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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?