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Final A-NFAE Methodological Guide and practical support resources now available

The final version of the A-NFAE Methodological Guide is now freely available in English, Spanish, Italian, Hungarian and Romanian. It presents a practical six-step methodology, together with ready-to-use tools for profiling learners, defining learning outcomes, estimating course level and workload, mapping assessment evidence and documenting achievement.

The Guide helps providers describe and communicate their courses more clearly and transparently while preserving the flexible, learner-centred character of Non-Formal Adult Education. It also includes practical examples and case studies developed through the pilot implementation carried out in five adult education centres.

To support the application of the methodology, users can also access a multilingual AI-supported assistant and a series of practical videos. In addition, the project partners have produced policy recommendations for public authorities, education stakeholders and organisations working in adult learning, aimed at promoting greater transparency, comparability and articulation between non-formal and formal education systems.

The A-NFAE project doesn’t award ECTS credits or guarantee the recognition of non-formal learning. Instead, it supports providers and learners in presenting learning outcomes, workload and assessment evidence more effectively where relevant recognition or progression routes exist.

Partners agree improvements to the A-NFAE methodology following the pilot phase

On 27 and 28 August 2025, representatives of the six A-NFAE project organisations met at Munster Technological University in Cork, Ireland, to review the results of the pilot implementation of the methodology for aligning Non-Formal Adult Education courses with ECTS principles.

During the pilot phase, the methodology was applied in five adult education centres across four European countries. The participating organisations tested its use in real learning environments, covering the different stages of course planning, delivery, assessment and documentation. This process allowed the partners to examine how effectively the proposed approach could be adapted to different learner profiles, educational contexts and types of Non-Formal Adult Education provision.

The partners analysed the five pilot evaluation reports and shared their experiences of using the methodology, including the practical challenges encountered and the elements that had been most useful to educators and learners. Based on this joint review, the consortium agreed on the improvements required to make the methodology clearer, more practical, accessible and transferable to other organisations across Europe.

The final edition of the A-NFAE Methodological Guide would therefore include stronger step-by-step guidance, improved templates, additional practical examples and case studies drawn from the pilot experience. It would also incorporate policy recommendations developed by the project partners to support greater transparency and articulation between non-formal and formal education systems.

The revised Guide would be published in English, Spanish, Italian, Hungarian and Romanian, together with complementary resources designed to support practitioners in applying the methodology.

First edition of the A-NFAE Methodological Guide available in five languages

The first edition of the A-NFAE Methodological Guide is now freely available at www.aligning-nfae.eu in English, Spanish, Italian, Hungarian and Romanian. Developed jointly by the six project organisations, the Guide introduces the main principles of the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System and explains how they can be used as a common reference for describing Non-Formal Adult Education courses.

The publication provides practical guidance for defining clear and measurable learning outcomes, estimating learners’ total workload, planning assessment activities and documenting course achievement. It also supports adult education providers in presenting their courses in a more transparent and structured way while preserving the flexibility, accessibility and learner-centred character of Non-Formal Adult Education.

From October 2024 to July 2025, the methodology is being pilot-tested in five adult education centres in Spain, Italy, Hungary and Romania. More than 10 educators and 100 adult learners are participating in the process, allowing the project partners to examine how the methodology works in different organisational, educational and social contexts.

During the pilot phase, the participating centres are applying the methodology to the planning, delivery, assessment and documentation of real Non-Formal Adult Education courses. Educators are testing the proposed guidance and tools, while information is being collected on their usability, clarity and practical value.

Each participating organisation will produce an evaluation report describing its experience and identifying the main strengths, challenges and possible improvements. The five reports will then be analysed jointly by the project partners and used to improve the methodology, strengthen its transferability and prepare the final edition of the A-NFAE Methodological Guide.

Project partners meet in Málaga to define the A-NFAE Methodological Guide

On 12 and 13 December 2023, representatives of the six organisations participating in the A-NFAE project met in Málaga, Spain, for the project’s first transnational meeting. The partners reviewed the project objectives, work plan, management arrangements and distribution of responsibilities before agreeing on the structure, content and development process for the A-NFAE Methodological Guide.

The Guide was conceived as a practical resource to help Non-Formal Adult Education providers plan, describe, deliver, assess and document their courses using a clearer common language based on ECTS principles. Particular attention would be given to learning outcomes, learner workload and assessment evidence, enabling organisations to communicate the content, level and achievements of their courses more transparently.

During the meeting, the partners agreed that the Guide would combine background information on ECTS and Non-Formal Adult Education with practical guidance for course design, delivery and monitoring. It would also include supporting documents, practical examples, policy recommendations and a glossary of the main concepts and terms used throughout the methodology.

The partners also confirmed the collaborative development process. Munster Technological University would coordinate the methodological work, while all project organisations would contribute their experience of Non-Formal Adult Education and their national contexts. This combination of higher education expertise and practical adult education experience would help ensure that the methodology was both technically sound and applicable in diverse learning environments.

Once the first edition had been completed, it would be translated and published in English, Spanish, Italian, Hungarian and Romanian. The methodology would then be pilot-tested in five adult education centres, allowing the partners to assess its clarity, usability and transferability before preparing the final version of the Guide.