Reaffirming a proud tradition

Abstract

Although the term ‘lifelong learning’ has a long and distinguished history, for many people it has erroneously been thought of as a synonym for adult education or, more particularly, for selfdirected learning. In recent years, however, there has been a recognition that it includes all aspects of education and training–formal, non-formal and informal–at all ages and stages of life, irrespective of where it occurs or who organizes it. As part of this recognition, universities and other institutions of higher education have had to consider their place within the total domain of lifelong learning. Broadly speaking, there are two aspects to this: the steps they might take to produce lifelong learners, and those that they can take–both administratively and pedagogically–to support and encourage lifelong learning itself. In relation to the first of these issues, this article considers five facets of the undergraduate experience in particular: the content of the curriculum, the structure of the curriculum, teaching methods, assessment approaches and the place of student support services. With respect to the broader question of supporting and encouraging lifelong learning more generally, the article considers a range of approaches involving institutional linkages: ‘vertically’ to the school and adult education sectors;‘sideways’ to learning which occurs in the home, workplace or community; and ‘forwards’ to embrace students’ post-graduation learning experiences, including their participation in further formal study. It is concluded that lifelong learning not only provides a valuable unifying theme for the current work of universities, but that historically it has been the mandate of universities to provide lifelong learning opportunities for members of their communities.

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