Authors: Petra Newrly, Tony Toole, Simona Pede. Social media applications such as Twitter, blogs and Facebook are used more and more in our daily personal and professional lives. Also, many educational institutions are becoming increasingly aware that such social media applications can be effectively integrated into their learning and lifelong learning delivery systems.

1. How to promote social media uptake in VET and adult
training systems in Europe – Practical example
of the European project “SVEA”
Tony Toole
Coleg Sir Gâr (United Kingdom)
Petra Newrly
MFG Baden-Württemberg (Germany)
Simona Pede
MFG Baden-Württemberg (Germany)
Summary
Social Media applications such as Twitter, Blogs and Facebook are becoming used more and more
in our daily personal and professional lives. Also, many educational institutions are becoming
increasingly aware that such social media applications can be effectively integrated into their
learning and the lifelong learning delivery systems. However, currently very few are actually using
these applications to innovate their training systems and to offer more learner centred services.
To promote the benefits and, hence, the uptake of social media within the vocational education and
adult training system, further targeted measures are needed. One such measure would be to
provide trainers with the knowledge needed for them to integrate web 2.0 applications in their
training delivery and encourage use across the vocational education & training (VET) sector.
However, before training in the use of web 2.0 applications can be developed effectively, it is
necessary to understand both the barriers to their use and the needs of the user which have to be
taken into account when developing new training methods that integrate social media applications.
This article outlines the barriers and challenges, as well as the opportunities offered by web 2.0
tools, which are currently influencing the European training systems in the development of more
collaborative and learner-centred vocational and adult training.
The paper will demonstrate how learner-centred training elements such as a collaborative online
training platform can be integrated into course systems and which provide the functionality needed
to offer targeted services to the learners as well as to the trainers supporting lifelong learning in
Europe. The paper will also describe how tailored training modules are being developed to support
the trainers from VET and adult training institutions to implement the use of social media tools in
their courses.
This article is based on the first results emerging from the SVEA project following a regional
analysis on the uptake of social media in VET and adult training system in Europe. This analysis
was carried out in five European regions: Baden-Württemberg (D), Vlaams-Brabant (BE),
Extremadura (ES), Piemonte (I) and Wales (UK).
SVEA is funded by the European Commission within the Lifelong Learning Programme Leonardo da
Vinci.
Keywords: Online learning, Blended learning, Vocational Training, Web 2.0, Social networking,
Collaborative platform
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2. 1. The current status of social media uptake in VET and adult
learning in Europe
In The Global Web Index (Global Web Index 2010)1 provides data on social media use in
Europe and indicates that the UK and Russia are the most active with half the population
having a social media profile in one or more applications. In Italy, Spain, the Netherlands and
Germany there is also significant activity with a third or more of the population using social
media. Increasingly, Europeans are uploading content online, particularly pictures and videos;
Italy and Spain being the most active with around 40% of internet users involved followed
closely by the UK, Germany, the Netherlands and France.
Whilst the sharing of such visual content is popular, the production of written content is much
lower. The statistics show that Europeans are more active as consumers of written information
through exploring subjects of personal interest, online shopping, employment opportunities and
similar sources. The main area where written content is produced by individuals is in social
communications applications like Facebook and Twitter.
Such Web 2.0 communications tools are also being increasingly used in education in Europe.
Blogs and Wikis are the most frequently applied social networking communications applications
in education and image and video sharing is becoming common. Other tools in use include
podcasts, document sharing and social tagging. Education institutions are establishing an
online profile through web 2.0 services with a presence on YouTube, iTunesU and other
applications.
Studies conducted by the Institute for Prospective Technological Studies (IPTS) show that the
increasing uptake of social media in the everyday life provides new opportunities for innovation
in Education and Training Institutions and represents a crucial factor which can be exploited in
order to prepare the learners of the 21st century (Redecker, C., Ala-Mutka, K., Punie, Y. 2009).
