Journal of the Further Education Abstracts

Journal of the Further Education - Časopis Vzdelávanie dospelých

Issue:3/4, year: 2008

ENGLISH ANOTATIONS
PROGRESS IN EDUCATION IN SLOVAKIA MONITORED BY EU
Authors: Miroslav Babinsky, Eva Dubeňová
Annotation:
This article responds to currently increasing demand of education and vocational training as a key factor for developing employment and labor market. European Union Member States and the European Commission jointly focused on the improvement of mutual cooperation in education and vocational training, and therefore they developed a new strategic framework that sets reference criteria for 2010 and the 2020. European Union Member States will submit a report every two years and the first results of monitoring (including Slovakia) are available now. Although Slovakia meets some of the criteria of the European Union, there is needed to take further steps to contribute to substantial progress in education and training. Authors are considering the risk of under financing of the Slovak educational system as a cause of low achievements in the participation in adult education/ lifelong learning in Slovakia.

PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCE OF LECTURER IN FURTHER EDUCATION
Author: Ivana Pirohová
Annotation:
The author points out the lecturer as an integral personality, who is determined by many external and internal factors. Professional competences of lecturers are results of motivation, attitudes, values, interests, abilities, emotional temperament and attributes of temper (character). The quality of the lecturer is determined by both - professional and social competencies. Core competencies in andragogical literature of 20-th century beside professional and social skills emphasize a new skill - cognitive competence. All above mentioned are named by new term – metacompetencies which should have every lecturer in a constantly changing world.

COACH AND MENTOR AS KEY PERSONS IN THE PERSONALIZED LEARNING
Author: Marcela Holická
Keywords: coach, mentor, coaching, mentoring, individualized learning
Annotation:
The contribution specifies new forms of individualized learning, which is coaching and mentoring. Both forms have many similarities in itselves, but the author points out those factors which differ. Specificity of these forms of education is that the coach or mentor must have years of experience with the topic, in-depth insight into the area and a desire to share or deliver appropriate experience to less experienced. Coach or mentor take different roles depending on the type of interaction with learner, but significant is the fact that one can only become a coach or mentor by a gift not by learning.

ICT LECTURER’S OF LIFELONG LEARNING COMPETENCIES
Author: Miroslav Babinsky
Keywords: Presentation, PowerPoint, Basic skills, Competencies of ICT lecturers, The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) standards, ICT Competency Standards for Teachers (ICT-CST) by UNESCO.
Annotation:
The author consider as a basic skill of adult educator in the field of ICT to have an ability to prepare, deliver a PowerPoint presentation and to interact with learners after presentation. From this practical approach more theoretical is described for lecturers of ICT subjects. After brief description of development of opinions of competencies of ICT lecturer’s two international standards: The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) standards and ICT Competency Standards for Teachers (ICT-CST) by UNESCO are described and discussed. According to author’s view the most important ICT competency of lector is to keep track with development of ICT technologies, advancements of students and introducing technologies into educational practice.

ROLE OF A LECTURER IN THE EDUCATION OF ELDERLY PEOPLE
Author: Nadežda Hrapková
Keywords: new methods of education of elderly people, specification of the educational process, role of a lecturer, character and abilities of a lecturer of elderly.
Annotation:
The author describes influence of changes in the society on the methods of education of elderly people and necessity of their acceptance. She focuses on the elderly students and their specifics in comparison with young students. The role of a lecturer varies according to the specifics of the students, their study needs and their educational plans. Didactical competences of the lecturer should lead to fulfillment of educational needs. Research confirms that elderly students find quality education as a very important aspect of their life.

ARCELORMITTAL UNIVERSITY
Author: Michael Nešporová
Annotation:
The author describes in this article the functioning of the ArcelorMittal University. Two successful steel companies fused into one and created a unique way of training their employees by creating their own university. Training is tailored to the needs of company’s employees and is divided into five basic subgroups. University office is in Luxembourg and there is also the largest number of courses. University organizes educational events in many countries, but particularly in those where are affiliations of the company. Education is adapted to the specificities of each country and is carried out the native language of learners.

