lifelong learning
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Lifelong Learning as Lifelong Learning as Learners Live LongerLearners Live Longer
Dr Liam Boyle, Teaching and LearningDr Liam Boyle, Teaching and Learning
Learn for your Life:Learn for your Life:
• Why the current interest in Why the current interest in Lifelong Learning?Lifelong Learning?
• What do we learn?What do we learn?
• How do we learn?How do we learn?
Life expectancyLife expectancy
• ““… … nasty, brutish and shortnasty, brutish and short” ” HobbesHobbes
• Nineteenth century - mid 40sNineteenth century - mid 40s
• 1926 - Life expectancy 57 1926 - Life expectancy 57 yearsyears
20062006
• Male: 75; Female: 80Male: 75; Female: 80
• More older people More older people
• Fewer younger peopleFewer younger people
1986:1986:
• Male: 71, Female: Male: 71, Female: 7676
• More young peopleMore young people
• Fewer older peopleFewer older people
Female
FemaleMale
Male
20
80
60
40
0
20
80
60
40
0
• More older people More older people
• Implies “pensions Implies “pensions timebomb”timebomb”
• Adults will need to Adults will need to remain in the remain in the workforce longer workforce longer
• Increased age of Increased age of retirementretirement
Female
FemaleMale
Male
20
80
60
40
0
20
80
60
40
0
Female
FemaleMale
Male
20
80
60
40
0
20
80
60
40
0
• Fewer younger Fewer younger peoplepeople
• Implies fewer new Implies fewer new entrants to jobsentrants to jobs
• Implies companies Implies companies must learn to value must learn to value the mature workerthe mature worker
Human life span and Human life span and technology life span - technology life span - Knowles, Knowles, 19701970
• We can no longer learn as children enough to last a lifetime
• We need to relearn throughout our lives
Why lifelong learning?Why lifelong learning?Economic caseEconomic case• New Technology:
– Need for skilled (competent) workers
– Periodic reskilling and upskilling
• Educated workforce:– Attractive to inward investment
– Hedge against flight of capital
Why lifelong learning?Why lifelong learning?Economic caseEconomic case
• Need qualifications: – Mobility of labour
– Structure of society – Lack of face-to-face knowledge of others means we need credentials to demonstrate competence
Why lifelong learning? Why lifelong learning? Education for citizenship?Education for citizenship?
• Democracy requires Democracy requires that that citizens inform themselves on citizens inform themselves on issues and policy options so issues and policy options so that they can “that they can “take an active take an active role in shaping the overall role in shaping the overall direction of societydirection of society” (White ” (White Paper, 2000)Paper, 2000)
Institutional capacity:Institutional capacity:
• 62,000 Leaving Certificate in 1991
• Only 52,000 presented in 2006
• Increased capacity at third level
• Increased competition for students
• Discovery of the adult learner!
Lifelong learning:Lifelong learning:A Second chance?A Second chance?
• “it is previous educational attainment and participation that is the most statistically significant variable in determining future participation in formal education” (Brookfield, 1986, p. 5).
• Specific initiatives required to reach the excluded
Why lifelong learning? Why lifelong learning? Natural curiosityNatural curiosity
• ““Man by his nature desires to know Man by his nature desires to know ……” Aristotle” Aristotle
• ““The unexamined life is not worth The unexamined life is not worth livingliving” … Socrates” … Socrates
• We study in order to understand better the world we live in
Why are you learning?Why are you learning?
• Skills and Knowledge?
• Personal Development?
• Qualification?
• Work requirement?
• Other?
Learning, not teachingLearning, not teaching
“Nothing that is worth knowing can be taught” Oscar Wilde
“We cannot teach another person directly; we can only facilitate learning” Carl Rogers
“I never teach my pupils; I only attempt to provide the conditions in which they may learn” Albert Einstein
Learning, not teachingLearning, not teaching
The Adult Learner (Knowles, 1970):
• Autonomous and self-directed
• A lifetime of experience which may be resource for learning
• Prefers problem-centred approach to learning
+ Has other commitments
Flexible approachFlexible approach
• Multiple sites: Multiple sites: – Workplace Workplace
– Community Community
– CollegeCollege
• Flexible modes: Flexible modes: – Full-timeFull-time
– Part-timePart-time
– DistanceDistance
– e-Learninge-Learning
– BlendedBlended
What is learning?What is learning?
Memorising facts and figures
Acquiring new skills
Modifying your attitudes
Solving problems
Making mistakes
Making sense of the world
Learning: Memorising…Learning: Memorising…
““I wandered lonely I wandered lonely as a cloud …as a cloud …
Learning: Memorising…Learning: Memorising…
““I wandered lonely I wandered lonely as a cloud …as a cloud …
That floats on high o’er vales and hills,When all at once I saw a crowd, –A host of golden daffodilsBeside the lake, beneath the trees,Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
””
Learning: Memorising...Learning: Memorising...
