ELLL2023

EDUCATING AND LEARNING ACROSS THE LIFESPAN –  ADULT EDUCATORS AND OLDER LEARNERS PERSPECTIVES.  THEORY, RESEARCH, PRACTICE, AND POLICY. 

8–10 November 2023
Tallinn University, Tallinn, Estonia
 

The first joint conference of the ESREA Networks ELOA and ReNAdET

European Society for Research on the Education of Adults (ESREA)
Network on Education and Learning of Older Adults (ELOA)
Research Network for Adult Educators, Trainers and their Professionalisation (ReNAdET)
Tallinn University, Estonia

The conference will be hosted at Tallinn University in partnership with the European Society for Research on the Education of Adults (ESREA) and two ESREA networks: Network on Education and Learning of Older Adults (ELOA) and Research Network for Adult Educators, Trainers and their Professionalisation (ReNAdET).

The fact of integration of two academic streams provides an evident focus for the conference. Dialogical learning and teaching, collaborative dialogues, dialogical relationships between adult educators and learners are the main principles and values in different professional contexts of adult education (Bound et al. 2019). Scholars of educational gerontology just recently reactivated the discussion about the teacher’s role in older adults learning (see Percy, 1990; Battersby & Glendenning 1990; Formosa 2011; Hachem 2023). The last years have been years of different crises which at the same time reduced but also extended the possibilities for life-course and lifespan learning. Learning across the lifespan is not a new concept, but it needs more and more attention in different contexts of adult education. 

The main theme of the conference is ”Educating and learning across the lifespan – adult educators and older learners perspectives. Theory, research, practice, and policy”. This first joint conference aims to explore, reflect and discuss current issues and questions, perspectives, and possibilities related to the conference theme in relation to research, policy, and professional practice. In line with the principles of networking, we are inviting researchers, Ph.D. and postdoc students, experts, and practitioners from the field of adult education and training to discuss different topics of the main theme in an interactive and dialogical format.

The ELLL 2023 conference takes place in co-operation with a number of partners. Please see more information on our partners under "Cooperation partners". For the event, we're also partnered with Tallinn City Council to provide free public transportation to our conference guests.

Some of the questions that will be addressed in the conference are the following:  
  • What do we mean by learning and teaching across the lifespan in terms of research, policy, and practice? 
  • To what extent has the crisis affected the professional practice of adult educators and adult learning, especially the learning of older learners? How are adult educators and older learners responding to and coping? 
  • What support do adult educators and older learners need in order to respond to challenges in their life?
  • What is the importance of interaction between adult educators and older learners? 
  • Is and how the educators’ professional attitudes expected and supported while working with older learners? 
  • What means ageing for the adult educators?
Conference presentations may include also topics about 
  • the development of professionals in social change in ageing society,
  • professional practice of adult educators,
  • learning of older learners,
  • interaction between the adult educator and the older learner,
  • supporting the continuing professional development of adult educators through a different form of learning, incl networking in time of crisis,
  • narratives from adult educators and older learners during the time of crisis,
  • asset based vs problem-based approach to older adults’ learning,
  • facilitation skills, instruction skills, provision of stimulative environment,
  • development of practical tools for educators facilitating older adults,
  • the goal of change vs the goal of maintenance.

We invite papers focusing on research, policy, and practice, which will be discussed either in a) panels or as key presentations,  b) presentation sessions, or c) workshops. The theoretical conceptualization will be held in the form of panel discussions with invited discussants.  

Proposals and submission of papers 

We welcome a variety of presentations and workshops from the research, professional practice, and policy related to the theme of the conference. You may also wish to submit a proposal for a panel or for the key presentation. Alongside the papers, we are calling for two interactive workshops related to the theme of the conference.

Participants wishing to present and share a research paper in a form of a presentation or a key presentation are invited to submit a paper proposal of 1–2 pages highlighting the main theoretical and methodological points with a brief selection of references (Times New Roman, 12; 1000–2000 words, references according to APA 7). 

