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Rationale and background Self-evaluation is an essential step to quality improvement. The SEALLL project aims to improve the quality of content, delivery, management and organisation of adult learning through the introduction and promotion of self-evaluation in formal, non-formal and informal adult education. The field of adult education is extremely varied. Organisations are serving different audiences and target groups, are funded from a variety of sources and work in a complex field of societal forces. Within the sector of adult education we see a variety in the extent to which outputs are standardised and to which other criteria are fixed. In this respect there are big differences between formal, non-formal and informal arrangements of adult learning. This does not mean there are no similarities: the learning processes and the teaching to promote the learning are the core business of all types. In school education and/or higher education self-evaluation has already become or is becoming a compulsory process but its introduction takes time and care. Introducing it requires the right knowledge, the right tools and the right strategies. As Life Long Learning situations are often less formal and less structured, quality care, self-evaluation, self-regulated learning and setting up the institution as a learning organisation is even more needed in an LLL context. Looking at the present status of self-evaluation in adult education one can say that: - If (ever) self-evaluation takes place it only leads to registration, paperwork used at organisational level and not leading to action at teaching/learning level
- Interpretation of the data and communication of the results often does not take place
- Present systems are not embedded in the daily practice and are used at organisational level mainly for accountability reasons.
Society changes continuously with ever increasing speed. In order to respond to it creatively, organisations need to be flexible and proactive, demanding a high degree of autonomy and professionalism. As a consequence all people concerned are to be active professional learners in an actively learning organisation/setting. Adult learning needs a climate in which recognition of prior experience, ego involvement, a sense of inner locus of control and social relevance is present. The SEALLL project will focus on self-evaluation in life long learning as an attempt to enrich/enlarge your own (organisational and individual) view by looking at yourself in a systematic way from the various perspectives other relevant players may look at you. Self-evaluation provides this learning background that is basically empowering and emancipatory. To safeguard this, it is commendable that the one initiating the self-evaluation is in control of content, process, the results and the forthcoming decisions. Some sectors in the field of LLL are more experienced in self-evaluation than others. Those that still have a long way to go may gain self esteem and recognition by producing their own standards, by sharing them and making them public. Some could profit by identifying their dialogue partners, some by becoming aware of the necessity of steering the social process, others by improving the process of analysing data. In addressing the many audiences in self-evaluation people may feel a need to be aware of the variety of purposes involved. It may serve the purpose of inter-institutional comparison, validation of diplomas and certificates, transfer of credits, competition among organisations, quality enhancement, democratic dialogue, the need for a reference frame etc. For most countries and institutions this culture of self-evaluation is new. On the other hand a lot of experience is available in some countries and in the more compulsory and formal domains of education and training. Facilitating this transfer of useful experience and material will further the professionalisation of the sector of adult learning. The exchange of approaches, experiences and tools may be beneficial to partners in formal, non formal and informal adult learning centres or partnerships across cultures, across sectors and across nations. Through the SEALLL project we want to create and disseminate useful material (self-evaluation tools, guidelines, dissemination and awareness raising material….) and set up local, national and international training. A broad European approach will be guaranteed by the involvement of a large group of institutions (cross section of types of adult education institution from the 8 partner countries). These are called the ‘members’ and will actively participate in the creative (writing), piloting (testing), monitoring and evaluation phase of the project. Aims: 1. To prepare LLL organisations to be more flexible, adaptable and competitive . 2. To improve the quality of teaching and learning in LLL and to improve the quality of organisation and management in LLL by promoting self evaluation. 3. To meet the specific demands of adult education with regard to self-evaluation General objectives: 1. Institutions of LLL will consider self-evaluation as part of their culture 2. Improved quality of self-evaluation tools for LLL. 3. LLL display a culture of constant improvement by using the results of self- evaluation. 4. Elements of a common European language in the field of self-evaluation in LLL will surface. Concrete objectives: 1. To make people aware of specific challenges of self-evaluation in a national and cross-national setting
2. To help all ‘players’ in LLL-institutions self-evaluate their teaching, learning and the management of their organisation
3. To help LLL-institutions set up their institution as a learning organisation at all levels.
4. To promote a bottom-up approach to self-evaluation in LLL.
5.To ensure a broad European approach to the creation of this material.
6. To focus on the use of self-evaluation data, the analysis, the consequences.
The project seeks innovative challenges in its attempt to find a productive synthesis between the often open nature of many adult learning situations and the often too closed concept of evaluation. It is our goal to find ways to bring self-evaluation, professional autonomy and self regulated learning together in one approach. We will elaborate guidelines for professional self-evaluation to promote professional development at the individual and organizational level of bodies involved in LLL.
