non-formal education has important implications in adult education and lifelong learning as it gives an opportunity to acquire knowledge and expertise to people of all ages, who want to learn but do not have the time or opportunity to attend formal education. 

NON FORMAL EDUCATION IS:    

   ● RELEVANT, as it's focused on real-life situations and the development of needed skills and competences.

   ● PARTICIPATIVE, in the sense that those involved learn actively by working in a team. Allowing all involved people to really express themselves, like this they have a chance to be more outgoing and sociable.    

   ● INCLUSIVE, as it is a method that inherently respects difference, which in itself becomes a source of learning and growth.

Through our project "Build your future piece by piece (BuildIT!)", we are creating an innovative non-formal educational methodology, targeting adult learners, especially low skilled ones, with the purpose to develop their transversal competences. 

Building-based methodology (BBU methodology), was ideated by our consortium as an innovative and interactive educational methodology. It is based on using building blocks and puzzles to help the adult learners to conceptualise and visualise abstract concepts and to solve problems, using tools from their childhood. It also helps self-reflection and expression, combining individual work with teamwork, with the purpose to offer a voice to all the participants involved in this kind of activity. This methodology was inspired by existing methodologies such as LSP (Lego Serious Play) or learning theories such as KOLB, combined with coaching communication techniques in order to provide a structured method and activities to work on the 12 specific transversal competences according to the Catalogue of Transversal Competences Key for Employability. The process of the BBU methodology and its strategic activities is based on a three stages approach:

     1. Scaffolding (technique: tap into prior knowledge)

Ask learners to share their own experiences, hunches, and ideas about the content or concept of the activity and have them relate and connect it to their own lives. Sometimes you may have to offer hints and suggestions, leading them to the connections a bit, but once they get there, they will grasp the content as their own.

     2. Exploration

In this stage, the educators introduce the materials (building blocks, legos, puzzles etc.) and learners get to explore their role in the scenario and the materials gave by the educators, according to the meaning of each, helping conceptualise.

     3. Abstraction

This stage is dedicated to debriefing and ensuring the understanding of passing from the simulation scenario and the concrete concepts assigned to the materials to the abstract competences and concepts aimed to gain and develop.

Starting from this methodology, our consortium created and designed 12 strategic activities to help adult learners develop their transversal competences. 

In order to ensure the quality of the educational resources, the activities and the methodology will be tested and validated by adult educators, NEETs and low skills adults, guaranteeing educational tools suited for their needs, taking into consideration their feedback. 

For a better understanding of the entire process of creation, design and testing of the BBU methodology and activities, follow BuildIT! project on the following media channels: