Provision Of Lifelong Learning Research Articles

Longitudinal Assessment to Evaluate Continued Certification and Lifelong Learning in Healthcare Professionals: A Scoping Review.

The balance of lifelong learning with assessment for continued certification is a challenge faced by healthcare professions. The value of single-point-in-time assessments has been questioned, and a shift to longitudinal assessments (LA) has been undertaken to assess lifelong learning over-time. This scoping review was conducted to inform healthcare certifying organizations who are considering LA as an assessment tool of competence and lifelong learning in healthcare professionals. A search of 6 databases and grey literature yielded 957 articles. After screening and removal of duplicates, 14 articles were included. Most articles were background studies informing the underpinnings of LA in the form of progress testing, pilot studies, and process of implementation. Progress testing is used in educational settings. Pilot studies reported satisfaction with LA's ease of use, online format, and provision of lifelong learning. Implementation processes reveal that key aspects of success include stakeholder participation, phased rollout, and a publicly available content outline. Initial outcomes data affirm that LA addresses knowledge gaps, and results in improved performance on maintenance of certification exams. Future research is needed to substantiate validity evidence of LA and its correlation with high-stakes exam performance when assessing lifelong learning and continued competence of healthcare professionals over time.

Higher Education in Challenging Times

Growing insecurity in contemporary society has helped make lifelong learning a prominent feature of postmodern discourses on education and society. As an independent discourse, lifelong learning has generated diversified learning contexts and a proliferation of education provision, issuing a serious challenge to traditional formal and institutional models of education. As a result, higher education, long enclosed in an ivory tower of elitist scholarship and accessible to only a few privileged individuals, has started to change course and open up to non-traditional disciplines, learners, and students. The trend to massification has pushed it to embrace students of various backgrounds and levels of academic preparedness. Policies have been created that facilitate implementation of higher education’s “lifelong dimension”, just as models have been designed that fit programs ranging from vocational to liberaleducation. This paper applies this framework to examine models for incorporating lifelong learning provision into Islamic education at tertiary level. Concluding remarks stress the significance of lifelong learning opportunities in Islamic education, especially given current demand for higher education as a way to meet the diverse needs of society and the public promptly.

Analyzing Students’ Needs for Better Information Literacy In The 21st Century

Mastery of information literacy skills has been proven to be important in the era of globalization. Hence the information literacy training is an activity that should be followed by every student. Information literacy skills are also a provision of lifelong learning. The researcher demonstrates the requirements of information literacy in the 21st century. This purpose is to analyze the information literacy in 21st century that the English students should have. This research used a qualitative approach. In addition, this research used a critical literature review as a method for undertaking the data. The researcher presents the information literacy needs in the 21st century. Several criteria were generated to help the researcher to find out the relevant literature and research of information literacy. After conducting the critical literature review of generating the requirements of information literacy in the 21st century, the findings of the research are there are two dimensions (skills and competencies) that should be considered

The Urgency of Life-Long Learning for Students in Biology Learning

Education is a need for every child to have insight and hope for goals because basics education is helpful until the end of life. The existence of life-long learning indicators is very relevant to be applied by students in learning biology. These indicators include complex thinking, information processing, effective communication, collaboration/cooperation, and thinking habits. This study aims to determine the urgency of providing life-long learning for students in biology learning. The research method uses qualitative methods, the research instrument used in this study is a questionnaire. The results showed that the student's response was in the high category with a percentage of 60%, which means that students already understand the concept of life-long learning but have not applied it in their daily lives. 60.9% of students responded that life-long learning had not been implemented in biology learning at school and agreed if it was applied in biology learning. Therefore, the provision of life-long learning for students in biology learning is considered very important to apply.

Lifelong learning policies for vulnerable young adults in post-recession Scotland

This article shows how the Scottish Government’s (SG) political management of the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) has reinforced the economic goals of lifelong learning (LLL) under the skills for work agenda. Youth unemployment has been prioritized as the main social problem to be addressed, and most of the limited public resources for LLL have been targeted towards youth at risk of unemployment at the expense of the rest of the adult population. The article adopts a Cultural Political Economy perspective to examine LLL policy discourses contained in 12 policy documents published by the SG during the period between the Scottish National Party’s arrival in power and the Independence Referendum (2007–2014). The analysis draws attention to the fact that the GFC has been used by the SG to legitimize selective cuts to the further education sector as well as a stronger labour market orientation within LLL provision.

