Lifelong learning

Lifelong learning is the "ongoing, voluntary, and self-motivated" pursuit of knowledge for either personal or professional reasons. Therefore, it not only enhances social inclusion, active citizenship and personal development, but also competitiveness and employability.

The term recognizes that learning is not confined to childhood or the classroom but takes place throughout life and in a range of situations. During the last fifty years, stable scientific and technological improvement and change has had a thoughtful effect on learning needs and styles. Learning can no longer be divided into a place and time to acquire knowledge (school) and a place and time to apply the knowledge acquired. Instead, learning can be seen as something that takes place on an on-going basis from our daily interactions with others and with the world around us. (Department of Education and Science (2000). Learning for Life: White Paper on Adult Education. Dublin: Stationery Office)

There are numerous customary contexts for lifelong learning beyond traditional "brick and mortar" schooling:

-    Home schooling involves learning to learn or the development of informal learning patterns.

-    Waldorf education which teaches children to love learning for its own sake .

-   Adult education or the acquisition of formal qualifications or work and leisure skills later in life
-   Continuing education which often describes extension or not-for-credit courses offered by higher education institutions
-      Knowledge work which includes professional development and on-the-job training
    Personal learning environments or self-directed learning using a range of sources and tools including online applications

E-learning is available at most colleges and universities or to individuals learning independently. There are even online courses being offered for free by many institutions.

Lifelong learning I feel is essential, as you’re never  to old to get a career or start learning for a better future.  From looking into depth into lifelong learning, I researched into a YouTube clip which I will post below for you to have a look at. “life long learning leads to success- with William O’Neil”. This made me realise that life long learning happens eve n when you don’t know it. You always learn something new everyday, and this clip shows it. The most successful people are people who are life long learners.

Bibliography

Department of Education and Science (2000). Learning for Life: White Paper on Adult Education. Dublin: Stationery Office. (n.d.).