Lifewide Learning and Education in Universities:
Concepts, Challenges and Practices
Norman J Jackson
Most people are familiar with the idea of 'lifelong learning', the developmental journey we all make through the sequential stages of life from childhood to adulthood, middle and into old age. Each stage of our life has different expectations and requirements, opportunities and challenges for learning and personal development. When viewed at this scale, for most people, formal education occupies only a relatively small part of their lifelong learning and development activity. The vast majority of their lifespan is conducted in the domain of informal experiential learning, personal development and achievement rather than in formal educational settings. This fact is something that until the present decade higher education has tended to ignore. It is ironic that one of the most important things higher education can do to prepare adult learners for learning in the rest of their lives is to pay greater attention to the informal dimension of their learning lives while they are studying at university. By equipping them with tools that enhance their self-awareness, by encouraging attitudes that view life experiences as opportunities for learning and development and by valuing and recognising learning and development gained through all life experience, universities can greatly enhance individuals' preparedness for learning in the rest of their life.
The concept of 'lifewide learning' recognises that most people, no matter what their age or circumstances, simultaneously inhabit a number of different spaces – like work or education, running a home, being a member of a family and or caring for others, being involved in a club or society, travelling and taking holidays and looking after their own wellbeing mentally, physically and spiritually. We live out our lives in these different parallel spaces so the timeframes of our lifelong journey and the multiple spaces and timeframes of day to day existence intermingle and accumulate and who we are and who we are becoming are the consequences of this intermingling.
Support for lifewide education, which recognises lifewide learning and personal development, has grown rapidly in UK HE in the last few there are now over 80 schemes in operation. The speed of growth and diversity of approaches used by higher education institutions to recognise students' development and achievement beyond the academic curriculum appears to be unique to the UK suggesting that particular educational, economic and political reasons are causing this change.
In my presentation I will explore the concepts of lifewide learning and personal learning ecologies and show through case studies how different universities are adapting and innovating to embrace the idea of a lifewide curriculum and overcome some of the challenges to implementing these ideas.
Background paper
Jackson, N.J. (2014) Lifewide Learning and Education in Universities and Colleges: Concepts and Conceptual Aids. Chapter 1 In N.J.Jackson and J.Willis (eds) Lifewide Learning and Education in Universities and Colleges available at http://www.learninglives.co.uk/e-book.html
See also
Lifewide Magazine
Lifewide Learning and Education in Universities and Colleges e-book
Powerpoint Presentation
Concepts, Challenges and Practices
Norman J Jackson
Most people are familiar with the idea of 'lifelong learning', the developmental journey we all make through the sequential stages of life from childhood to adulthood, middle and into old age. Each stage of our life has different expectations and requirements, opportunities and challenges for learning and personal development. When viewed at this scale, for most people, formal education occupies only a relatively small part of their lifelong learning and development activity. The vast majority of their lifespan is conducted in the domain of informal experiential learning, personal development and achievement rather than in formal educational settings. This fact is something that until the present decade higher education has tended to ignore. It is ironic that one of the most important things higher education can do to prepare adult learners for learning in the rest of their lives is to pay greater attention to the informal dimension of their learning lives while they are studying at university. By equipping them with tools that enhance their self-awareness, by encouraging attitudes that view life experiences as opportunities for learning and development and by valuing and recognising learning and development gained through all life experience, universities can greatly enhance individuals' preparedness for learning in the rest of their life.
The concept of 'lifewide learning' recognises that most people, no matter what their age or circumstances, simultaneously inhabit a number of different spaces – like work or education, running a home, being a member of a family and or caring for others, being involved in a club or society, travelling and taking holidays and looking after their own wellbeing mentally, physically and spiritually. We live out our lives in these different parallel spaces so the timeframes of our lifelong journey and the multiple spaces and timeframes of day to day existence intermingle and accumulate and who we are and who we are becoming are the consequences of this intermingling.
Support for lifewide education, which recognises lifewide learning and personal development, has grown rapidly in UK HE in the last few there are now over 80 schemes in operation. The speed of growth and diversity of approaches used by higher education institutions to recognise students' development and achievement beyond the academic curriculum appears to be unique to the UK suggesting that particular educational, economic and political reasons are causing this change.
In my presentation I will explore the concepts of lifewide learning and personal learning ecologies and show through case studies how different universities are adapting and innovating to embrace the idea of a lifewide curriculum and overcome some of the challenges to implementing these ideas.
Background paper
Jackson, N.J. (2014) Lifewide Learning and Education in Universities and Colleges: Concepts and Conceptual Aids. Chapter 1 In N.J.Jackson and J.Willis (eds) Lifewide Learning and Education in Universities and Colleges available at http://www.learninglives.co.uk/e-book.html
See also
Lifewide Magazine
Lifewide Learning and Education in Universities and Colleges e-book
Powerpoint Presentation
| st_marys_presentation.pdf |
Example of a student engaged in lifewide learning and personal development
Students engaged in challenging lifewide learning experiences volunteering in Uganda
Ecology and society as living systems Dr Robert Ulanowirz