As researchers in the field of media education and adult education, we were invited to support the implementation process of a local open learning centre for all - called DoLE. The aim was to support the implementation process actively with our educational expertise in self-directed learning (Faulstich & Grell 2005) and to gain reliable insights through evaluation. Therefore, we followed an action research approach. The local "Volkshochschule" (a traditional, non-commercial adult education organisation providing adult education in all regions of Germany) was in charge of the process; three academic staff members were part of the board and our core group. The board engaged ten new learning coaches paid on an honorarium for the work with the learning community. The qualification plan and process for the learning coaches to support open learning
started before we participated in the process. The centre's implementation began in 2022; as researchers, we supported the process from April to October 2023. Following a participatory approach, we discussed and negotiated all our plans for support and the evaluation with the board. All our notes and memos were part of the research process. We had monthly 3-hour meetings and a continuous exchange (in terms of content and organisation) between TU (academic staff) and DOLE project management. We conducted a participant observation during a training course for the learning coaches (May 2023). Central data collection took part during a participatory evaluation workshop (June 2023), focussing on the hindrances and challenges of the learning coaches. A full documentation of the workshop was shared with the coaches afterwards.
The research questions (developed with the board of the centre): What are the main challenges and potential hindrances in implementing an attractive centre for open learning? What are the perspectives of the learning coaches towards the process and its success?

Participatory action research, case study Data collection: Field observation, notes and memos of all meetings with the board, 3-hour workshop including group discussion and creative expressions (Grell 2013) with learning coaches Data analysis/interpretation: thematic analysis (Brau & Clarke 2019, 2021) The "case workshop" used for data collection in the DOLE project is a variation of the "research-based learning workshop" (Grell 2005, 2013), which was developed as a participatory research instrument for educational research in the "Self-directed learning and social milieus" project (Faulstich/Grell 2005). This form of participatory data collection uses visual stimuli (picture cards, collages) in addition to various forms of verbal expression (oral language and writing) in order to depict the most complex structural relationships and decision-making processes possible. The research-based learning workshop consists of: 1. opening phase and work agreement, 2. picture card round for thematic introduction, 3. group discussion, 4. metaplan cards for situation analysis, 5. collage creation in groups and guided discussion of the collages in the whole group, 6. final agreement and data release. The workshop is recorded (audio or video), the objects created are analysed together in the workshop and systematically evaluated afterwards. Adjustments were made in particular with regard to the intended target group (learning guides) and the time frame (shortened workshop duration: three hours). To contrast the findings, the identified "themes" from the case workshop, the minutes and memos from the project meetings were also evaluated in terms of content using the "thematic analysis". Seven 60- to 90-minute project meetings were held with the project team, in which current challenges of the project were discussed with the scientific support team. The minutes document the challenges mentioned by the team in each case.

We were able to bundle the results of the case workshop with the learning coaches into six key "themes": Theme 1: Positive (self-)image, Theme 2: Tenacity, Theme 3: Reactivity, Theme 4: Project not tangible, - Theme 5: Individual interaction, Theme 6: Communication and negotiation. The theme "tenacity" summarises statements in which the project or individual processes in the project are described as laborious, lengthy or initiated but not completed. It is mentioned in passing that a lack of feedback on completed work assignments also contributes to this issue. "Having this patience also pushed me to my limits at times." (FW, item 103) Confronting the results of the analysis of the learning coaches' perspective with the board's perspectives leads to further insights in this case study. The themes of "tenacity" and "intangible" are cross-cutting issues that extend beyond all level. Factors outside have an impact. In this respect, the tenacity of implementation was not the responsibility of just one group of actors. However, there was the expectation that the tenacity could be overcome through (better) interventions. The findings available in adult education on the discussion about the "change in learning culture" (Arnold/Schüßler 1998, Schüßler/Thurnes 2005) and the question of how framework conditions can be created that can support the design of regional transformation processes (Schüßler 2016, Dörner et al. 2016) can provide good impulses for understanding this. To clarify the theme of "non-tangible," the discourses of adult education on learning culture change can be fruitful. There was a constant desire from multipliers to be told what they or learners could "do" in the centre. The desire for transparent offer formats conveys the need to overcome the open situation's vagueness and uncertainty.

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