Lifelong learning

Date: January 13th

Location: Your couch! See your e-mail for the Zoom link!

Directions: See your e-mail for tips for signing into Zoom!

Today's lesson is adapted from a lesson written by Mary Burns.

Long after we leave the formal classroom, we continue to seek opportunities and experiences that advance knowledge, skill, and personal growth. During our professional working years, there are often opportunities to advance one’s professional knowledge, often tied to a work based reward (higher pay, promotion, esteem). After people leave the workforce, they often yearn for the experience and satisfaction of learning. Learning throughout your life, or, embracing lifelong learning, benefits everyone. In this lesson we will examine the effect of learning on both individuals and communities.

What makes a lifelong learner?

Lifelong learners embrace learning at all stages of their lives and in all forms, including:

• Formal opportunities to learn - they take pottery classes, language classes, go back to school to obtain a degree.

• Informal opportunities to learn - they read articles, books, listen to podcasts, and engage with interesting people to learn more about what interests them.

• Continuous forms of learning - they know they can seek out information and learning in a variety of ways, including the internet, to get more information.

• Tailoring learning to their season - they recognize the type of information they need for their current state of life. A new teacher might look for free resources as they begin working, while an older learner might turn to the internet or the library, rather than returning to school for a degree.

What does a lifelong learner look like?

In 2016, The Pew Research Center found that 74% of American adults consider themselves personal learners, meaning that they have participated in at least one of a variety of activities to advance their knowledge. These activities include reading, taking courses, or attending meetings tied to their personal interests. This research also found that the personal learners

· Personal learners were more likely to go to a local location, such as a high school, place of worship or library than to go to the Internet

· A majority (80%) of personal learners gave wanting to learn something to make their life more interesting and fuller as a reason for lifelong learning. Other reasons included learning something to help others (64%), something to fill the time (60%), turn a hobby into income (36%) and/or wanting to learn so they could help children with their schoolwork (33%)

The study also looked at some of the rewards linked to lifelong learning with the personal learners. Personal learners reported that their learning activities helped them to feel more well-rounded and capable (87%), improved perspective on life (69%), helped to make more friends (64%), helped them to connect to the local community (58%) and prompted them to get more involved in volunteer opportunities (43%).

Research reported other findings related to lifelong learning:

· Factors such as education, household income and internet connection play a role in pursuing education. Adults without access to technology and less education are less likely to pursue education.

· General demographic of the personal learner includes college degrees or more (87%), household income in excess of $75,000 (83%), smartphone and broadband connection (82%), personal perception of themselves as lifelong learners and open to new opportunities (77%), and Caucasian (79%).

Why all the interest in lifelong learning? The research from the Pew Center suggests a number of factors which may be involved including:

· The Internet (learning things just for enrichment)

· A “knowledge economy”, where knowledge is worth money

· A desire to stay relevant in the changing environment

· Wanting to grow as a person, and gather as much information as possible

Lifelong learning transforms the individual and the community, socially and cognitively. An Osher LIfelong Learning Institute study outlined the positive benefits of lifelong learning when they studied a group of older women in an institution devoted to lifelong learning. The benefits included:

• Preventing decline of cognitive skills

• Heightening quality of life and life satisfaction

• Growth of social relationships along with intellectual stimulation

• Sense of belonging, enhanced self-esteem and spiritual renewal

A key element of the lifelong learning experience is the sense of community, a feeling of belonging with a faith that the learner’s needs will be met. A thriving and social community encourages more interaction among members. The community was mentioned many times in the study as a positive result of lifelong learning. We know from our look at social connection, just how much community can impact our brains and overall health, so these benefits come as no surprise.

https://theartofeducation.edu/2018/01/25/means-lifelong-learner/

Ezeofor, O. (2016, February). Benefits of Lifelong Learning. Retrieved from Lern.org: https://lern.org/article/benefits-of-lifelong-learning/

Horrigan, J. (2016, March 22). Lifelong Learning and Technology. Retrieved from pewinternet.org: https://www.pewinternet.org/2016/03/22/lifelong-learning-and-technology/

Horrigan, J. (2016, March 22). The joy and urgency of learning. Retrieved from pewinternet.org: https://www.pewinternet.org/2016/03/22/the-joy-and-urgency-of-learning/

Laal, M. (2011, December). Lifelong Learning: What does it mean? Retrieved from researchgate.net: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/224767020_Lifelong_Learning_What_does_it_Mean

Lifelong Learning and the Plastic Brain. (2018, February). Retrieved from cam.ac.uk: https://www.cam.ac.uk/research/features/lifelong-learning-and-the-plastic-brain

Mark, R. e. (2016, November). Learning Later: responding to the evolving educational. Retrieved from pascalobservatory.org: http://pascalobservatory.org/sites/default/files/briefing_paper_13_mark_english.pdf

Pstross, M. e. (2017, January). In search of transformative moments:. Retrieved from repository.asu.edu: https://repository.asu.edu/attachments/189880/content/In%20search%20of%20transformative_2017.pdf

Talmage, C. e. (2018, October 29). The Social and Cognitive Transformation of Older Adult Women: an Analysis of Community Well-Being for a University-Based Lifelong Learning Community. Retrieved from link.springer.com: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs42413-018-0003-3