What is lifelong learning, and how you can become a lifelong learner?
I’ve written this article because, after years of studying learning and how we learn as adults, I know that learning is more than the association with the school. So this article aims to provide an overview of what lifelong learning is, its benefits, what it means to be a lifelong learner, and how to become one.
The idea of lifelong learning envisions citizens provided with learning opportunities at all ages and in numerous contexts: At work, at home, and through leisure activities, not just through formal channels such as school and higher education.
Lifelong learning joins the list of terms with no strict definitions, such as “adult education” and “continuing education” – they do not have a cohesive history. However, we must keep in mind that most of the developments in adult education happened in the nineteenth century and later.
Well, let’s start with the beginning but without going too much into history. First, however, it is essential to understand the past behind it.
It all started when the world had to rebuild itself after the second world war. One of the questions raised back then was how to get our people trained?
So, scattered groups dedicated to, or responsible for, adult education sprang up in Europe during the Industrial Revolution. This was due to the emerging need to educate the working class in specific vocational skills.
Time passed, and industrialisation required more skilled workers. Moreover, as technology has advanced, leading workers have to continue to update their skills and knowledge. And advances in technologies wasnæt the only motivation. The increasing consciousness of the rights of all people to have a chance to fulfil their potential was another reason.
And that brings greater happiness and satisfaction to individuals. Plus, at the same time, this benefits society as a whole. Because supporting the development of each member of society in ways that allow them to contribute more fully and effectively to their community, is vitally important to the success of a society.
Fast-forward throughout the decades and in the 1972 Faure publication Learning to Be, the 4 pillars of lifelong education were conceptualised. Later on (1996) in the EU Delors Report were adapted to lifelong learning.
What is the Faure Publication?
It is the report of the International Commission on the Development of Education, set up at the beginning of 1971 and chaired by Edgar Faure. The report aims to assist governments in formulating national strategies for developing education in a changing universe. The publication emphasises the opportunity for self-actualisation of every individual and the need for life-long education, among other demands.
What is the Delors Report?
In 1996 Delors Commission (the administration of Jacques Delors, the 8th President of the European Commission) published the Delors Report proposing an integrated vision of education based on two key concepts – learning throughout life (a.k.a. lifelong learning) and the four pillars of learning.
Here are the four key pillars of learning are:
- Learning to know
- Learning to do
- Learning to be
- Learning to live together
You’d be tempted to think that once all these concepts are proposed and discussed, they’ll soon be implemented into national education strategies. At least, when I first studied the history of adult education in my masters, I remember that I was intrigued. So I dug in, and I realised that, unfortunately, and four decades later, the reality is that they are not.
The reasons can vary, from country to country, from lack of resources (policies, financial, etc.) to lack of vision and structure. Finland educational success of today is actually the result of a long time plan that started around six decades ago. They decided to look at their educational system as the key propellent of their economic recovery plan.
Anyway, when it comes to lifelong learning, you must know that it varies from person to person. However, an accepted definition is that lifelong learning is the “ongoing, voluntary, and self-motivated” pursuit of knowledge for personal or professional reasons.
And as lifelong learning is “lifelong, life-wide, voluntary, and self-motivated”, learning to learn becomes a pre-condition for lifelong learning.
Furthermore, learning to learn is learning how to recognise learning strategies and monitor and evaluate learning, for which metacognition is an essential first step in developing lifelong learning.
There are many ways to continue learning throughout life. But, unfortunately, many of us don’t recognise when we’re engaging in a lifelong learning process. Funny.
Why is that? Because often we associate the word learning with school or formal education. We aren’t looking at learning as a lifelong process. And when you think that we develop and grow thanks to our ability to learn, isn’t it weird that we limit the learning process only to school and academia? The ability to learn is part of what it means to be human.
Remember that we have a natural curiosity, and we are natural learners.
For example, as kids, we learn to talk, walk, swim, or ride a bike. As adults, we learn how to use a smartphone or cook a new dish.
These are only a few examples of the everyday lifelong learning we engage in on a daily basis, either through socialisation, trial and error, or self-initiated study.
