Innovative learning environments

The Dole International Centre for Self-Sufficiency, led by Prof Dr Dr Ana Vovk, is an exceptional example of a classroom in nature. Visitors gain knowledge about holistic self-sufficiency – from food production and water supply to sustainable energy use. At the same time, they learn how natural processes work, which plants can be grown and why they are important for health. The aim is to develop ways of life that reduce dependence on shops and external sources and strengthen our connection with nature.

Intergenerational learning has a special place in the Centre’s activities. Families – grandparents, parents and children – come to visit. Together, they explore how individual arrangements – from vertical systems and yurts to pond construction – can be transferred to their home environment. In doing so, they learn the importance of cooperation: older people often no longer have the strength for major work, younger people do not have enough time, and children need opportunities to get away from screens and connect with nature.

The Centre focuses on experiential learning. Participants learn about what nature has to offer and how to incorporate individual elements into their space: depending on the terrain, water, soil quality and plants. Solutions are always designed to mimic natural processes while reflecting the wishes and needs of the people who incorporate them into their daily lives.

In this way, the Centre fulfils an important mission – it offers knowledge that is practical, useful and vitally important. Adults learn together with children, which creates conditions for intergenerational dialogue, joint work and responsibility for the future. The Dole International Centre for Self-Sufficiency is thus a place where tradition, modern sustainable practices and personal experiences come together in a holistic learning experience that strengthens self-sufficiency and promotes sustainable community development.

The video was filmed on 20 June 2025 during a study visit to the Dole estate. The Slovenian Institute for Adult Education (SIAE) organized the visit for domestic and foreign participants as part of the Third EAAL Forum 2025 on Innovative Learning Environments. You can read more about this event in the EAAL E-bulletin.

The Rog Centre, which has been open for a good year and a half, has become recognised as a place of learning, creativity and connection. According to Alja Fir, visitor feedback has been extremely positive, and the structured programmes are fully booked. The centre’s main activity is training in production laboratories (known as labs), which are open to everyone aged 14 and over.

The training courses are designed as three-hour sessions, during which participants learn about a specific technology, the safe use of machines and the basic rules of work. Mentors demonstrate how the machines work, and participants also try them out for themselves. After completing the training, they are given the opportunity to use the labs independently, where they can develop their ideas and projects. Mentors continue to provide them with technical support, encouragement and guidance.

Many participants initially lack self-confidence or a clear idea of what they want to create. That is why, in addition to basic training, the Rog Centre offers structured programmes that guide participants from their first encounters with technology to their own products. In this way, individuals gradually learn, develop skills and gain confidence in their abilities.

The workshops combine traditional and modern technologies: from working with wood and textiles to new digital tools. Learning is practical, experiential and based on specific projects that give individuals a sense of achievement. The Rog Centre thus functions as a space for lifelong learning, where adults and young people together develop creativity, manual and technical skills and build self-confidence.

In this way, the Rog Centre fulfils its mission: to open up a space where knowledge is not reserved for formal classrooms, but is created through practice, collaboration and community support.

On 19 June 2023, the Rog Centre hosted the Third EAAL Forum 2025 on Innovative Learning Environments organized by the Slovenian Institute for Adult Education (SIAE). You can read more about this event in the EAAL E-bulletin.

The Rog Centre has become a place where adults of all ages can meet, learn and create. Various laboratories (known as labs) – including textile and ceramics labs – offer numerous courses, workshops and clubs that enable participants to acquire new knowledge and skills. According to Uroš Topić, head of the textile lab, demand is growing, which proves that there is a strong interest in learning among young people as well as older people and pensioners.

In the textile lab, participants can learn both basic and advanced sewing techniques, while the ceramics lab is one of the most popular. A special feature of the Rog Centre is its openness to all generations, as the programmes are tailored to adults in different stages of life.

Intergenerational learning plays an important role. Older participants in community circles pass on traditional skills such as lace-making, crocheting and tapestry-making to younger generations. It is not just about learning techniques, but about strengthening community, cooperation and mutual respect. Joint projects, such as the year-long community tapestry, show how creativity can bring together people of different ages and backgrounds.

In this way, the Rog Centre fulfils its mission – it understands adult learning and education as a holistic process that includes personal development, the preservation of cultural heritage and, at the same time, learning about modern technologies – all in accordance with the principles of sustainability. The labs are therefore more than just spaces for creativity: they are classrooms of the future, where knowledge is transferred between generations, strengthening the community and building a culture of lifelong learning.