GOOD ADULT EDUCATOR: GENERAL EUROPEAN STANDARDS FOR LECTURERS
Annotation:
The author describes one of outputs of Grundtvig project - "A Good Adult Educator in Europe, which is a publication of a number of authors under the title "How to become a good adult educators". Investigators have set a goal to create a set of criteria necessary for personal development of a lecturer of adults. These criteria were divided into two basic groups, which are further broken down in the article.

ACTIVITY FIRST: OUTCOME REPORT FROM WORKSHOP ABOUT LECTURER’S COMPTENCIES
Author: Jan Froněk
Annotation: The author describes his own experiences of Workshop lecturers` skills. The target group consisted of teachers with different levels of experience and working with different target groups - from primary schools to long-time adult educators. The aim of this workshop was to exchange lecturers experiences, which should lead to an improvement of their own learning style and also the knowledge of himself in the role of lecturer, which was uncovered through the analysis of his own teaching styles recorded on video. The author describes all phases of the workshop, from preparation, through implementation to an evaluation of its benefits and proposals for the future.

EDUCATION OF LECTURERS IN COMPANY BARUM
Author: Martin Mušinský
Annotation: In the article the author points to education carried out by internal tutors in the company Barum Continental LTD. Prerequisites for the education of their colleagues has each one, who have achieved the level as a specialist in the field, but it is also important to think about the fact that not everyone, who is a good specialist is a good lecturer. To become a good internal lecturer, company Barum Continental LTD. developed a system of progressive steps that should guarantee the successful spread its know-how among other workers. This type of education is not only less expensive, but better reflects the local, time and organizational requirements of employees.

WHAT IS NEW IN COACHING IN SLOVAKIA?
Author: Denisa Kmecová
Annotation: A closer look at the upcoming accreditation of coaches brings the author in his contribution. She also argues for creating a system of accreditation, both at national and at transnational level, which is intended to provide clarification of the current situation, when the coach is selected only on the basis of references or previous experience. Pooling of accredited coaches is justified in the fact that they create contacts between themselves on an international level and after that, they will be able to share valuable experience with each other. Accredited coach will be a guarantee of quality for Slovak or international company that has contracted this type of education.

Issue:2, year: 2008

LEGISLATIVE INTENT OF LAW ABOUT LIFELONG LEARNING
Draft law approved by the Government of the Slovak Republic 47/2007, on 06. June 2007.
Annotation
The reason for the future law is that there is not legislative regulation about lifelong learning in the Slovak Republic yet. Component parts of lifelong learning, its subsystems function independently now. They are not interdependent, therefore do not enable citizens acquire flexibly knowledge and qualification during their active lifetime and according to development of needs of employers. Law about LLL shall be an umbrella legislative regulation for other laws governing individual educational subsystems and in some areas it shall be their complementary addition.
Content of the draft law includes overview of valid legislation, goals and aims of future law. Aim of the draft law is organizational realization of lifelong learning system, management of system of quality of non-formal education, recognition of learning outcomes of non-formal education and informal learning.
Source: http://www.rokovania.sk/appl/material.nsf/0/E6A3DFC9E5B8B8AEC12572E60024FDEC?OpenDocument

INTERVIEW WITH GENERAL DIRECTOR OF SECTION OF LIFELONG LEARNING OF MINISTRY OF EDUCATION OF SLOVAK REPUBLIC MGR. BORIS SLOBODA
Annotation:
Editor's office of the journal interviewed general director of Section of Lifelong Learning of Ministry of Education of Slovak Republic about preparation of Act about Lifelong Learning. In particular changes which may influence educational institutions were discussed.

INDIVIDUAL POTENTION IN THE CONTEX OF ADULT EDUCATION
Author: Mária Machalová
Key words: individual and mental potential, adult education, mental maturity.
Annotation:
Author in her paper study aspects of individualization process in adult education. She identifies different understanding of individualization process and claims that focus of adult education activities have to be identification, cultivation and implementation of individual, implicitly mental potential.
She understands individual potential as a complex readiness, mental capacity and ability of individual to act – to perform internal and external activities.
In conclusion she states that in adult education it is desirable to pay attention to development tasks / activities. She defines them as educational tasks on which adults participate actively. Mechanism of their fulfilment is the learning by itself. Development tasks can be means to reach mental maturity, be a pathway to self-realisation, a tool for identification and cultivation of individual potential.

