmus+.
Link to resource:	What is Non-Formal Education? 7 principles of NFE

Resource 3.2

Module Title:	Module 3: Transition Activities from School to Erasmus plus Mobilities, Using non-formal education activities
Title of Resource:	YOUTRAIN video project: How to develop Non Formal Education activities | Tips and Tricks for trainers
Resource Code:	R3.2
Introduction to the resource:	This is an introductory video on how to develop non-formal education activities, providing the very basic information in order to cover the topic in question.
What will you get from using this resource?	This video will help the learners understand the way non-formal education activities are developed. Future trainers as well as experienced ones can learn the methods for an efficient learning activity, how to create and hold space for the participants and how to improve their skills as trainers.
Link to resource:	How to develop Non-Formal Education activities | Tips and Tricks for trainers

Resource 3.3

Module Title:	Module 3: Transition activities from school to Erasmus plus mobilities, using non-formal education activities
Title of Resource:	Non-formal and informal education: History, Current Issues and Questions
Resource Code:	R3.3
Introduction to the resource:	Stéphanie Gasse, specialist in Education Sciences, gave this interview to Thierry Ardouin, highlighting certain aspects of non-formal and informal education, clarifying the content of the terms, as well as underlining history elements and current issues.
What will you get from using this resource?	Learners will have the chance to enrich their knowledge on non-formal education from a scientific perspective, covering issues related to the education policy and the international context that goes beyond the EU-perspective. The interview is also available in English, French and German.
Link to resource:	Non-Formal and Informal Education: History, Current Issues and Questions

Resource 3.4

Module Title:	Module 3: Transition activities from school to Erasmus plus mobilities, using non-formal education activities
Title of Resource:	Top 200 Tools for Learning 2019
Resource Code:	R3.4
Introduction to the resource:	This article provides the Top Tools for Learning 2019 list that was compiled by Jane Hart from the results of the 13th Annual Learning Tools Survey and released on 18 September 2019.
What will you get from using this resource?	This article provides a table listing the top 200 tools as well as their ranking on 3 sub-lists: Top Tools for Personal & Professional Learning (PPL100) Top Tools for Workplace Learning (WPL100) Top Tools for Higher Education (EDU100) By studying these lists, you will expand your knowledge regarding the modern tools that you can use while working with young people.
Link to resource:	Top 200 Tools for Learning

Resource 3.5

Module Title:	Module 3: Transition activities from school to Erasmus plus mobilities, using non-formal education activities
Title of Resource:	How to raise an inventor. Technology and Engineering Learning Material for Schools.
Resource Code:	R3.5
Introduction to the resource:	This the official page of a two-year Erasmus+ project seeking to contribute to the expansion of the STEAM initiatives and to improve the capabilities of pupils in primary and secondary educational institutions in the fields of technology and engineering.
What will you get from using this resource?	Learners will have the chance to read and watch videos and photos related to NFE activities involving pupils, teachers and local authorities from different countries in the context of Erasmus+. This material could inspire and mobilise both the learners and the pupils/teachers to get involved in similar Erasmus+ and mobility initiatives.
Link to resource:	How to raise an inventor. Technology and Engineering learning material for schools.

For finding out the definition of certain terms with which you may not be familiarised, please read the DARE Practical Guide for Inclusion, the first output DARE project partners developed.

Bibliography

Books

European Commission (2016). What’s in it for youth: opportunities for young people, youth workers and organisations in the youth field. [online] Accessed June 8, 2020

Gadoularov, O., Romanica, B. (n.d) Training of Trainers. Using non-formal learning and interactive methods in youth work. [online] Accessed June 8, 2020

Gross, R. (2010). Psychology: The Science of Mind and Behaviour. 6th Edition. UK, Hodder Education.

Kokkos, A., (2014). Exams Questions and Answers. Certification of the Teaching Qualification of Trainers for Adults of non-formal education. EOPPEP.

Lipnickienė, K., Siarova, H., van der Graaf, L. (2018). Role of non-formal education in migrant children inclusion: links with schools. [online] Accessed June 8, 2020

Northwest Center for Public Health Practice, University of Washington, School of Public Health. (2012). Effective Adult Learning. A Toolkit for Teaching Adults. [online] Accessed June 8, 2020

Noye, D., Pireteau, J. (2002). The basic “tools” of the Adult Trainer. Athens: Metaixmio.

Peace Corps, US. (2004). Nonformal Education (NFE) Manual. Peace Corps. Information Collection and Exchange. [online] Accessed June 8, 2020

Rogers, A. (2002). Adult Education. Athens: Metaixmio.

Sitography

European Commission (2013). Green light for Erasmus+: More than 4 million to get EU grants for skills and employability. European Commission Press Corner. [online] Accessed June 8, 2020

Patel, S. (2017). 9 Strategies for Using Customer Testimonials in Your Content. [online] Accessed May 15th, 2020.

Santora, J. (2020). 30+ Proven Ways to Use Social Proof to Increase Your Conversions (Updated). [online] Accessed May 15th, 2020.

The Glossary of Education Reform, (2013). Asychnronous Learning. [online] Accessed May 7th, 2020