Going back to school - An opportunity for lifelong learning for people with dementia in Denmark (Innovative practice).

The provision of lifelong learning for older people is often promoted as a way of engaging socially and maintaining cognitive function. The concept is also used with people with dementia, but is often limited to short-term programmes. Innovative practice from Denmark takes this concept further, offering people with early stage dementia the opportunity to return to school to attend classes in cognitive training, music, art and woodcraft. A pilot study conducted by the school of teaching and communication (Voksenskolen For Undervisning og Kommunikation) offers evidence for the benefits of prolonged educational programmes for people with dementia in maintaining decision-making, cognitive function and social interactions, with limited evidence of the impact on memory. Further evidence is required to understand the impact of a person with dementia attending school as a student and to understand if this concept is transferrable to a different cultural setting.

Lifelong learning, income inequality and social mobility in Singapore

Singapore has been assigned the role of a ‘model’ nation state primarily for two reasons: its rapid rate of economic growth and its outstanding performance on cross-national tests of educational achievement, such as PISA. This has resulted in advocates of reform citing it as illustrating ‘best practices’, especially in the field of education, and it has more generally been viewed as demonstrating the benefits of economic globalization. This paper analyses from a comparative perspective the more problematic and relatively unexplored third dimension of being a model ‘global’ nation, namely its impact on income inequality and the quality of citizens’ life. We focus on the role of the system of lifelong learning which was designed generally to upgrade the skills of the workforce and specifically to provide low-paid/skilled workers with opportunities to improve incomes and enhance their socio-economic mobility. We demonstrate that despite the remarkable economic growth at a national level and the significant expansion of lifelong learning provision, productivity rates have not improved, income inequality has increased, social mobility has declined and the ‘quality of life’ is, in comparative terms, poor.

Вклад компаний в накопление человеческого капитала: межстрановый анализ

In this article, the mechanism of human capital accumulation is explored as an example of the participation of the economically active adult population in the main forms of lifelong learning. Demand for expanding lifelong activities is expressed by those employers who are concerned about the development of sustainable skills and upgrading the qualifications of their employees at companies. This process is driven by companies engaged in innovation activity. Russia has a high position in the world if the criterion for assessment is the level of formal education of employees, but Russian employees improve their professional knowledge and skills through lifelong learning less actively than employees in the EU. According to the results of the surveys, the gap between the rates of participation in lifelong learning of top and middle managers and the rates of participation of other employees is quite dramatic, and it demonstrates a failure in exchanging and transferring new knowledge and skills in Russian companies. In its turn, such a disproportionate state creates an obstacle for innovation activity in companies. In this article, we will discuss some state and corporate compensatory measures aimed at adjusting the extreme inequality in the education and training of employees. A higher return on investment in training can be achieved only by the harmonization of advanced knowledge of top and middle managers, who are most actively participating in lifelong learning, with a process of training other employees at companies. Middle managers are considered a key element, a sort of proponent of such a knowledge and skills exchange system, because they act as a mentors for workers.The paper’s core is comparative analysis of international surveys and a survey of Russian employers in six sectors of economy as a part of project “Monitoring of education markets and organizations,” which was initiated by the Russian Ministry of Education and Science and was conducted by National Research University HSE and Levada Center. In the paper we estimate the educational capital of top and middle managers and their rate of participation in lifelong training compared with the rate for employees occupying lower positions and evaluate Russian employers’ contribution to the provision of lifelong learning for employees in comparison with their colleagues from countries in the EU and OECD.