COUNSELLING FOR FURTHER PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION AND CHANGE OF POFESSIONAL CAREER
Author: Martin Kopecký
Key words: professional education, counselling, professional career, labour flexibility, reflexive biography, career planning, counselling for further professional education
Annotation:
Starting point of the article are following two theses:
1. One of universally recognized goals of lifelong learning is to reach success in professional career.
2. Successful development of own career is one the most important precondition of successful life of most people in productive age.
The author relates these theses with so-called reflexive biography. According to reflexive biography the life should be considered as an open project all the time. Number of possibilities for choice is increasing and therefore also the importance of counselling is increasing. Intervention of experts into our personal professional problems cannot be considered as a failure, but on the contrary as expression of responsible and active approach to life, author emphasizes. Well organized counselling helps people define and analyse their needs, interests and opportunities in the field of education. In conclusion author states that national strategies in the field of counselling / guidance were created only recently. Many national counselling strategies are aiming mostly unemployed people and needs of other target groups are not considered satisfactory.

ADULT EDUCATION EFFECTIVENESS
Author: Michaela Nešporová
Key words: evaluation of educational effectiveness, educational costs, evaluation of effectiveness of employees' education.
Annotation:
Author states that regarding planning and evaluation of education we can many times find out that education is limited only to preparatory and implementation phase and evaluation including evaluation of effectiveness is abandoned. She emphasizes that evaluation of education, and with it linked effectiveness, is important. Further she study in details educational costs, which she considers as one of key factor. Author determines factors which influence educational effectiveness, principles of effective education and methods of education. She emphasizes that evaluation criterions have to be set up before beginning of educational activity. In preparation of education we have to set up not only goals, conditions, and methods but at the same time we have to define also methods of evaluation and assessment. Basic problem of evaluation of learning outputs and effectiveness of educational process is to set up evaluation criterion and assessment of educational effectiveness which is linked with general evaluation of education.

PERSPECTIVES OF LIFELONG LEARNING (PERSPEKTIVEN DES LEBENSLANGEN LERNENS)
Author: Werner Lenz
Key words: lifelong learning, social differences, social conditions, learning motivation
Annotation:
Translation of keynote speech at “International dialogue about lifelong learning” in Federal Institute of Adult Education (Bundesinstitut für Erwachsenenbildung - bifeb) on 12. - 13. December 2006. Translated into Czech by Vladimír Jochmann.
W. Lenz states that learning and education are related to life opportunities, social status, health, employment, earning. Therefore it is needed to recognise some social differences that exist in our world. It must be clear that social problems play role not only in very distant countries, but they are important factor everywhere. Therefore it is necessary to take them into account. Author presents some paradoxes between strategies of lifelong learning and existing social practice.
DEVELOPMENT OF EFFECTIVE METHODS OF COUNSELLING AT SECONDARY SCHOOLS - CONTINUATION
Experiences from implementation of project
Author: Drahomíra Vaňousová
Annotation:
Author continues in article published in Adult Education 3/2006 (Vzdelávanie dospelých 3/2006), where gave some basic information about the project of association K.A.B.A. Slovakia, implemented with the help of European Union funds. In article published in this volume she describes implementation of educational programme “What I want – what I can” („Čo chcem – čo môžem“), in which educators from February to April 2007 continued in training for career counsellors by unconventional method. It was 5-days course for educators, in which they have to be in position of a guided student. They experienced whole counselling process, exercises, role playing, being moderator of a group, supervision of exercises and prepared their own project.
From evaluation phase of the project the author presents final conference. Conference was held on 30th April 2008 in Žilina with participation of representatives of management of secondary schools involved in the project, a representative of Ministry of Education of SR, a representative of Central office of Labour, Social Affairs and Family, representatives of VUC Žilina and representatives of educators. At conference were presented information about the course of project and outputs of the project from the point of view of management and expert team, as well as from the point of view of participants of the project.

ADULT EDUCATION IN SPIŠSKÁ NOVÁ VES
Author: Ľubica Bednárová
Annotation:
Author in her paper presents information about institutions and forms of education in town Spišská Nová Ves, which are accessible for each age group. In the town are two primary art schools, 9 primary schools, 1 special primary school and 4 educational facilities (institutions). Detached offices of following universities are operating in Spišská Nová Ves: University of Trnava with Faculty of Health and Social Work, Matej Bel University with Faculty of Economics, Constantine the Philosopher University with Faculty of Education. Local library is continuator of a reading association established in 1839. Cinemas are going down today. In town there are 32 sport clubs, sport stadium, swimming pool, sports grounds, drill-halls at schools. First and main goal of schools and educational institutions is basic and spare-time education of children and youth. Anyhow in conclusion she states that institutions have beneficial influence also for adult public, in providing opportunity to gain new knowledge by means of educational activities or to facilitate the start of enterprising.

Issue:1, year: 2008

The Financial crisis and Education page 7

Author: Ivana Miklovič

Keywords: financial crisis, education, investment in education

Annotation:

The author examines the question whether the financial crisis in companies will take over training activities. Will they continue or will they be doomed to extinction? She assume that future education trends will copy small and medium-sized private companies - firms will be much more prudent and will spend funds more targeted, so that training will be attended only by people who need it to work and will be expected to demonstrable learning impact on the daily experience, which in turn will increase the accountability of employees for their own development. She recommends that the crisis is not to be seen as a disaster but as a challenge, arguing that the need to maintain quality of products and services during the crisis will still exist. During the crisis may arise due to learning new leaders, and vice versa, crisis can produce improvement of educational programs.

Key competencies and andragogic profession page 9

Author: Lubica Janoušková

Keywords: andragogy, adult learning, teachers, educators, teachers of adults, professional competence, education andragógov

Annotation:

The author states the definition of andragogy and the roles of teachers of adults (andragóg). She highlights the differences between adult educator - theoretician and practitioners and examines the professional competence (based on key competencies) as a complex of knowledge, skills, attitudes, values, experiences, personal qualities and other components that allow the perform well the profession.

The author agrees with Beneš (2003) that andragogic qualifications is not possible to acquire in a single institution in a uniform program, but on the network of specialized educational institutions and expanding education and self-competence. Author is dividing competencies in accordance to Beneš 2003 into learnable and the competencies that can be affected only to a certain level. In this sense, she is dividing learning of future teachers of adults into pre-graduate, postgraduate, professional and course work. Professional competences of teachers of adults are divided into:

• professional (cognitive) abilities

• social (interpersonal) and personal competence

• functional competence

There are three important implications for education of teachers of adults:

• study programs should respect the essence of andragogic practice in the real world, which should be reflected in the objectives and content of education of future teachers of adults.

• if teachers of adults are going to have different roles, objectives of educational programs must be defined as, the acquisition of such skills and competencies that are considered crucial. This means that not only to upgrade professional or subject competence, which results from multidisciplinary andragogic orientation, but also so called over-subject (nadpredmetové) core competencies such as: communication skills, ability to think and learn, computer skills, ability to solve problems, ability to cooperate with others and a readiness to cope with conflict, ability to maintain personal, social and civic sovereignty etc. are needed.

• Diversity of andragogic professions requires constant renewal of the knowledge apparatus.

Speech and communication of reality show page 18

Authors: Gold Vašašová, Marianna Fehérová

Keywords: reality shows, language communication, verbal and nonverbal communication

Annotation:

Authors shows the negative impact of mass media communication (including passivity of recipients). The impact on the audience is different and depends on various factors, especially on the social environment and individual psychological arrangement. They define “reality genres / TV shows” as a form allowing people to speak of them for themselves (or in the reconstruction of actual events), which is becoming a critical demonstration of the authenticity and a violation of certain standards, such as respect for privacy. The authors briefly presented the history of reality shows and ideas (especially of Czech authors) about them. They draw particular attention to the impact of reality shows on interpersonal communication, to which are particularly vulnerable pupils in primary schools and students of secondary schools.

