Boosting Educators' Competences to do Quality Blended Learning

In the Quality Blended Learning project, we developed a Handbook named Introduction to Blended Learning for Adult Educators and an E-platform with learning materials supporting the contents of the Handbook. They are intended to be used by professionals in adult education: teachers, educational organizers and heads of organizations. Blended learning is a combination of the traditional way of teaching and learning and learning through engagement of digital technology. Adult education providers are lagging in the use of blended learning compared to other sectors. The Handbook we created is an extremely practical and transparent tool for all those who are starting their blended learning journey and for anyone who already has basic knowledge and wants to refresh and upgrade it. The handbook consists of 8 units, each of which represents an independent unit therefore,one can also read individual chapters. The Handbook contains spreadsheets, worksheets, practical guidance, examples and explanations for the use of tools, and outlines the concept of blended learning, highlighting the benefits and challenges. The Handbook addresses all the main actors involved in the blended learning process: learners, teachers, and management or adult education providers. While the Handbook is extensive (there are a good 220 A4 pages), the materials of the e-learning platform are of smaller extent. The e-platform supports the contents of the Handbook by using the elements provided by the Moodle online environment. Video clips, interactive presentations, knowledge quizzes with questions of different types to present the main six tools for blended learning are used to further help educators plan and develop blended learningcontent. Platform users can also earn digital badges. The handbook is published on the platform in the following languages: English, German, Spanish, Slovenian and Italian.The design of the handbook and the e-platform is based on an e-survey and face-to-face interviews of the target group. E-platform materials were tested in 4 pilot workshops, where we received valuable feedback. In the last two months of the project, partners held 6 closing events where they presented the main results to project stakeholders and received enthusiasm and praise. The handbook and the e-platform are open educational resources available on the e-platform and the websites of partner organizations.Three of partner organisations are going to publish the printed version of the Handbook and the Irish and the Spanish partner developed a training course about blended learning based on the training activity that took place in Dublin. Partners believe that both main project results can be used not only by professionals in adult education but also by professionals in other education sectors.