Language: English
Popular Education and Effective Learning for Social Transformation- Course outline
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course equips educators, facilitators, and worker leaders with the knowledge and practical skills to design and deliver effective, participatory learning experiences rooted in popular education principles.
It integrates approaches to effective learning design, including clear learning objectives, active learning methods, and evaluation strategies, with popular education values that centre learners’ experiences, promote collective knowledge-building, and link learning to action for social transformation.
Participants will engage in interactive, learner-centred activities and develop their own learning activity or training design that can be applied in their organisational or community context.
The course is designed for flexible delivery as both a self-paced online course and a blended learning programme with facilitated sessions.
WHO IS THIS COURSE FOR?
- Worker educators and trade union educators
- Facilitators and trainers in civil society organisations
- Programme coordinators and organisers involved in capacity building
- Activists and leaders involved in education, advocacy, or community development
- Anyone responsible for planning, facilitating, or evaluating learning activities
PRE-REQUISITES: WHAT ARE THE REQUIRED CRITERIA FOR ATTENDING THIS COURSE?
- Participants should have access to a smartphone, tablet, or computer with internet connectivity.
- Participants should have basic digital skills, such as using a browser, joining online sessions, and watching videos.
- Participants should be involved in or interested in facilitating learning activities, trainings, or workshops.
- No prior formal training in education is required.
COURSE DURATION, NUMBER OF SESSIONS AND MODE OF DELIVERY
Course Duration:
Self-paced: approximately 5–6 hours
Blended: approximately 10–12 hours
Mode of Delivery: Online Moodle-based self-paced learning, with an optional facilitated component consisting of three live online sessions.
WHAT WILL YOU LEARN?
At the end of the course, you will be able to:
- Explain key principles of adult learning and popular education.
- Develop clear and measurable learning objectives using practical frameworks.
- Design participatory and learner-centred learning activities.
- Apply popular education methods to facilitate dialogue and collective learning.
- Develop simple tools to evaluate whether learning has taken place.
- Create and present a learning activity or training design relevant to your context.
MODULE OVERVIEW
Module 1: Welcome & Introduction to the course
ONLINE LEARNING MODE: Self-learning activities on the IFWEA Online Labour Academy
DESCRIPTION AND TOPICS:
Introduction to the course, expectations, and the learning community.
Participants will explore popular education, adult learning, and social transformation.
DURATION (minutes): 60 minutes
Module 2: How Adults Learn?
ONLINE LEARNING MODE: Self-learning activities on the IFWEA Online Labour Academy
DESCRIPTION AND TOPICS:
Participants will explore key principles of adult learning and how experience, participation, and reflection contribute to learning.
The module introduces learner-centred approaches and explores the relationship between experience, participation, reflection, and learning.
DURATION (minutes): 60 minutes
Module 3: Developing Learning Objectives
ONLINE LEARNING MODE: Self-learning activities on the IFWEA Online Labour Academy
DESCRIPTION AND TOPICS:
Participants will learn how to write clear and measurable learning objectives using the ABC approach.
The module explores how to link learning objectives to real-world needs and outcomes.
DURATION (minutes): 60 minutes
Module 4: Designing Effective Learning Activities
ONLINE LEARNING MODE: Self-learning activities on the IFWEA Online Labour Academy
DESCRIPTION AND TOPICS:
Participants will learn how to design participatory sessions using popular education methods.
The module focuses on selecting appropriate tools and activities for engagement and designing learner-centred learning experiences.
DURATION (minutes): 60 minutes
Module 5: Evaluating Learning
ONLINE LEARNING MODE: Self-learning activities on the IFWEA Online Labour Academy
DESCRIPTION AND TOPICS:
Participants will explore methods for assessing learning outcomes and designing simple evaluation tools.
The module also explores how learning evaluation can be linked to action and change.
DURATION (minutes): 60 minutes
Final Practicum – Present Your Learning Activity Design
ONLINE LEARNING MODE: Self-learning activities on the IFWEA Online Labour Academy, with presentation during the live Zoom sessions for participants attending the facilitated component
DESCRIPTION AND TOPICS:
Participants will design their own learning activity or training based on the principles and methods covered throughout the course.
Participants attending the live Zoom sessions will present their learning activity or training design and receive peer and facilitator feedback. They will also reflect on how the learning activity can be applied in their own organisational or community context.
DURATION (minutes): 60–120 minutes