The trick is finding the one learning approach, system or process that’s right for you.
What means to be a lifelong learner?
Many people say they’re lifelong learners, but their actual behaviour doesn’t always meet the standard. As stated above, lifelong learning is the ongoing, voluntary, and self-motivated pursuit of knowledge for personal or professional reasons.
Being a lifelong learner means you have a growth mindset and an innate curiosity about the world. You’re constantly pushing to find more by way of new challenges, ideas, and experiences. You’re reading books, learning new skills, and honing your expertise.
Lifelong learners invent and reinvent themselves whenever they find or create the opportunity. As a result, lifelong learners are in a never-ending pursuit to be the best, most well-rounded version of themselves, personally and professionally.
Three benefits of lifelong learning and becoming a lifelong learner
Becoming a lifelong learner will benefit your life in more ways than you might initially expect.
Benefit no. 1: Increased employability
The world is changing at a rate we’ve never seen before. Before we know it, the work will look and feel very different from what it is. I’d argue that 2020 is one of the most significant recent proof of how quickly the world can change. This new world requires lifelong learning, skills development and the mastery of new technologies.
Have you noticed how every job description lists growth mindset requirements, interest in growing, learning, etc.? When hiring, companies want to find someone who knows how to do the job and is committed to continuous growth and development to keep up with the changes. Keeping learning allows you to better adapt to your employer’s needs as things change over time. This translates into greater success, more promotions, and a better salary as employers see how valuable you are.
Benefit no. 2: The way you see yourself and the world
To understand different people and their points of view, learning how to think differently is essential. It will help you build stronger relationships and develop greater social awareness.
Learning new things will also help you get a better idea of who you are and what you have to offer. You will probably be surprised at what you can achieve.
Benefit no. 3: A better life
Learning will help you live a fuller and more multidimensional life for longer. Research shows that the more you learn, the greater your cognitive abilities will be as you get older. Lifelong learning can help prevent age-related memory loss, reduce your risk of Alzheimer’s, and prepare you to face new challenges as you age.
How to become a lifelong learner?
- Acknowledge your own personal interests and goals
Lifelong learning is all about you and nothing about what others want. So take the time to reflect on what you’re passionate about and what you envision for your future.
- Write down on a list what you would like to learn or be able to do
Once you’ve identified what motivates you, explore what is about that particular interest or goal you want to achieve.
- Identify how to get started and the resources available
Achieving our personal goals begins with figuring out how to get started. Researching and reading about the interest and goal can help to formulate how to go about learning it.
- Integrate the learning goal into your life
Adding a new learning goal into your already busy life can take some consideration and effort. But, if you don’t make time and space for it, it won’t happen, which can easily lead to discouragement or even quitting the learning initiative altogether.
That’s the part when you need to plan out how the requirements of your new learning initiative can fit into your life and what you need to do to make it work. Then, understanding the time and space, you can devote to your brand new learning goal can help you stick with the plan in the long run.
- Make a commitment
The final and vital step is to commit to your decision to engage in a new learning activity. Furthermore, if you’ve set realistic expectations and have the self-motivation to see it through, commit to it and avoid making excuses.
On the last note …
If you’re looking for a boost in your personal and professional life, the best method to ensure you end up with something that lets you achieve success is by looking for these things:
- Make sure you are aware of how you learn anything. If you’re not mindful, you’ll have trouble learning in a way that serves you.
- Ensure your learning strategy has a clear goal so you can define a good learning process.
- Any good learning process should let you know at any time why and how you learn. This is important because being aware of your learning is what will boost your success.
If you need help with becoming a lifelong learner, reach out to me. If you need help designing your teaching or training skills so that you promote lifelong learning principles and mindset, let’s talk.
I’m on a mission to raise awareness about lifelong learning, promote adult learning principles and help others become lifelong learners. I believe that engaging actively in lifelong learning and being aware of how we learn is crucial for our personal and professional growth.
If you enjoyed reading this article, I’d love to find out What learning means to you? You can either leave a comment under this blog or share your answer across your social profiles. And when you do that, please remember to tag me on Instagram (@llifelonglearning_coach).