In the UK, research has demonstrated the benefits of Web 2.0 tools in educational
management, student learning and engagement, library function and resource provision and
academic social networking (JISC, 2010)2.
2. Challenges and future prospects of integrating social media in
lifelong learning structures
The previous section showed that European society already demonstrates a good level of
digital literacy that enables people to use social media tools regularly in their private lives.
However, an examination of the use of social media in the lifelong learning field shows that
active use remains relatively small compared to the leisure time use. The challenge is to
determine how can this be improved and how to remove the barriers to the integration of social
media in a sustainable way within VET and adult training institutions in Europe.
2.1 Challenges of integrating social media in adult training
There are several challenges3 which can be identified Europe wide that still hinder the
embedding and active integration of social media tools within the lifelong learning process in
Europe:
 Overcoming barriers of acceptance
The most recurrent barrier is the lack of acceptance by both trainers and learners regarding
the value of integrating social media applications to improve and modernise the learning and
1
The Global Web Index is a a recurring survey of more than 50,000 users of social platforms in 18 markets
http://globalwebindex.net/data/
2
http://www.jisc.ac.uk/whatwedo/topics/web2.aspx
3
The outlined challenges result from a regional analysis conducted within the framework of the project SVEA
www.svea-project.eu, a project funded by the European Commission within the Lifelong Learning Programme.
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3. training structures. Many trainers are concerned that integrating web 2.0 elements is
requiring too much time to adapt their training structures and training content the trainers
have so long worked with. Often they do not receive any support from their institution which
further hinders them in the development of new training that includes social media
applications.
 Overcoming technological barriers
Besides the lack of acceptance, many training institutions still do not have the capacity and
the technical requirements to offer training in the use of web 2.0 tools. This can include the
availability of broadband connections as well as compatible technical infrastructure.
Additionally, especially in the public sector, it is often the case that specific social media
platforms or websites are blocked due to security reasons.
Often also the overabundance of the techniques is a barrier for people not used to working
with computers. There exist so many different web 2.0 applications that people who are not
used to working with these techniques get lost and feel overwhelmed. As consequence they
do not even start trying to work with those tools or use them in their training.
 Innovating the management structure of VET institutions
As well as strengthening the integration of social media in lifelong learning delivery, it is also
important that VET and adult training institutions themselves think about how the inclusion of
social media applications can benefit their management structure.
It is important for management to be open to the new structures facilitated by social media
tools and to consider shifting from a hierarchical management model towards a flat hierarchy
and self-organised teams. This would help to ensure that social media applications actually
work within the institutions. This view suggests that the organisational culture has to be
transformed into a more open business and learning structure. The implementation of social
media tools will further facilitate the employees to actively co-develop their organisational
processes (Figure 1). The working processes within the organisations will consequently be
more „owned‟ by their members.
Figure 1. Web 2.0 in the personnel and organisational development
of training institutions (SVEA Regional Needs Analysis, 2010)
As well as innovating their management structures through the use of web 2.0 technologies,
training institutions also have the opportunity to improve the flexibility of their accreditation and
payment systems. There are many training institutions which do not have a scalable credit
system for online training and could benefit from such a system for the delivery of online
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4. learning. Similarly, the business model for collaborative blended learning courses could include
a payment system for trainers that accounts for new methods of working such as supporting
learners through online forums or through chat sessions.