Participants wishing to present and share practical tools or disseminate results from projects in a form of a panel are invited to submit an abstract (Times New Roman, 12; 300 words). 

Please send your proposals as a separate sheet with your name, affiliation, institution, address, e-mail, and a short biographical description of yourself in the third person (max 100 words for each author) to e-mail elll2023@tlu.ee 

All abstracts and papers will be considered by the Scientific Committee by 15. June 2023. Accepted  papers and abstract will be published in the conference electronic proceedings. 

The conference will be held in English. Online presentations are not planned. 

The conference organisers plan to publish a collection of selected and peer-reviewed papers after the Conference.

Important dates and dates for submission

The date for submission of paper proposals and abstracts  5. June 2023.
Paper proposals and abstracts please submit to elll2023@tlu.ee 
Acceptance will be confirmed by 15. June 2023.

  • 5. June 2023 - Deadline for submission of paper proposals and abstracts

  • 15. June 2023 - Acceptance of abstracts will be confirmed

  • 31. August 2023 - Deadline for early bird registration (If the payment has not been received by this date, the higher fee will be applicable)

  • 15. October 2023 - Final deadline for registration and payment of the conference fee

  • 8.-10. November 2023 - Date of the conference

Scientific Committee                                                                                                                               

Larissa Jõgi, larissa.jogi@tlu.ee, ReNAdET, Tallinn University
Tiina Tambaum, tiina.tambaum@tlu.ee, ELOA, Tallinn University   
Katrin Karu, katrin.karu@tlu.ee, Tallinn University                                                                          
Bernhard Schmidt-Hertha, b.schmidt@lmu.de, ELOA, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich
George Zarifis, gkzarifis@yahoo.com, ReNAdET, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
Graça Santos, ELOA, gmsantos@ipb.pt, The Polytechnic Institute of Bragança 
Maria N. Gravani, maria.gravani@ouc.ac.cy, ReNAdET, Cyprus Open University 
Sofia Bergano, sbergano@ipb.pt, ELOA, The Polytechnic Institute of Bragança 
Susanne Lattke, lattke@die-bonn.de, ReNAdET, German Institute for Adult Education

Organising Committee

Tiina Tambaum, tiina.tambaum@tlu.ee   
Larissa Jõgi, larissa.jogi@tlu.ee 
Sirli Peda, sirli.peda@tlu.ee,
head of the Conference Center of Tallinn University 
Katrin Karu, katrin.karu@tlu.ee 
Olga Lupanova, olga.lupanova@tlu.ee 

References

Bound, H., Seng Chee, T.,   Chow, A.,  Xinghua, W.,  & Kah Hui C. (2019). Dialogical Teaching: Investigating awareness of inquiry and knowledge co-construction among adult learners engaged in dialogic inquiry and knowledge (co)construction. Singapore, Institute for Adult Learning.

Percy, K. (1990). The future of educational gerontology: A second statement of first principles. In Glendenning, F. & Percy, K. (Eds.), Ageing, education and society: Readings in educational gerontology. Keele, UK: Association for Educational Gerontology.

Glendenning F. & Battersby D. (1990) Why we need Educational Gerontology and Education for older adults: A statement of first principles. In Glendenning, F. & Percy, K (Eds.) Ageing, Education and Society: Readings in Educational Gerontology. Keele: Association for Educational Gerontology, 219–31

Formosa, M. (2011). Critical educational gerontology: A third statement of first principles. International Journal of Education and Ageing, 2(1), 317–332

Hachem, H. (2023). Educating older adults: Theoretical and empirical examinations of the learning philosophies in older age. Örebro Studies in Education 66.

Background information

ESREA                  www.esrea.org
ELOA                    esrea.org/networks/education-and-learning-of-older-adults
ReNAdET              https://renadet.weebly.com/ 
Tallinn University   www.tlu.ee/en

Conference programme