FabLabs — New Technologies in Adult Education

A 34-month strategic partnership between FabLabs, makerspaces and adult education organisations from Poland, Iceland, Portugal, France and Finland. The starting question was simple: what makes a FabLab a good place for an adult to learn — and how do you teach there?

The partners met in six transnational meetings, one at each organisation, to observe each other's practice: how the spaces are organised, what equipment they use and how they connect with the local community. The Messejana meeting took place in September 2021. Each country ran local workshops for adults, where methods were tested and learners' needs were assessed with a shared questionnaire.

The main result is a publication on the FabLab as an adult learning environment, with case studies from each partner. For Buinho it was the first European adult education project and the methodological basis for the later work with seniors and Repair Cafés. The project received the Erasmus+ Good Practice label.

• 6 transnational meetings, including Messejana (September 2021)
• Local workshops for adults in all five countries
• Good-practice publication and an evaluation questionnaire for FabLab learners

Partners