• Maths: “the square on the hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the two adjacent sides”;
• Science: “to every action there is an equal and opposite reaction”
World Wide Web World Wide Web
• GoogleGoogle
• WikipediaWikipedia
• Project GutenbergProject Gutenberg
• Online academic journalsOnline academic journals
Computer technologyComputer technology
• Computers are now relatively cheap
• Sold in supermarkets - Tesco and Dunnes
• 50% of households have a computer
• Slightly fewer with direct access to Internet
• Large numbers of people now use computers to buy:
– Music iTunes
– Books
– Cheap flights
Memorise less importantMemorise less important
• SearchSearch
• EvaluateEvaluate
• AnalyseAnalyse
• SynthesiseSynthesise
• ApplyApply
Memorise less importantMemorise less important
• Critical thinkingCritical thinking
• Examining assumptions Examining assumptions
• Making sense of the worldMaking sense of the world
• In collaboration with othersIn collaboration with others
• Debate, DialogueDebate, Dialogue
Learning Learning CycleCycle
Experience
Reflect
Deduce
Test
Based on Kolb, 1984
“Experience plus reflection equals learning.” (Dewey)
• (Experiential learning cycle)• (Adult learning cycle)
ExperienceExperience
• Direct life Experience
• Simulated experience
• Vicarious experience
Experience
Deduce
Test Reflect
Life experienceLife experience
• We live and learnWe live and learn
• Not all experience leads to learningNot all experience leads to learning
• Triggered by Gap between Expectation Triggered by Gap between Expectation and Experience, when we realise the and Experience, when we realise the world is not as we thought itworld is not as we thought it
• “It is impossible to learn what we think we already know” Epictetus
Experience
Deduce
Test Reflect
Simulated Simulated experienceexperience
• Games
• Role plays
• Lab sessions
Experience
Deduce
Test Reflect
Vicarious Vicarious experienceexperience
• Learn from the experiences of others
“Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so” Douglas Adams
- Examples: Videos, stories, case studies
Experience
Deduce
Test Reflect
“I sometimes find, and I am sure you know the feeling, that I simply have too many thoughts and memories crammed into my mind... At these times... I use the Pensieve. One simply siphons the excess thoughts from one's mind, pours them into the basin, and examines them at one's leisure.”
Dumbledore (JK Rowling, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire)
ReflectionReflection
Experience
Deduce
Test Reflect
Individual Individual reflectionreflection• Revisit experience through descriptionRevisit experience through description
• Analyse - what are its parts?Analyse - what are its parts?
• Compare/contrast with other Compare/contrast with other experience, other ideasexperience, other ideas
• Not purely cognitive - attend to Not purely cognitive - attend to feelings (feelings (Boud, Keogh and Walker, 1985Boud, Keogh and Walker, 1985))
• Learning JournalsLearning Journals
Experience
Deduce
Test Reflect
Reflect with others“We call on others to aid us in
deliberation on important questions, distrusting ourselves as not being equal to deciding.” Aristotle
• Is learning a social endeavour?
• Share stories
• Compare experiences
• Support and challenge
Experience
Deduce
Test Reflect
Reflect with the Reflect with the literatureliterature
• Others have been here before
• The record of their deliberations and conclusions in books and journals can inform your own
• Read literature in a spirit of critical dialogue
Experience
Deduce
Test Reflect
“If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.” Newton
Spiral of Spiral of reflectionreflection
Experience
Deduce
Test Reflect
“When a man is pushed, tormented, defeated, he has a chance to learn something” Emerson
• Review Review Behaviour, Ideas, Behaviour, Ideas, FeelingsFeelings
• Internal - analyseInternal - analyse
• External - others, External - others, literatureliterature
DeduceDeduce
• Can’t mull over forever (Paralysis by Can’t mull over forever (Paralysis by analysis)analysis)
• Conclusions informed by evidence and logicConclusions informed by evidence and logic
• What are the facts?What are the facts?
• What do these mean? What do these mean?
• How does it all fit together?How does it all fit together?
• What have I learned?What have I learned?
Experience
Deduce
Test Reflect
TestTest
• “It's not what we don’t know that gets us in trouble. It's what we know for sure that just ain't so” Twain
• Conclusions are tentativeConclusions are tentative
• Try out in practice - leads to new Try out in practice - leads to new experienceexperience
• Expose to scrutiny of peersExpose to scrutiny of peers
• Requires courageRequires courage
• Enter the debateEnter the debate
Experience
Deduce
Test Reflect
Thank youThank you
• Questions?Questions?