The Nordic EPALE NSSs have gathered content on the theme Adult Learning for Sustainable Development. This article is produced by the NSS Iceland and it presents two recent projects in Adult Education in Iceland with emphasis on sustainability.

Idan education centre

"English for you - integration of English teaching with ideas about sustainability and digital transformations."

The primary aim of these courses is to enrich the professional community's understanding of concepts and ideas related to sustainability and digital transformation.

Our objective was to design web-based courses focused on sustainability and digital transformation to be hosted on the Idunn website. Furthermore, we sought to facilitate discussions around the development of online educational content tailored for working adults.

Education, in general, supports individuals' standing. This initiative aimed to craft educational resources that were universally accessible and featured up-to-date information on sustainability and digital transformation. The journey was marked by numerous hurdles and learning opportunities for the team involved.

Innovation and hurdles encountered: While language instruction isn't inherently innovative, adopting this methodology for crafting educational content marked a novel approach for the Idan Education Center. Following dialogues with educators, experts, and learners, it became apparent that an emphasis on online learning was necessary. Given the domestic educators' hesitations about curriculum implementation, the decision was made to extend our search internationally. We partnered with Fluentize, a U.S.-based firm specializing in online English instruction. The course content was filmed at various locations, including Sorpa, Gaja, Góði hirðirinn (The Good Shepherd), the Recycling Center at Sævarhöfði, and within Idan's studio.

Identifying a suitable online learning platform posed a significant challenge. Existing systems like Learncove and LISA fell short of our needs. While Moodle presented a potential solution, broader shifts in Idan's web and course management systems prompted collaboration with  Avia, an Icelandic company still in development. The work performed during this project showed that the given costs associated with producing online courses of this nature are expensive,  and should be carefully selected thorough needs assessment before commencement.

Discoveries, barriers, and insights: Those of us involved in this project clearly identified the potential of online courses to address contemporary issues. The support from employers in content creation was encouraging, yet the primary challenge lay in the readiness of learning systems to accommodate our materials. A critical realization was the necessity of having a dedicated content producer to oversee all production facets. 

The chance to better leverage online learning to improve knowledge accessibility exists; it merely requires integration into organizational cultures.

Click here for an example of our learning video and lessons.

Simenntun á Vesturlandi – lifelong learning centre

The SINTRA project is an interesting Erasmus+ project in Adult Education, recently finalized, led by Simenntun, lifelong learning centre in Iceland.

The SINTRA project developed tailor-made and innovative training resources and tools, targeted at sustainability-focused intrapreneurship support.