2.2 Benefits brought by the inclusion of web 2.0 in adult training
Despite the fact that there are many big challenges which still have to be overcome before
social media applications become an integrated part of our lifelong learning system, the
majority of users in the VET and adult training field are already persuaded about the potential
benefits those tools offer in the improvement and innovation of the lifelong learning system in
Europe (SVEA Regional Needs Analysis, 2010)
The trainers, in particular, highlight the high level of collaboration that web 2.0 tools offer to
remote groups/ individuals that enable them to cooperate easily online. As a result, learning is
becoming more interactive and also personalised as the learners have the opportunity to
receive direct personalised feedback from the trainer using web 2.0 tools. The learning success
is consequently higher (SVEA Regional Needs Analysis, 2010)
Many training institutions are also already aware of the potential of increased cost
effectiveness when using web 2.0 applications. Web 2.0 tools allow institutions to deliver
courses more cost-effectively online as a result of not using classrooms and other resources,
as well as saving travel costs and time for the distance learners (SVEA Regional Needs
Analysis, 2010)
2.3 Future prospects in adult training
Considering the current situation outlined in the previous paragraphs, it is possible to outline
some trends that are likely to mark the VET and adult training environment in the next years:
 Training at work is becoming more important. Therefore the flexibility that online delivery
and the use of web 2.0 tools offers is increasingly attractive to both employers and
workers. Tailored courses can be created that allow the learning to be scheduled
around work activities.
 A mixture of face-to-face and online training is becoming important as it can offer more
flexibility for all types of learner. Face-to-face training will remain an important
component in most cases, though fully online delivery will be an option.
 The trainer‟s role will change: It will be increasingly as a moderator offering a framework
for learning to the learners, guiding them through the information to gain the relevant
knowledge. The learners will have a role in the generation of their learning materials by
using collaborative online tools.
 Since the emergence of web 2.0 tools in the early 2000‟s there has been a general
trend towards convergence and aggregation that allows users to combine the
functionalities they require on the same website. Widgets or apps can be easily
combined and embedded from different web sites. To be genuinely usable by trainers
building online environments for their courses, the functions need to be able to be
selected, dropped into the learning environment page, re-sized to suit and then just
work. It is anticipated that this will be the future and that the teacher IT skills required
will be no more than those needed to create a word processed document or a
powerpoint presentation.
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5. 3. Integrating innovative collaborative online platforms and training
modules in VET and adult training - SVEA as best practice:
In the previous sections the main needs, barriers and benefits regarding the uptake of web 2.0
in VET and adult training have been outlined. Several projects and efforts are trying to address
these issues. In this section the rationale of the SVEA project will be outlined which aims to
promote the use of web 2.0 tools in VET and adult learning. To achieve this, the project has
undertaken two main actions:
 the development of a collaborative online platform offering a range of different web 2.0
tools to be used by learners and learning institutions
 the development of short training modules/units on the use of web 2.0 in learning that
will be freely downloadable online
3.1 An online platform to support trainers and learners
In order to foster the use of web 2.0 tools for organisational and personnel development in VET
and adult training, the European project SVEA4 is currently developing a platform which aims to
bring together, in a single environment, the benefits offered by different web 2.0 tools and
social platforms. Built using Open Atrium, the SVEA platform has been designed to be easy-to-
use and intuitive. It is based on the open software Drupal and, as such, it is extensible and
customizable.
The SVEA platform will offer different functionalities, which are designed to support the learner
in the overall management of their learning activities that can range from face-to-face to fully
online. At the same time, through the use of a wiki and networking based system, it will
encourage the exchange of knowledge and information between learners and the collaborative
development of documents and learning resources.
The SVEA platform will be tested with relevant stakeholders in 5 European regions and it will
be consequently adapted and modified following their suggestions before being released for
general use by the end of January 2011.
3.1.1 Main tools and functionalities of the SVEA Platform
The main part of the SVEA platform is represented by the group space where a user can
access all the available functionalities. The home page of the group space is a dashboard with
several customizable mini widgets. They can be turned on and off and arranged to suit the
individual user. The SVEA platform‟s functionalities are shown as icons in the header 5; they
comprehend:
 A Wiki that allows the management and sharing of documents and attachments within a
group. In a Notebook page different kinds of external resources (e.g. video, slides,
audio etc..) can be easily embedded
 A Case Tracker that allows the user to assign “to do” lists and create unlimited
“projects” within each group. A case is a “task” that is assigned to one or more user.
The case tracker also allows the user to classify the “to do” item, give it a priority, and
manage its status.
