Curriculum GlobALE goes digital in Palestine
New needs for ALE coordinators and educators in a new reality
DVV International Palestine and its partners had high ambitions and specific plans for 2020 in terms of continued support for adult learning and education (ALE) institutions. However, with the worldwide spread of Covid-19, we found ourselves trapped in isolation and burdened with an overwhelming new reality.
The constant communication with the local communities showed that community-based ALE was more and more urgently needed. The responsibilities of the community centres for youth and adult education – as key local actors – increased because they had the ability to provide support to their communities at a time when other larger-scale institutions were not able to access these towns or provide services to them.
Curriculum GlobALE: an instrument to support ALE in emergencies
The partnering community centres were in need of support, not only in terms of adjusting to digital activities. They also needed support in reflecting on their own roles and contributions towards their communities and in understanding the implications of this new reality on adult learning. Furthermore, an important task for DVV International Palestine has been to promote the skills and shape the attitudes of those involved to think of themselves as lifelong reflective learners and educators, and to develop their practical skills for communication, planning and implementation.
Curriculum GlobALE (CG) is an output-orientated core curriculum for training adult educators worldwide. CG names most of the above-mentioned competences as the main attributes of an ALE educator. Based on how important CG can be when adapted to local contexts, it became clear that it is also an important instrument to support ALE providers in contexts of emergency and crises. Therefore, DVV International Palestine and its partners agreed to pilot the digital implementation of Curriculum GlobALE.
Same curriculum, different shape
Prior to the implementation, a three-day course on digital learning platforms was provided to introduce digital tools to the participants. Subsequently, four master trainers of CG facilitated, within six months, a programme of 225 hours. Twenty-five directors, trainers, facilitators, and coordinators of ALE from the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and Jerusalem attended the programme.
There was a need for a high level of flexibility, given that all participants were faced with manifold challenges. Those were: lack of constant electricity in Gaza, having to deal with difficult health cases at home, lack of a proper training environment at home, lack of proper digital infrastructure in Palestine, the challenge of being committed to a serious and professional programme via screen for the first time ever, and the burden of providing time and space for a well-thought-out way to compensate for direct human connections.
Various unexpected advantages of an online CG course
On the other hand, the digital CG course brought to light several positive aspects that would have never been possible to achieve in a regular face-to-face training course. For several years, DVV International Palestine has been trying to bring together ALE partners from the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and Jerusalem to share experiences and learning. However, it has never been possible because of the severe mobility restrictions between the three areas. In this digital course, all the partners came together in one learning experience for the very first time. Guest facilitators and presenters were also able to join from Lebanon and Jordan, countries from which participants would never have been able to travel to Palestine.
The multiple facilitation styles of online training made it possible to focus much more on individual learners and their own reflection through the individual tasks and personal learning time. The digital platforms and instruments that were used allowed for collection of materials and resources, recording of sessions and the possibility to revisit the learning activities for the same group and by others as well. And, while we were all indeed very much longing to go back to the regular training room, the group continued their online community activities and used their learning experience to support their respective communities.