Many successful, knowledgeable and skilled adult educators in Europe do not have a teaching qualification. The REAL Toolkit is designed to assist adult educators so that what they have learned through their professional experience with learners might be recognised by employers, universities and colleges (a process also known as Recognition of Prior Learning or RPL).

The Toolkit is freely available in customisable formats here.

Adult education is very diverse. It operates across the public, private and non-profit sectors, with educators and learners coming from all walks of life.  Usually adult educators focus on what their learners have learned and have fewer opportunities to reflect upon what they themselves have learned from their experience as educators.  The Toolkit supports adult educators in putting their own learning first, placing adult educators at the centre. As an educational resource for adult educators, its creators aimed to incorporate good educational practice in its design.

The Toolkit assists Adult Educators in identifying the skills, knowledge and values that they have gained through their work. Importantly, the activities and exercises support educators in the writing of reflective accounts which evidence what they have learned. The resulting portfolio can be used to back up claims for admissions to courses of study, or to produce excellent job applications and exemplar responses during job interviews. The REAL Toolkit can also support Continuous Professional Development (CPD) processes, or goal setting for those who wish to improve their work with learners and develop excellence in the practice of adult education. Resources are available both for adult educators to use on their own, or for workshop leaders and mentors who work with adult educators and assist them with their professional development.

The REAL toolkit was created at the University of Stirling, in partnership with the University of Tallinn, University of Limerick and the Romanian Institute for Adult Education.

Scotland's Toolkit
For the first time in Scotland, adult educators can map their competency against Levels 5 and 6 of the European Qualifications Framework (SCQF Levels 7 - 10). This follows the creation of the REAL Scottish Competency Framework. The Framework was produced by the University of Stirling, working closely with the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) Partnership which overseas Scotland's national qualifications framework, alongside Learning Link Scotland who support organisations to deliver adult learning.  The design was steered by existing publically available National Occupational Standards for Adult Educators in the UK which were created through consultation with large numbers of adult educators. The Competency Framework was also piloted with adult educators, allowing the REAL Project to state with confidence that it represents, with validity, adult educators own understandings of their skills, knowledge and values.

You are welcome to contact the project via the website with queries, comments or requests for training with the Toolkit http://www.realrpl.eu

Comments are welcome!

‌By Dr Sarah Galloway, Stirling School of Education, Stirling University