II. Project objectives

The POTENS project originates from a conviction that a broad range of training techniques focused on the development of spontaneity, creativity and related abilities known as psychodrama has a relevance for training key competences in lifelong learning, in particular the transversal competencies of creative expression, learning to learn and social skills. Psychodrama creates a safe, supportive environment in which to practise new and more effective roles and behaviours. As such it is considered to have a particular relevance for educators who work with students from vulnerable social groups. The project proposes to explore the interface between these two fields with a view to attaining the following objectives:

• to establish a platform of cooperation between adult educators and psychodrama trainers whose expertise so far is separate in practice
• to adapt or work out a set of training techniques to support and improve teaching/learning processes, especially in the context of informal and non-formal learning
• to train pilot groups of adult educators in the use of the above methods and refine the developed techniques on the basis of their feedback
• to apply the methodology directly in workshops training vulnerable social groups in their personal and social development
• to disseminate and exploit the above results in the field of adult education on a wide European scale

The realisation of the above goals is expected to contribute to the main objective: to empower adult students from marginalised social contexts to gain an insight into their own potential and develop social and personal competences accordingly, which put them in a stronger position in the society and the labour market. This is an ambitious goal, still its attainment can only be assessed through a detailed investigation of the specific measures undertaken. The proposal gives a clear indication on how this can be done, as it sets a number of specific work packages which condition the extent to which the project goals are achieved. They are the following:

1. To set up the project management structure for prompt delivery of all work packages
The complex activities of the project require the partners to share responsibilities. While the coordinating institution has taken the responsibility for overall management (WP1), the leadership of specific work packages has been distributed among the partners:

• WP2: Evaluation Strategy - led by EST, Poland
• WP3: Training methodology development - led by SPJLM, Romania
• WP4: Workshops for AE trainers- led by CAEA, Cyprus
• WP5: Documentation and publication - led by Teatr Grodzki, Poland
• WP6: Grundtvig seminar - led by Teatr Grodzki, Poland
• WP7: Dissemination campaign - led by EST, Poland
• WP8: Exploitation of results - led by SPI, Portugal

The project management structure reflects the international dimension of the project. The clear division of tasks will allow to point out and evaluate management factors in the delivery of specific work packages.

2. To develop guidelines on the psychodrama use in adult education
Psychodrama methods are not widely known among educators and their informed applications in the field of adult education are rare. Hence there is a need to develop guidelines for trainers on how to use these techniques, in particular those which have relevance for training key competences. The procedure involves the following steps: setting up a panel of experts, both psychodramatists and educators for the task of drafting the methodology, research in previous and current applications of psychodrama in the field of adult education, proposing a set of techniques relevant for training transversal competences and testing them in workshops, and finally writing the guidelines on which the POTENS handbook for educators will be based. The guidelines will be evaluated through the pilot workshop programme and through peer review (web-based exchange, Grundtvig seminar).

3. To organise pilot psychodrama workshops for adult educators
This task is interconnected with the above work package: the developed guidelines need to be tested in practice before they are published for a wider audience. In order to ensure a firm basis for the validation, the workshops will be run in four different national and institutional settings. The participants will be recruited from adult educators who teach basic skills and competences to different target groups, with a representation of those who work with socially disadvantaged adults. This is considered important if the developed guidelines are to have relevance outside a strictly defined area. The workshops will be taught by professional psychodramatists as the thorough knowledge of the field and training experience are of key importance if we are to transfer psychodrama expertise to a new domain. The objective assessment of the workshops will be guaranteed through direct feedback from their participants documented in the evaluation questionnaires.

4. To publish a handbook accompanied by a documentary film on psychodrama techniques in adult education
This objective answers a well defined need of teachers and trainers who are constantly searching for new practical tools to enhance the efficiency of their courses. Thus the handbook will present the tested applications of psychodrama techniques along with the developed guidelines on their use as well as a set of workshop scenarios focused on training key competences in lifelong learning. Psychodrama is based on the belief in the value of insight hence some of the workshop scenarios and techniques will be shown in a documentary film supplementing the handbook. Both the learner and teacher perspective will be included in the handbook. The evaluation will accordingly take into account feedback from trainers using the publications in their workshops as well as sample opinions of the participants. This feedback will be gathered through evaluation questionnaires.

5. To organise Grundtvig seminar on the psychodrama applications in adult education
The Grundtvig seminar will provide an international forum for the exchange of experiences and observations gained during the implementation of the workshop programme. It will gather educators and psychodramatists from all the countries of the partnership who will be introduced to the results of pilot training and discuss possibilities for further cooperation. In particular, the concrete methods described in the handbook and shown in the film will provide material for discussing specific aspects of the methodology and its potential for further use. In addition, external experts will present observations derived from other programmes in this field which will help to put the POTENS initiative in a broader educational context. Feedback from the seminar participants will be assessed to formulate conclusions on its practical value.

6. To disseminate the project results among European educators and psychodramatists
The dissemination of the project results is emphasised in the proposal and considered from the very beginning (dissemination plan). Concrete results are envisaged which are expected to raise an interest in a wide community of adult educators and psychodramatists. This in particular refers to the guidelines on the use of specific techniques in courses for adult students, the handbook with an outline of the methodology and the film giving an insight into concrete workshop scenarios. In order to assure a broad awareness of the POTENS initiative various measures are planned: the project website operating from the beginning, articles, presentations at seminars and conferences, posters and leaflets distributed at the major project events.

7. To exploit the project results in the long term
The actions undertaken during the lifetime of the project are foreseen to bring a "cascade effect". The project team intends to show the relevance of the developed methodology and techniques for the practice of adult education which is expected to ensure their use by continuing education providers in Europe. The project publications are envisaged as efficient means to transfer pedagogical implications of the project to decision makers in the educational policy. In particular, the pilot workshops run in four different countries have to ensure a multiplication mechanism - pilot applications of some of the presented techniques will be run by the trained trainers in their own courses. A specific plan of the exploitation of the results will be agreed in order to facilitate the attainment of the above goals. Feedback gathered from these pilot applications, both from the trainers and their students, will give a basis for a provisional judgement on the sustainability of the POTENS initiative.