On 19 June 2023, the Rog Centre hosted the Third EAAL Forum 2025 on Innovative Learning Environments organized by the Slovenian Institute for Adult Education (SIAE). You can read more about this event in the EAAL E-bulletin.

Aleš Pevec from the Technology Park (Tehnološki park d.o.o.) Ljubljana points out that traditional learning is often challenging, as it is based primarily on memorisation and abstract understanding. This approach is particularly difficult for adults who return to learning later in life. In his opinion, technology can offer a key answer: augmented and virtual reality make complex phenomena visible, tangible and understandable.

With the help of mobile phones or computers, three-dimensional models can now be incorporated into the learning process. These illustrate various processes – from the functioning of machines, chemical reactions and cell structures to historical sites. This makes learning experiential, as individuals not only read about certain topics, but also see and experience them. This facilitates the acquisition of knowledge, accelerates the transformation between professions and enables faster adaptation to changes in the labour market.

The Technology Park is thus opening up new avenues in andragogy. Its teaching and development laboratory focuses on promoting digital literacy by teaching participants how to create their own learning aids, games and simulations. The Unity and Blender tools are particularly noteworthy, as they are available free of charge to schools, organisations and individuals. In a series of intensive 40-hour courses, participants acquire the skills to independently create virtual models – from working machines to educational games.

This approach strengthens the digital competences of adults, encourages creativity and connects theory with practice. At the same time, it shows that learning is no longer limited to books and traditional methods, but can take place in an interactive, visual and experiential environment. In this way, the Technology Park contributes to the development of new forms of learning that help adults overcome obstacles and open up paths to the future of education.

Robotics is one of the fastest-growing technologies of our time, already significantly changing the way we live and work. At Katapult d.o.o., they use it as a tool for educating adults and young people, with the aim of bringing new technologies to as wide an audience as possible. According to Dr Maša Jazbec and Alenka Knez, they have the only such wide range of robots in Slovenia, among which the robot dog Moby occupies a special place. It serves as an educational tool with which participants learn about the possibilities of using robotics and at the same time become familiar with the built-in technologies.

Initially, encounters with robots often provoke resistance or discomfort, but this feeling quickly changes when participants experience the technology in practice. Curiosity and enthusiasm prevail. The key to accepting new knowledge is therefore an accessible and interactive presentation of the technology. Robotics thus becomes a bridge between fear and opportunity, as it opens up possibilities for the development of new skills and competences.

According to our interviewees, it is crucial in the educational process to address the personal interests of participants. This can then be used to build motivation for learning and open up paths to technological development. Robotics is therefore more than just a technical science – it is becoming a means of developing creativity, encouraging cooperation and acquiring knowledge that is useful in everyday life and on the labour market.

By incorporating robotics into educational programmes, Katapult d.o.o. demonstrates that adults learn most effectively when the content is related to their existing experiences and interests. In this way, robotics becomes part of a learning community that transcends technical aspects and creates conditions for sustainable personal and social development.

The Career Escape Room to the Future project, implemented by Cene Štupar – CILJ as part of the Erasmus+ programme, combines playfulness and innovation with the serious challenges of modern times. It is a mobile, digitised escape room that visits schools, youth centres and other institutions, offering participants the opportunity to learn about the skills of the future through game.

The escape room is designed as five stations or missions. They address topics such as energy, biodiversity, fake news and other current challenges. Participants are divided into groups, solve tasks and work together to find passwords and solutions. They use various tools to do this – from mobile phones, QR codes and artificial intelligence to analogue aids that require creativity and manual skills. This combination of digital and practical approaches allows everyone to learn in a way that suits them best.

A special feature of the project is that at the end, participants also develop their own vision of their future career. Career counsellors act as game masters, guiding the process and encouraging reflection. The project is therefore not only aimed at young people in schools and youth centres, but also at disadvantaged and unemployed adults, who can use the game to develop self-confidence, skills and new career directions.

The Career Escape Room to the Future proves that learning can be fun, practical and development-oriented at the same time. It combines collaboration, technology and personal experience, opening up new paths in youth education or supporting adults at career crossroads.

The interview with Andreja Glavač from Cene Štupar – CILJ was conducted during the Career Escape Room to the Future project’s guest appearance at the main event marking the 30th anniversary of Lifelong Learning Weeks (in Slovenian), on 15 May 2025 in Ljubljana. More information about the project is available here (in Slovenian).

Jože Prah points out that man’s relationship with nature has changed significantly in recent decades. Children and adults are losing direct contact with the environment, which reduces their ability to perceive the primal nature, natural energy and life values that nature conveys. He believes that we must relearn how to experience nature and incorporate it into our daily lives, as it holds invaluable experiential knowledge.

Adult education is particularly important in this regard. Through experiences in nature, participants gain new insights and develop lasting values. Jože Prah has been working with the Slovenian Institute for Adult Education (SIAE) for almost three decades, which has given him a broader perspective, enabling him to connect different fields of knowledge and develop innovative practices.

His work focuses on forest educational trails, which are celebrating their 50th anniversary in Slovenia. These are not just recreational areas, but outdoor classrooms where knowledge is intertwined with direct experience. They are an example of excellent practice in non-formal adult learning and education, promoting intergenerational connection, sustainable thinking and a holistic experience of nature.

Prah sees the future in weaving knowledge from different fields into nature and closely connecting them with it. Nature thus becomes a teacher that guides us to think critically and to be responsible to the community and ourselves. Learning in nature goes beyond the school walls – it becomes a way of life that enriches individuals and society.

The Study Circle (SC) at the Slovenska Bistrica Adult Education Centre (AEC), led by Ana Kruder, brings together women of different ages who are united by their creativity and love for preserving old traditions. The SC continues the tradition passed down by grandmothers and mothers, which they enthusiastically preserve and pass on today.

The members engage in various handicrafts: they make flowers from crepe paper, sew, crochet, knit, and work with clay and polymer clay. There is a special emphasis on floral products, which have deep roots in the past – they once adorned wedding bouquets, wreaths and church interiors. In this way, the club preserves not only techniques, but also the cultural memory and values that such creations carry.

The group meets regularly at the AEC, where they have a pleasant space for working and socialising. When creating, they pay special attention to sustainability: instead of buying new materials, they often use what nature has to offer or reuse objects in new products. In this way, they combine respect for tradition with an awareness of contemporary environmental challenges.

The club is also open to younger generations who come to gain new knowledge and experience. This naturally leads to intergenerational learning among the participants, where older people pass on their skills to younger ones, while also enriching their own work with youthful curiosity and creativity.

The Bistrica SC thus demonstrates that learning can be a space for creativity, intergenerational connection and the preservation of cultural heritage, enriching both individuals and communities.

Their products are not only aesthetic objects, but also have symbolic meaning, as they are often created for birthdays, anniversaries and other important life events. In this way, they become gifts that connect people and preserve the memory of shared moments.

The interview with Ana Kruder was conducted during Bistrica SC’s guest appearance at the main event marking the 30th anniversary of Lifelong Learning Weeks (in Slovenian), on 15 May 2025 in Ljubljana. More information about them is available here (in Slovenian).

The Lipovci Study Circle (SC) at the Murska Sobota Adult Education Centre (AEC) is based on a rich family tradition that has lasted for more than six decades. Brigita Smodiš, Bernarda Žižek and other members of the SC are continuing the work of their parents and passing it on to their children, grandchildren and the wider community: schoolchildren, high school students, university students and workshop visitors.

The main creative field is straw craft, which requires a great deal of knowledge, precision and patience. They prepare the material themselves – from sowing rye, harvesting and drying it by hand in the field to cleaning and storing the sheaves. It is this holistic approach that gives their work authenticity and a connection to nature. The straw is then used to create numerous products, which are presented at workshops, exhibitions and craft fairs, where they often organise mini workshops where visitors can try their hand at weaving.

Their work goes beyond mere hobbyism. Brigita’s daughter is an ethnologist who is committed to continuing and developing the activity, and the products carry a certificate of recognised craftsmanship. The process of registering this activity as intangible cultural heritage is currently underway, which proves that their work is of great importance for the preservation of Slovenian cultural identity.

In addition to technical skills, their activity is characterised by a strong educational aspect. Through study circles, they pass on their knowledge to younger generations, encourage creativity and intergenerational cooperation, and enable individuals to learn through practice. This is learning that goes beyond the classroom: it takes place in the fields, in workshops and at fairs, where tradition and modernity intertwine.

Members of the Lipovci SC thus show that adult learning and education can be a space where heritage is preserved, creativity is developed and community cohesion is strengthened. It is a living classroom of tradition, co-created by generations and passed on to the future.

The interview with Brigita Smodiš and Bernarda Žižek was conducted during Lipovci SC’s guest appearance at the main event marking the 30th anniversary of Lifelong Learning Weeks (in Slovenian), on 15 May 2025 in Ljubljana. More information about them is available here (in Slovenian).

Countess Greta (alias Janja Urbiha) presents how traditional handicrafts can become a modern way of learning and intergenerational bonding. The focus is on activities such as spinning wool and weaving, which are attended by members of different ages. Study circles enable knowledge to be not only preserved but also developed through practice and socialising.

As a study circle mentor, Janja Urbiha often collaborates with primary schools and kindergartens, where she inspires children with handicraft skills. Their curiosity and enthusiasm confirm that traditional techniques still have strong educational potential. Children and adults can try out the spinning wheel or loom and experience the importance of creativity first-hand. This approach shows that adult education is not separate from other generations but allows for the intertwining of shared experiences.

A special feature of these clubs is that knowledge is transferred directly from older to younger people, which gives a sense of continuity and belonging. The participants emphasise that practice brings the most benefits: when working together, knowledge is consolidated, and mutual trust is strengthened. Therefore, the clubs are not only a place for learning techniques, but also for creating a community where everyone has space for expression and growth.

Such work shows that adult learning and education enables the preservation of cultural heritage, encourages creativity and builds bridges between generations. Study circles thus become a living classroom where the past, present and future intertwine.

The interview with Countess Greta, or Janja Urbiha, was conducted during her guest appearance with Zlatka Turk and Ana Špeh at the main event marking the 30th anniversary of Lifelong Learning Weeks (in Slovenian) on 15 May 2025 in Ljubljana. More is available here (in Slovenian).

Nastja Mulej, a thinking coach and lecturer at UMNA, points out that for more than two thousand years, Western thinking has often equated thinking with analysis, criticism and the search for arguments for or against. Such a narrow understanding of thinking limits collaboration and creativity. In her opinion, we need broader and deeper approaches that include all members of the community or team and enable them to shape visions and paths for their realisation together.

The key to this is consciously directing thoughts and words. Nastja Mulej emphasises the Six Thinking Hats method as basic interpersonal etiquette. It is an agreed structure that consciously directs participants in a conversation towards different aspects of the topic at hand – not just what is right or wrong. The method encourages thinking from different perspectives: emotional, analytical, creative, critical, optimistic and process- oriented.

This approach has a strong andragogical significance. Adults learn that thinking is not only an individual activity, but also a social process that requires respect and the inclusion of different views. When leaders stop acting like bosses who give orders and become leaders who listen, they can truly harness the potential of everyone on the team. This strengthens innovation, reduces conflict and builds a culture of cooperation.

The Six Thinking Hats method is useful in businesses, education and everyday communities, as it encourages conscious choices about how we explore topics and make decisions. It offers a tool that adults can use to learn to communicate effectively, be empathetic and think strategically.

Nastja Mulej points out that conscious, inclusive and goal-oriented thinking yields better results. It is the foundation for personal growth, successful cooperation and the development of a society that values diversity of thought.

Over the last decade, Ajdovščina has become a recognisable example of a municipality that bases its development on knowledge and networking. Together with the Ajdovščina Adult Education Centre (AEC), the Ajdovščina Municipality has been developing numerous innovative programmes and pilot projects that support the personal development of individuals, strengthen the local economy and promote the creation of a connected community.

Today, the Ajdovščina AEC is a modern educational centre that adapts to the needs of the environment on a daily basis. Its vision, mission and values are anchored in its development plan for the period up to 2025, which combines three key dimensions: the individual, the economy and the community. Through programmes for acquiring and developing knowledge, it strives to provide accessible education to the widest possible range of people, which it achieves by implementing European and national projects and numerous other activities.

The inclusion of vulnerable groups and the promotion of intergenerational learning are of particular importance, as this strengthens social cohesion and a sense of belonging. Ajdovščina has thus demonstrated that a local community can transcend its boundaries and become an example of good practice at the international level.

The Ajdovščina Municipality’s achievements were recognised in 2022 with the Golden Stone Award for the most notable developmental breakthrough in the country. This recognition is further confirmation that investing in adult learning and education is not only a form of support for individuals, but also a long-term investment in the development of the entire community.

Ajdovščina AEC, as the driving force behind this community, proves that learning is the foundation of a creative, connected and sustainability-oriented society.

The video premiered at the PLA meeting of EAAL national coordinators on learning communities and innovative learning environments in Leuven, Belgium, on 14 and 15 March 2023. More information is available in the EPALE blog.