Not only in its philosophy the project is innovative; it also seeks to bring about innovation in its methodology. We will promote a multi-perspective approach for a dialogue with the stakeholders, taking the many different players in the field into account. Bringing people together; triggering professional debates; making interest positions explicit; sharing knowledge and views are key words as opposed to lecturing, training or instructing people.
New things will be implemented but on top of that the reflective, self-evaluative culture that goes with it will ensure an ongoing innovative process long after the initial implementation of project results will have occurred. Our approach aims on producing an innovative culture focused: on learning, on process improvement, on output optimization, on interpretation, on data transfer and consequences, on maximising the impact. Target groups - Teachers, trainers, heads and administrative staff of formal, non-formal and informal adult education institutions - Teacher trainers - Educational and socio-cultural departments of local/regional/national authorities (policy makers). - Programme developers - Sealll project partners and learners - Adult learners Coordinator of the project Landcommanderij Alden Biesen, Bilzen, (BE). Partners: Universiteit Leiden, PLATO, Faculty of Social Sciences (NL), Soros International House, Vilnius (LT), Kwasimodo, Brussels (BE),Fundacja Centrum Edukacji Obywatelskiej, Warsaw (PO), Institut für Soziale Infrastruktur, Frankfurt am Main (DE), The Bauer-Messner EvaluierungsKEG, Graz (AT), Centre for Flexible Learning, Söderhamn (SE), Akdeniz University Center for Continuous Education (AKUNSEM), Antalya (TR).
SEALLL Final Conference and In-service Training Day in Self Evaluation on Adult LLL The final SEALLL conference was organised in Brussels on the 21st September, 2007 where the manual on how to improve the quality of teaching and learning and the quality of organisation and management in LLL by means of self-evaluation was promoted and distributed . The conference was attended by Daiva Malinauskienė, Soros International House director, and by the representatives from local partner institutions:Nijolė Bražėnienė, Vilnius University Language Institute director and Natalja Kimso,a director of Vilnius Adult Education Centre.
Soros International House organised SEALLL (Self-Evaluation in Adult Education and Lifelong Learning) seminar on May 25th, which was addressed to Socrates/Grundtvig 1 SEALLL projects dissemination and training about self-evaluation methods and instruments. 24 people participated in the seminar from: - Alytus business advisory center
 - Širvintos region center of education
- College of Panevežys language center
- Naujakiemis high school for adults of Klaipėda
- Druskininkai center of education
- Association "Naujos jungtys"
- Vilnius adult education center
- Lithuanian labour market training authority division of Ignalina
- The first club of soroptimists city of Vilnius
- VU Institute of foreign languages
- Soros International House
- Vilnius labour market of training and consulting authority
- Vilnius pedagogical university
- Alytus labour market of training and consulting authority
 During the seminar Daiva Malinauskienė the director of Soros International House introduced SEALLL project and it’s mission, then Audronė Būdienė the director of studies of SIH talked about self-evaluation in adult education and lifelong learning process. Finally Nijolė Bražienė the director of VU Foreign language institute and Valentina Šaferienė the representative of Vilnius adult learning center introduced the dissemination of project ideas among partners in Lithuania.
During the second part seminar participants were divided into two work groups where they discussed about the problems in self-evaluation and later they did practical assignments. One of the work groups created instruments how lifelong learners could evaluate learning programs. The other work group created instruments how leaders should self-evaluate their competence. The participants of SEALLL seminar said that it was very useful, informative and practical seminar. Most of them said that they will be able to adapt what they learned during the seminar to their workplace.
First "Self Evaluation in Adult Life Long Learning" (SEALLL) project partners meeting in Alden Biezene, Belgium The initial project "Self Evaluation in Adult Life Long Learning" (SEALLL) partners meeting took place in Alden Biezene, Belgium on 6-9th November, 2005. Partners discussed the work to be carried out by each partner institution following the allocated tasks during the two years of project life. SIH will have to find 4 institutions representing formal, informal and non-formal adult education, which will assist in implementing the project.They will participate in creating self evaluation tools and guidelines, then test, monitor , evaluate them and make their comments. The second "Self Evaluation in Adult Life Long Learning" (SEALLL) project partners meeting in Hamburg, Germany The second project "Self Evaluation in Adult Life Long Learning" (SEALLL) partners meeting took place in Hamburg, Germany, on 8-11th of March, 2006. Project partners introduced their chosen local partners, representing formal, non-formal and informal adult education , discussed a work plan and planned stages of preparation for their meeting in Antalia (Turkey) which is going to be the most important event of the project.
SIH partners in Lithuania:
Institute of Foreign Languages
Vilnius Adult Education Centre
Modern Didactics Centre
Vilnius Soroptimist Club No1
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