Authors divided people into three groups:

· those who watch reality shows and are their fans

· those who do not watch these programs, have negative attitudes, or completely ignore them.

· those who swear to reality shows, declare that “it” is unmoral, but with an interest continue to watch.

After analyzing the contents of all Slovak reality shows authors state negative such negative statements: "Some programs, whether reality shows or artistic performances, may looks like real life, but the profit, money, advertising, and thereby improving TV market share is important. ". Benefits are discussed in a single paragraph:" It is not only fun, but also the possibility to monitor human behavior."

Not seldom phenomenon of verbal communication in the reality show is “fatic” communication. In this type of communication speakers trying to satisfy "the need for the contact". The content of conversations between protagonists of reality is frequently: speculation (who will be excluded), defamation, gossips, quarrels and mutual conflicts, mobbing and mockery but also flattery and compliments. The content of communication is in terms of information completely empty. On the basis of tracking participants’ verbal expressions authors analyzed pronunciation, tempo, speech rate, intensity and intonation of voice and other means of communication in reality shows. Four types of most frequent verbal communication phenomena in reality shows are listed.

Authors find non-verbal expressions in the reality show as the most manifest way of communication. Analyzed in details are: mimics, gestures, proxemics, postures, kinetics and tactile non-verbal expressions (haptics).

Based on an analysis of communications in the reality show particulary of type of “Vyvoleni” and Big Brother authors expressed their believe that these programs have a negative impact among others on the linguistic communication (especially on youth). The authors even related reality shows to aggressive and conflicting behavior and heartlessness: "We believe that watching indicated programs by youth, may contribute negatively to this". Therefore it is logical that their final conclusion is: "total destruction of cultural expression and the question is what is the benefit of these programs for the population - common viewer, and should they have a permanent place in the TV scheme?"

Self-education, resistance and therapy as effects of sports activities of young people and adults of the martial art Taekwon-do                                                                               page 37

Author: Martina Šoltisová Semešiová

Keywords: Leisure time. Sport. Taekwon-do, Self-education, Therapy, Resistance.

Annotation:

Taekwon-do is a martial art which originates from Korea, which was founded by General Choi Hong Hi in 1955. Article refers to eight general regulations, which form a basic pillars of philosophy of Taekwon-da.

The author not only draws attention to the immediate link between Taekwon-do and self-education and self-training but significantly extends its impact more broadly: "the growing dissatisfaction, stress, boredom, lack of exercise, negative social elements like crime, different abuses, racism, etc.. can be minimized and eliminated through sport. ... "We consider necessary to look at the sport not only as to the structure of physical motion elements, whether a system of rules, but as the optimal source of happiness and a part of life, by which it is possible to seek its own way of life and the positive possibilities of self-realization."

The author quotes a number of the founders of Taekwon-da. Among other also this: "For ordinary man are life and death the most important things in his life, but for a fair person to live and die for the honesty is far more important than her own life and death." She further states: "We believe that after interiorization of these ideas by individuals the risk of socio-pathological element in society will be reduced." The author does not in any way covers that Taekwon-do has the ambition to become a philosophy of life (people are governed by the code of ethics), and with courage recommends it as a therapy for restoring and maintaining physical, mental and social well-being, but not just for individuals but also for the society as a whole: "Taekwon-do, we could consider as mediated, indirect element of social prevention in the fight against crime, alcoholism, drug addiction, gambling."

Vladimir Jochmann (13 September 1923 - 12 September 2008) page 42

Future of education in the 21st century                                      page 44

Author: Wilhelm Filla

The symposium with the same name as the title was held at Sen-Jang University in the city of Hangzhou in China 17.-18.9. 2006. A detailed report prepared by Univ. Assoc. Dr., Wilhelm Filla - Secretary-General of the Federation of Austrian folk high school was published in the Österreichische Volkshochschule Magazin für Erwachsenenbildung No. 223, March 2007 - pp. 2-4. Here we reprint it with the permission of the author, translated by Vladimir Jochmann into Czech. The report shows not only an overview of adult education in China and in Shanghai, Macau, Hong Kong and Hangzhou city, but also proposals for possible cooperation between China and Europe.

