Artificial Intelligence in Adult Education and Self-Learning: Providing personalized and adaptive learning experiences with emphasis on language learning
2023-1-DE02-KA220-ADU-000155302
The Erasmus+ project aimed to use AI technologies in adult education and self-learning, particularly language learning, to create personalized and flexible learning experiences that better met the needs and goals of individual learners. The desired outcomes included improved learning outcomes, increased engagement and motivation, better access to educational and self-learning opportunities, and the development of key language skills for the global labor market.
The project remained in line with the priority of addressing the digital transformation by promoting the targeted use of digital technologies in education, training, youth and sport for teaching, learning, assessment and engagement. Through the use of AI technologies such as speech recognition, machine translation and natural language processing, the project aimed to create more engaging and interactive language learning experiences. It also supported the development of digital teaching methods and expertise for teachers and the use of the European Digital Competence Framework for teachers, citizens and organizations.
The project started in December 2023 and ran for 30 months (12/2023 – 05/2026).
In addition to JGU, the partners involved in the project were the social enterprise PRISM (Italy), the One World – One Heart Foundation (Poland), the adult education centre PELICAN (Czech Republic), the continuing education centre Emphasys (Cyprus) and Bahcesehir University (Turkey).
AI IN ADU Website and Social Media
The project website went online. It offered interesting insights into the project activities as well as regular news about digital storytelling and shadow theater. Interested parties also had access to the materials developed as part of the project.
Website: AI in education
The project was also represented on Instagram and Facebook. Followers could follow and discuss recent developments.
Instagram: (@ai.ineducation) Instagram ai.ineducation
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558032667473
Final Conference of the Erasmus+ Project “AI in Adult Education and Self-Learning”
As part of the final conference of the Erasmus+ project AI in Adult Education and Self-Learning, the team reflected together with the participants on the development and key milestones of the project. Special attention was given to the experiences gained during the implementation phase and the collaboration between the international partner organisations.
Another important focus of the conference was the presentation of the materials and resources developed within the project. Participants had the opportunity to engage with the project outputs, explore the different materials, and discuss their potential use in adult education and self-directed learning contexts.
The conference concluded with an open discussion about the strengths and challenges of the project, as well as the sustainability of the project results and possible opportunities for further development and future use.
A summary of the final conference was made available via the following Padlet:
https://padlet.com/projectszww/final-conference-ai-in-adult-education-and-self-learning-gvbuesaenav4bv0i
Newsletter 3 – May 2026
The third newsletter presented the latest progress of the "AI in Adult Education and Self-Learning" project. It covered the successful third transnational partner meeting in Palermo in September 2025, the expansion of the podcast series with practical tips on using AI in language learning, and the completed pilot phase from November 2025 to February 2026, whose positive feedback was then incorporated into the final materials. It also looked ahead to the multiplier events in spring 2026 and to the final conference, which took place on 22 May 2026 at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz.
3rd Transnational Partner Meeting in Palermo (23–24 September 2025)
From 23 to 24 September 2025, the AI in Language Teaching project team met for its 3rd transnational partner meeting (TPM) at our Italian partner PRISM in Palermo. PRISM is a non-profit organisation with the aim of promoting equal opportunities for the advancement of societies, communities and individuals. In this inspiring environment, intensive work was carried out on the next steps of the project.
The meeting focused on the next steps of the project:
- Planning further podcasts: The team planned to record additional podcast episodes specifically aimed at self-learners, containing practical tips for independent language learning with AI.
- Launch of the pilot phase in November: The partners jointly prepared for the launch of the pilot phase for the developed project materials, which were to be used from November onwards. In this phase, interested self-learners and (language) teachers had the opportunity to test the materials in practice, provide feedback and further develop them.
Newsletter 2 – August 2025
The second newsletter presented the latest project developments, including new Key Feature results from the user research, engaging podcast discussions already available on YouTube, and highlights from the second transnational partner meeting in Cyprus. It also offered a preview of upcoming guidelines and interactive learning materials that were tested later that year.
Project presentation at the EPALE and Erasmus+ Conference 2025 in Vienna
On 9 April 2025, the Erasmus+ project "AI in Adult Education and Self-Learning" was presented at the conference "Artificial Intelligence meets Adult Education: Promoting Innovation, Strengthening Competences" in Vienna. Mark Reinhard presented the project on behalf of the consortium both at an information market and in a thematic workshop.
The project aimed to use AI tools to promote individual learning paths for adults and thus support self-directed, flexible learning. At the information stand, visitors were able to find out more about the project using a poster and talk directly to the project team.
The subsequent workshop initially focused on the use of artificial intelligence in adult education. After an in-depth presentation of the project, an interactive World Café invited discussion. The participants intensively explored three key questions:
- What opportunities did AI harbour in adult education?
- What challenges were associated with it?
- How could project results be sustainably secured and transferred into practice?
The discussions showed great interest and a high level of willingness to engage with the potential and limitations of AI in an educational context.
Newsletter 1 – January 2025
The first newsletter introduced the "AI in Adult Education and Self-Learning" project and provided insights into the progress made so far. It highlighted the launch of the project website, initial findings from user research on AI in language learning, and interviews with teachers and learners. In addition, it announced the upcoming transnational partner meeting in Cyprus, where partners were to discuss next steps for the project's implementation.
Second partner meeting on 20 and 21 January 2025 in Nicosia, Cyprus
On 20 and 21 January 2025, the project partner EMPHASYS hosted the second transnational partner meeting in Nicosia (Cyprus). The meeting took place in hybrid form. The AI in ADU team worked together to finalise the first project results. The next steps and work packages were also discussed in detail and finalised. Further materials were created to familiarise trainers and self-learners with the use of AI.
Progress Update
Over the preceding months, the team worked intensively on the topic of "artificial intelligence in adult education" with a particular focus on language learning in order to understand the usage behaviour, knowledge and needs of teachers and self-learners.
In addition to an extensive literature review, the team focused on developing a quantitative research design in the form of an online survey. Conducting online surveys enabled the team to precisely capture the needs and requirements of the target group. By asking specific questions, the team determined the extent to which teachers and self-learners already used AI, their attitude towards AI and their needs and expectations of AI-supported solutions.
The team also conducted focus group interviews with the target group and recorded podcasts with experts. The results were to be published on the project website shortly afterwards.
At the same time, the team worked on the development of the project website, which was to serve as a central platform for information, resources and dialogue with interested parties.
In January 2025, all project partners met for their second transnational meeting in Cyprus. They used the opportunity to present their progress to date, discuss ideas together and define the next steps for the successful implementation of "AI in Adult Education and Self Learning".
First Partner Meeting in Brno, Czechia, March 26th and 27th 2024
The Erasmus+ project "AI in ADU - Artificial Intelligence in Adult Education and Self-Learning" started with the first partner meeting in Brno, Czech Republic!
On March 26 and 27, the team met with partners from Poland, Italy, Czechia, Cyprus and Turkey to plan the next steps.
The project aimed to develop personalized and adaptive learning paths in language acquisition. It investigated how artificial intelligence (AI) could be used to meet individual needs. In addition to podcasts with experts, guides for better learning and teaching experiences were created.