4
SVEA is funded by the European Commission within the Lifelong Learning Programme Leonardo da Vinci.
5
A complete description of the functionalities of Open Atrium can be found here http://openatrium.com/
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6. Figure 2. SVEA Platform: Dashboard
 A Blog that allows the user to have a conversation on a topic with the course team and
with other users
 A Calendar that allows users to share events and meetings within a group. Public
calendars can also be imported into a group calendar. This functionality permits users to
easily communicate key events such as the starting and ending dates of courses,
exams, deadlines for submissions and so on
 A Shoutbox, a microblogging service that allows users to share short messages, links,
and information within a group
 A Bookmarks system that allows to collect and share external links
 A Documents repository that allows saving documents in different formats and
navigating through a personalized file repository and assigning access permission to
other users. Users can create their own folders and share documents with specific user
groups
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7. 3.1.2. How the SVEA platform addresses the learners’ needs
These functionalities have been implemented on the platform in response to the main needs
identified within the SVEA Regional Needs Analysis (SVEA Regional Needs Analysis 2010).
Among other things, the stakeholders mentioned the need for a higher level of personalization
and interaction in learning. Both needs can be effectively addressed by the use of social media
tools, which allow such interaction and increase the ability to personalize content.
Also relevant, according to the stakeholders, is the ability to adjust the learning process to
the individual learner’s needs and learning style. Learning modules can be seen and read
more than once online, and small learning units are more likely to be used by adult learners
who usually don‟t have much spare time.
For these learners, not only the time issue is important but also the ability to engage in their
learning at a distance or from different places. A platform, such the SVEA one, which contains
all the learning resources and tools needed for a particular course, can be used anytime and
from everywhere; thus offering a greater flexibility and allowing the learners to follow their own
learning patterns.
Interaction is fostered through the use of online tools which allow users to post comments,
work collaboratively on a document and start a conversation about a chosen topic. The
implementation of the microblogging system gives users the chance to contribute to an active
learning community, where people can quickly exchange information, opinions and advice,
while staying in touch with other learners. Each member has a profile, as in social networking
systems, with personal information they are happy to share with others in the network.
The online interaction is also positive from a trainer‟s point of view: using the same platform,
trainers have the opportunity to directly communicate with their students, providing them
feedback on courses and methods. At the same time it gives students the ability to evaluate the
courses and learning materials, and to provide feedback which can help the trainer to improve
them.
The SVEA platform is thought to offer advantages also for the management of learning
institutions. The same tools can also be used to communicate with and inform learners on
organisational matters. Additionally, through the different tools offered, the management can
monitor students‟ activities and collect data (such as page views, access time etc.) which
allows the learning process to be tracked. The platform has the advantage of allowing staff to
share information with colleagues, (thus avoiding multiple emails); share files and calendars;
facilitate the collaborative writing of documents as well as the recovery of documentation; and
increase the visibility of information about people and their skills.
The development of this ad hoc platform has also tried to respond to the fear expressed by
some learners and trainers of mixing their social networking life with their working/learning
environment. Although the platform works in the same way as web 2.0 and social networking
tools, it also provides a safe environment where people can share only the information they
want to. At the same time, the platform allows the integration of external tools, thus avoiding the
duplication of information elsewhere on the web.
3.2 The training concept and underpinning pedagogy
The platform, of course, is not enough in itself for people who are still not familiar with web 2.0
tools to understand and apply their use in VET and adult training. SVEA has decided to develop
a training course that supports trainers to understand how to use social media for learning
purpose and get acquainted with them.
The training modules being developed for the SVEA online platform are being designed so they
can be used for both self-paced learning and as part of a teacher-supported online or blended
learning course. They are also designed for both individual learning and for group-based
collaborative learning. The reason why the same modules can be effective in each of these
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8. delivery scenarios is because they are based on a common approach to pedagogic principles
and application of learning theory.