Overview of further training in China (Weiterbildung in China im Überblick)           page 49

Author: Wilhelm Filla

Despite differences in adult education in China and Europe they have something common: very broad diversity. Yet in Chine one need to add large absolute numbers of institutions and participants to it. Anyhow compared to the number of inhabitants, however, this numbers are relatively low. Because the dynamics of China’s do not stop adult education will grow in a short time.

Integral andragogiky                                                                  page 62

Author: Vladimir Jochmann

Article originally published in the Proceedings of a seminar on the theoretical notion of andragogy, which was held in Olomouc on 26-27th April 1994. Author come back to 70'ties of the last century, pursuing the development of university subject of Pedagogy of adults, which later became the Adult Education and Upbringing. In this period began to be used at the Philosophical Faculty of Palacký University in Olomouc, as the first in Czechoslovakia, the designation of Andragogy. Author's contributions and papers on the integral andragogiky brought a wider understanding of the subject. His ideas greatly influenced the development of andragogy in Czechoslovakia / Slovakia, not only in period after democratic changes in 1989. The article includes Jochman’s definitions of areas / profiles and a systematic approach to andragogy.

The aim of the project SIZAR - A system of integrated education and retraining of blind and partially-sighted people                                                                                                   page 69

Author: Lubica Janičkovičová

The aim of the project SIZAR - A system of integrated education and retraining of blind and partially-sighted people was help to map out a to solve the situation of people with severe visual disabilities (SVD) on the labor market. The project was started in 2005 with financial support from EU funds - the Equal Community Initiative.

In the period from October 2006 to July 2007 the National Agency for the Development of Small and Medium Enterprises organized two types of courses: “Starting entrepreneurship” and “Telemarketing”. In three towns in Slovakia - Bratislava, Banska Bystrica and Presov totaly 6 courses were organized. Model of integration was first tested on the already established 9-day course “Starting entrepreneurship”, which was adapted to the needs of the target group. For the purposes of the project was developed a new 8-day course “Telemarketing” for candidates of employment in positions that require intense, particularly telephone communication with clients.

The course “Starting entrepreneurship” passed: 22 unemployed people, including: 8 SVD, 6 students, 1 sole-trader, 1 women after maternity leave, 1 wheelchair users and 10 employed, including 2 SVD, of which was one self-employed. After finishing the course 4 of ordinary clients have set up business, 6 regular clients are employed, 1 unemployed SVD person received the acceptance letter for admission to employment, further SVD has planned to open a massage salon in Senec, 12 graduates, including 4 SVD used information and skills acquired in the course outside the business, 10 graduates, including 2 SVD plan to use the knowledge gained in the short future.

Course Telemarketing passed 21 unemployed people, including 13 SVD, 8 employed, 1 sole-trader and 1 student. 10 graduates including 3 SVD got jobs. 1 SVD works as a telemarketer, 1 client started entrepreneurship. 2 regular clients find work in a call center, 5 including 4 SVD planned to work as a telemarketer. 7 including 5 SVD are interested to work in call center, 13 graduates, including 2 SVD are using the knowledge and skills from the course in their work. 12 including 4 SVD claimed to use knowledge and skills from the course in the regular telephone communications.

Evaluation of quality as part of an effective lifelong learning    page 75

Authors: Marta Karkalíková, Alica Lacková

Project EQVALL was solved in the framework of pilot projects of Leonardo da Vinci. In the project were involved eight partners from six countries. University of Economics in Bratislava was the contractor and project coordinator.

The project designed models for complex assessment of the quality of small and medium-sized educational institutions in terms of:

·   students (users):

o        studying in further education,

o        clients (employment agencies, state, public administration, business)

·   educational providers:

o        educational institutions (education manager, tutor) and others.

Model of quality assessment for lifelong training consist of sub-models focused on:

• a comprehensive model of quality assessment,

• evaluation of the quality management of educational organizations,

• evaluation of staff

• assessing the quality of educational projects,

• assessment of learners.

The first four models form the basis for the creation of a comprehensive model of quality assessment, or even more specific to create a group of overlapping principles, which may be used by any provider of lifelong learning with possibility to modify them according to their own needs.