Opinion
Columns and essays in ELM Magazine approach current issues from personal and engaging perspectives. The series of columns "I argue" features texts written by researchers, each presenting a well-argued statement on a topic of their research.

The recognition of all learning – not a utopia but a service package!
It is time to update traditional ideas about the recognition of learning, and to adopt a model from the world of children and young people, writes Lauri Tuomi, CEO of the Finnish Lifelong Learning Foundation. The text is a column written for issue 1/2019 on Adult Education and Validation.

Liberal adult education a good first step in the training path for immigrants
At the beginning of last year in Finland, a necessary reform entered into force in which the role of liberal adult education institutes in the training of basic skills to immigrants was improved, writes Pirkko Ruuskanen-Parrukoski. The text is a column published in the Speakers' Corner series.

Medical students fighting against health nonsense
The media is full of conversation and articles about health with various opinions and methods. Some of them are true and some only groundless nonsense or even harmful advice. Voluntary medicine students are now fighting against the health lies in Finland. The text is a column written for issue 4/2018 on Adult Education and Health.

Escape into Virtual Worlds
The increasing occurrence of internet-related addictions must not be addressed in medicine alone but should be discussed broadly in society and politics – and in the educational sector. The text is an essay written for issue 3/2018 on Adult Education and Media Literacy.

Towards platform literacy
By giving everyone a voice on the net we assumed that people would use this new power wisely, but we greatly underestimated our potential for hate and manipulation, writes e-learning specialist, Alastair Creelman. The text is a column written for issue 3/2018 on Adult Education and Media Literacy.

Illiteracy: Do not hide! Do not ignore!
European project aims to support adult educators in making adult education topics, which are often overlooked in the public discourse, visible in local and regional media, writes Michael Sommer. The text is a column written for issue 2/2018 on Adult Education and the EU.

A big plus for Erasmus+: but what for?
The adult education community should be aware and self-confident enough to maintain a strong position as the future of funding is currently being decided. Adult learning should not be the 5-percent-Cinderella of Erasmus, writes Michael Sommer. The text is a column written for issue 2/2018 on Adult Education and the EU.

Lack of a common language still a barrier in research communities
The French education system does not adequately prepare students for intercultural dynamic and multilingual skills, creating a gap between francophone and anglophone researchers in humanities and social sciences, writes researcher Mihaela-Viorica Ruşitoru in her essay.

Out of inner prisons
Brazilian adult education professional Isabelle Tabachi taught Kundalini yoga in women’s prison for six months. Her mission was to help inmates to take care of their mental health. Here she shares her own experience with Elm readers. The text is a column written for issue 3/2017 on Adult Education and Mental Health.

Democracy in the making
The “refugee crisis” is a stress test for European societies. The challenge is not to foster migrants into pre-given democratic values, Magnus Dahlstedt argues. The challenge is to retain adult education’s ability to question pre-given values. The text is an essay written for issue 1/2017 on New Forms of Citizenship.