After years of developing e-learning solutions for Romania, we have learned an enormous amount about how to do—and how not to do—digitalisation in education. We've faced all sorts of real-world challenges on the ground, but we've also built approaches that truly work.
And because good things should be shared, we decided these lessons are too valuable to keep to ourselves. That’s how we ended up sharing our expertise on EPALE, the heart of the European community dedicated to adult education.
It's our way of bringing the Romanian experience to the table in European debates. We are thrilled to see that Ascendia's innovations and best practices are turning into a useful resource across borders, contributing practical ideas to the challenges faced by everyone involved in continuous education in Europe.
What is EPALE?
EPALE (Electronic Platform for Adult Learning in Europe) is an initiative supported by the European Commission, being the largest open-membership, multilingual community of adult learning professionals in Europe. The platform brings together teachers, trainers, researchers, academics, and policymakers, offering them an essential collaborative space to exchange ideas, discover valuable resources, and promote best practices in lifelong learning.
Our presence here confirms the impact our solutions have, reaching far beyond our country's borders. Below, we invite you to discover two of our recent contributions.
Beyond platforms: "What the Digital4All program teaches us about scaling skills in SMEs"
The most recent article published on EPALE highlights the lessons drawn from the Digital4All national initiative. The discussion goes beyond the fascination with technology or "trendy apps" and focuses on the real mechanisms that keep adults engaged in a learning process.
The article highlights Ascendia's role as a consortium leader within this broad ecosystem, providing delivery capacity and digital learning infrastructure for SMEs. How can we build a library of reusable educational resources (microlearning) instead of a single, one-off course? How important is central coordination combined with distributed delivery, and how do we integrate cybersecurity as an everyday habit?
👉 Discover the answers and read the full article here: Beyond the dashboard: What Romania’s Digital4All teaches us about scaling skills for SMEs
"Digital skills in rural areas: What really works in practice?"
Another impactful piece—the first published in this series on EPALE—analyzes a complex challenge: digitalisation in rural Romania. Often, the main barrier isn't just the lack of devices or an internet connection, but rather the learners' lack of confidence, the fear of making mistakes, and the acute need for human support.
The article offers a clear and practical perspective on the approaches that truly yield results when working with adults in rural areas. These include: breaking down information into small steps instead of long and tiring courses, blended learning (digital backed by local support in libraries or schools), and measuring progress by completing real tasks (such as making an online payment or sending a document).
👉 Learn how we can effectively support digital inclusion by reading the article here: Digital skills for adults in rural areas: what works in practice (with lenses from Romania)
Conclusion
Putting our experience and solutions on the European map brings us great joy, but for us, the true value lies in dialogue. We don't just want to tell the story of what we did; we want a real conversation about what genuinely works in adult education.
So, we invite you to take a look at these articles directly on EPALE. If our ideas resonate with you, if you’ve encountered the same issues on the ground, or if you simply have a different perspective, leave us a comment on the articles. Ultimately, quality digital education is best built... together.