The pedagogic approach is an interpretation of social constructivism and employs discovery
learning as its central process. The key assumptions are that:
 Learners are diverse: the learners addressed by the SVEA project are trainers who are
themselves supporting VET and adult learners. Each trainer-learner will bring its own
personal and professional experience to the learning process and will operate in
different communities of practice;
 Learning is an active, constructive process: the modules endorse Vygotsky‟s (Vygotsky,
1978) view that all human learning and development is achieved through situated
learning activities. Didactic teaching is regarded as only effective for awareness raising,
not skills development or competence;
 Learning is an inherently social activity: learning happens in social contexts both formal
and informal. The SVEA learners, even those using the modules for self-study, will be
engaging through their learning activities with colleagues, friends and family. Their
engagement with web 2.0 tools and social networking will add to the social dimension of
their learning.
In the future it is likely that the conventional classroom based teacher/learner relationship will
be replaced by a much more flexible system where learners have a choice of how and where
they engage with their learning. The role of the teacher, the librarian and other support staff will
change accordingly. A modern interpretation of Vygotsky‟s „Zone of proximal development’
(Vygotsky, 1962) is that the collaborative learning he referred to would now include the online
community and be correspondingly more beneficial.
A number of other well regarded contributors to learning theory have also supported the view
that learning is best facilitated as a situated and collaborative activity. Prominent amongst these
has been Lave & Wenger (Lave & Wenger, 1991) who introduced the concept of a community
of practice where participants have a common interest, need or goal and share their
development experience for mutual benefit.
The SVEA training concept is based on collaborative learning. The learning activities all lead to
the sharing of experience between learners and this is seen to contribute positively to the
learning outcomes. The learners are invited to contribute their own experience and opinions
and there is a deliberate Socratic learning approach that recognises the value that reflective
learning brings.
Discovery learning is a feature of the module design. Examples of web 2.0 applications in
teaching and learning are presented as case studies and the learners are invited to share their
responses and opinions, based on their own experience and views.
The modules represent only a small sample of the web 2.0 tools available and are intended to
demonstrate the potential they have to facilitate and enhance the teaching and learning
process. In that respect, the overall training concept is that of providing a gateway for VET
practitioners to begin their own learning journey that will prepare them for a future when the use
of such tools will be commonplace.
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9. 4. Conclusions
This paper has tried to provide an overview of the current uptake of social media in VET and
adult learning. It has outlined which are the challenges that still have to be addressed in order
to promote the use of web 2.0 tools for learning purpose and has mentioned some of the
benefits that trainers and learners see in their implementation.
To offer a concrete example of how the future use of social media in training could look like, the
paper has analysed the case of the European project SVEA. The aim of the SVEA project is to
assist institutions adapt to the new online environment by providing training modules for staff in
the use of web 2.0 tools as well as a collaborative platform where all these tools can be used
for learning purpose. The training modules will be made available to institutions across Europe
through the Open Atrium platform described in this paper. It is anticipated that the modules
produced by the project will be the start of a process that will see further training modules
developed as existing web 2.0 tools evolve and new ones emerge.
References
Ala-Mutka, K., Bacigalupo, M., Kluzer, S., Pascu, C., Y. Punie and C. Redecker (2009). Learning 2.0:
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Global Web Index (2010). Social web Involvement, retrieved September 12, 2010 from
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Redecker, C., Ala-Mutka, K., Punie, Y. (2009). Learning 2.0: The Impact of Web 2.0 Innovations
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10. Authors
Tony Toole
Project Director, Coleg Sir Gâr, Graig Campus, Llanelli, Wales (UK)
tony.toole@e-college.ac
Petra Newrly
Project Manager, MFG Baden-Württemberg, Public Innovation Agency for ICT and Media,
Stuttgart (Germany)
newrly@mfg.de
Simona Pede
Junior Project Manager, MFG Baden-Württemberg, Public Innovation Agency for ICT and
Media, Stuttgart (Germany)
pede@mfg.de
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The full licence can be consulted on http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/
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