Comparative Studies, the Experience of COMPALL Winter School

Abstract

International comparative research enables ways of imparting encoded and culturally embedded knowledge and ways of generating new knowledge. Comparison allows for disclosing cultural practices and structures in other countries and in one’s own. It can grant access to previously unavailable or hidden knowledge, and it can shape new knowledge for theory and practice. In the field of adult education, where theory and practice often remain national, comparison allows for understanding, sharing, and creating theoretical frameworks, structures, and practices. To that end, the project Erasmus+ Strategic Partnership “Comparative Studies in Adult Education and Lifelong Learning—COMPALL” developed a joint module in study programmes related to adult education and lifelong learning. Through its innovative teaching and study programme, which is based on blended learning mobility, COMPALL became a forum for knowledge sharing and creation. Over 3 years, seven European universities designed innovative learning and teaching strategies that foster the exchange of knowledge, cultural understanding, and knowledge creation by conducting comparative research. The study programme consistently received a positive response from participants and produced three books presenting the results.