Language: English
Education for Empowerment – Course outline
Kind of delivery: Fully Online
Number of hours:
Approximately 12 (based on 5 x 90-minute Zoom sessions + self-paced work)
Course duration:
5 weeks
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This is the core course of the Participatory Online Pedagogy (POP) certificate courses offered by IFWEA. It is a foundational theoretical and practical course for worker-educators, designed to help participants better understand how workers’ education can contribute to empowerment and transformative change in their communities or workplaces. The course also encourages active engagement with fellow worker-educators through participatory learning.
WHO THIS COURSE IS FOR?
This course is designed for worker educators, trade union facilitators, and organisers who want to deepen their understanding of empowerment, popular education, and how online learning can support transformative social change. It is suitable for participants working in labour movements, community organisations, or education institutions involved in worker-related training.
PRE-REQUISITES: WHAT ARE THE REQUIRED CRITERIA FOR ATTENDING THIS COURSE?
Participants should have basic computer and internet skills, access to a digital device, and experience or interest in worker education.
COURSE DURATION, NUMBER OF SESSIONS AND MODE OF DELIVERY
The course runs over 5 weeks and combines weekly 90-minute Zoom sessions (synchronous) with self-paced activities (asynchronous) on IFWEA’s Online Learning Academy (OLA).
Mode of Delivery: Self Paced
WHAT WILL YOU LEARN?
At the end of the course, you will be able to:
- Investigate how you experience education and discuss what education means to you
- Understand the role of workers’ education in the growth of labour movements and personal development
- Understand what empowerment means and how education contributes to building power
- Appreciate different popular education models
- Articulate the importance of online workers’ education in bridging the digital divide
- Implement an online education activity for your organisation
SESSION OVERVIEW
Welcome & Introduction
ONLINE LEARNING MODE:Some parts synchronous and some parts asynchronous
DESCRIPTION AND TOPICS: Orientation to course structure and objectives. Introduction to key concepts of education and empowerment.
DURATION (minutes): 90 minutes
Workers’ Education & Empowerment
ONLINE LEARNING MODE:Some parts synchronous and some parts asynchronous
DESCRIPTION AND TOPICS:Explore workers’ education and learn from historical champions in the field.
DURATION (minutes): 90 minutes
Labour Builds Power
ONLINE LEARNING MODE:Some parts synchronous and some parts asynchronous
DESCRIPTION AND TOPICS:Understand how the labour movement builds power and the critical role of education.
DURATION (minutes): 90 minutes
Popular Education Models
ONLINE LEARNING MODE:Some parts synchronous and some parts asynchronous
DESCRIPTION AND TOPICS:Examine different models of popular education relevant to worker communities.
DURATION (minutes): 90 minutes
Digital Divide & Online Empowerment & course evaluation
ONLINE LEARNING MODE:Some parts synchronous and some parts asynchronous
DESCRIPTION AND TOPICS:Explore the concept of the digital divide, how to overcome it, and how to use tech for empowerment.
DURATION (minutes): 90 minutes