The Lifelong Learning Shift:Five Stories of Innovation

P/TDEA Annual Meeting - Oct 1st, 2008, Quebec

Samantha Slade

The Lifelong Learning Shift

“Change, rapid, all-pervasive and ensuing for many, is the basic driving force of the last years of the 20th century, and the progenitor of the need for lifelong learning. It is not an ephemeral trend. New developments in technology will cause it to accelerate over the coming years and affect the lives of more and more people, whether or not they like it. Only a major human catastrophe can slow it down. Educational structure cannot resist its progress, they will have to accomodate it and prepare individuals for it, by themselves embracing and welcoming the new contents, methodologies and approaches.”

Norman Longworth, Making Lifelong Learning Work, 1999

21st Century Learners

- admit that automation, the outsourcing of jobs, increased centralization, immigration, and digital social networks are proving to have both positive and negative implications.- expect openness, options, and flexibility towards differing perspectives at school and at work. - have high expectations regarding the relevance and meaning of their learning- desire a sense of engagement in what they are doing- will not self-identify by their jobs

P/TDEA Opening speech, Oct. 2007

Call to change, innovation, leadership...

Write down an innovative initiativetowards the lifelong learning shift

and 21st century learners,that has inspired you in the past ten

years.

Five Stories of Innovation

1. Learning cities/Learning regions2. The whole learner3. Empowering the individual4. The connected learner5. Lifelong learning competence

By Tanakawho, Flickr.com

1. Learning Cities/Learning Regions

Partnering and networking so

educational, social and economic agencies unite

their resources to address a common action:

lifelong learning, social inclusion, economic growth, community

development, intercultural harmony etc.

Vitality – Stability – of a region

By Steve Jurvetson, Flickr.com

1. Learning Cities/Learning Regions

Personal portal for immigrants in the region of Laval, Quebec

Supporting language learning and social and professional integration

percolab.com

1. Learning Cities/Learning Regions

2. The “Whole” Learner

Education institutions are striving to “reach out” to the person who is the learner, by

Integrating the learner's passions, experiences beyond

the school, their origins, etc. and supporting the learner

develop coherence in vision, values and actions

Flickr.com

2. The “Whole” Learner

Transformation strategy: ePortfolio to link classroom learning with lived experience, La Guardia Community College (Queens, New York)

2. The “Whole” Learner

“Analysis of five years of eportfolio use provides evidence to support the following findings: (1)eportfolio can be successful in a large, urban community college with high risk students; (2) highrisk students engage more deeply and effectively with eportfolios leading to measurableimprovement in student learning outcomes; (3) balancing student ownership and programassessment is challenging: and (4) all-college eportfolios can be transformative.”

Research Findings BE draft 10.17.06

3. Empowering the individual

In globalised knowledge economies, workers are less

and less “affiliation” and more and more mobile:

individuals needs to manage their own learning and their

career development. The “system” is adjusting policies and providing the means for

the individual. By Hamed saber, Flickr.com

3. Empowering the individual

ePortfolio and online coaches for all citizens to manage their professional development and careers,

Netherlands (2009)

3. Empowering the individual

“ Every member of the labour force will be entitled to a digital e-portfolio, i.e. an electronic inventory of their competencies, diplomas, experience, and accreditation of prior learning (APL). This will give people a better understanding of their position on the labour market and their career prospects, and of any need they have for further training.” Towards a Future that Works, Netherlands

4. The connected learner

“At its heart, connectivism is the thesis that

knowledge is distributed across a network of

connections, and therefore that learning

consists of the ability to construct and traverse

those networks.”http://halfanhour.blogspot.com/2007/02/what-connectivism-is.html

percolab.com

4. The connected learner

MOOC: Massive Open Online Course or Meta-connectivism course, University of Manitoba

4. The connected learner

The ability to work together well, to collaborate and contribute successfully and harmoniously to team work is the “hottest” skill in the labour market. Our world is more and more complex; working well on your own is no longer enough..

5. Lifelong learning competence

Competence is more than curriculum, it includes technical

(field specific) competence,

“essential” and work-based competence

(generic) and learning to learn competence.

By Laszlo Ilyes, Flickr.com

5. Lifelong learning competence

Action-based, real-life team learning towards personal projects (Team Academy, Finland, Team Factory

France... )

5. Lifelong learning competence

It is about a new vision of society: creative, innovative, networked individuals who enjoy learning and are self-aware and self-directed, responsible for their personal and professional well-being.

In your perspective, what are the common links in these

initiatives? What makes them innovative?

Five Stories of Innovation

1. Learning Cities/Learning Regions2. The whole learner3. Empowering the individual4. The connected learner5. Towards competency

By Tanakawho, Flickr.com

Our responses•competence through collaboration – via a portal•open access•goals are individually driven•breaking barriers and connecting to real life experience•off-track – novel approach•accommodate masses of people•risk taking•empowerment of individuals•different sources to the initiatives, network base - partnerships•connectivity•technology – online environments•learning by living•non-age specific•systems thinking•from teacher to coach or facilitator

References

Ron Faris, Learning Cities: Optimizing Economic and Social Well-being through Lifelong Learning for All , November 2007http://www.ccl-cca.ca/cgi-bin/MsmGo.exe?grab_id=0&page_id=423&query=faris&hiword=FARISS%20faris CLI Composite Learning Index, http://search.ccl-cca.ca/CCL/Reports/CLI/?Language=EN Pascal - Place Management, Social Capital and Learning Regions : . http://www.obs-pascal.com/ La Guardia Community College http://www.eportfolio.lagcc.cuny.edu/ Towards a Future that Works http://community.tas3.eu/profiles/blog/show?id=2169626%3ABlogPost%3A289 MOOC: Massive Open Online Course : http://ltc.umanitoba.ca:83/wiki/Connectivism Team Academy http://www.teamacademy.net/en/index.php and Team Factory

Thanking you!

Samantha Sladeemail: sam@percolab.com

ePortfolio: samanthaslade.ca/wikiWeb site: percolab.com

Presentations: http://www.slideshare.net/sam5

http://www.slideshare.net/sam5