Enhancing post-disaster reconstruction capacity through lifelong learning in higher education

Purpose – Due to the complexities involved in disasters and due to the peculiar nature of post-disaster reconstruction, built environment professionals require continuous updating of their skills and knowledge to contribute effectively to disaster resilience. The purpose of this paper is to identify the ways in which higher education institutions (HEIs) can address this need through the provision of lifelong learning. Design/methodology/approach – This paper is based on both a literature review and on empirical evidence obtained through interviews, a workshop and group validation. Findings – The challenges faced by HEIs in accommodating lifelong learning are presented. Furthermore, good practice guidelines are provided to enable HEIs to respond effectively to industry requirements; to provide lifelong learning via through-life studentship; to promote collaboration amongst HEIs, industries, professional bodies and communities, and to promote the adoption, diffusion and exploitation of the latest learning and teaching technologies. Research limitations/implications – The empirical focus of the research is limited to three EU countries, namely UK, Lithuania and Estonia. This paper focuses on role of HEIs in enhancing the disaster risk reduction (DRR) capacity in the built environment, especially at the stage of post-disaster reconstruction. Practical implications – The recommendations provided on good practice suggest how HEIs can integrate disaster related knowledge into their curriculum faster than previously and how they are able to assist their educators and learners in building up their knowledge base on a continuous basis. Social implications – Capacity building in enhancing DRR during the post-disaster reconstruction stage through the provision of lifelong learning will create social implications within the responsiveness of built environment professionals to cater for disaster resilience. Originality/value – The appropriateness of lifelong learning as an approach to disaster management education is justified. The challenges HEIs face in accommodating lifelong learning and the recommendations on good practice guidelines in order to make the HEIs more responsive to educational needs are discussed.

Lifelong Learning and ICTs

The purpose of this paper is to present a review of sample papers that have been published from 2003-2013 regarding lifelong learning and ICT. The use of ICT in lifelong learning is viewed in relation to different settings of learning i.e. formal, informal and non-formal learning, with special reference to the third-age. A special focus is also given on the technologies and specific tools which are used for the provision of lifelong learning. The role of ICT networks, web technologies in e-learning, mobile learning tools and virtual worlds as facilitators of knowledge sharing in all types of learning settings is examined.

The Need of Lifelong Learning towards Learning Community Development in Malaysia

Globalization and technological changes demand the countries to seek for economic-based knowledge for economic survival purposes.to ensure their economic survival purposes. A mechanism to do that is through the active promotion and provision of lifelong learning. Malaysia is one of those countries that have been vigorously doing that. In a mission to achieve vision 2020, it is essential lifelong learning be adopted as a New National Agenda in achieving the nation's human capital development. In building the human capital development, students need to be engaged in learning community's environment. Learning communities operationalize a constructivist approach to knowledge (Cross, 1998), whereby knowledge is not simply “discovered” but is socially constructed. As a result, rather than authority (instructor) transmitting information, students actively construct and assimilate knowledge through a reciprocal process (Bruffee, 1995; Schon, 1995; Whipple, 1987). Hence, this paper will discuss the importance of lifelong learning community development in Malaysia.

Workplace learning as a linchpin of Europe's lifelong learning policy

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the extent to which workplace learning forms a building block in national lifelong learning policies by obtaining evidence, first-hand, from mental health practitioners about their perceptions of their individual country's national lifelong learning policy and, in particular, its application to adults with long-term mental illness. Design/methodology/approach – Text analysis: review of relevant literature and European Union policy documents and survey questionnaire. Findings – It is evident that the use of workplace learning as a linchpin in national strategies for lifelong learning in Denmark and France is clear and empirically supported. Research limitations/implications – Comparative evidence of evaluations of impact and effectiveness of workplace lifelong learning provision in the two countries examined is patchy at best raising further questions about the “value” of investments in both workplace learning and lifelong learning in these countries. Practical implications – There is a risk that by focusing on jobs and workplace learning, the specific needs and desires of people with mental illness who, in the main, might want to engage in lifelong learning for reasons other than jobs and workplace learning, may end up being disadvantaged as their (non-economic) needs go unmet. Originality/value – Until now there has been little or no attempt to examine Europe's conception of lifelong learning policy and its application to a multiple disadvantaged group such as mental health service users. This is a major attempt to remedy current dearth of research in the area.

What is the current status of revalidation in urology?

The aim of revalidation (or maintenance of certification) is to reassure patients, the general public, employers and other healthcare professionals that an individual is fit to practice. It may lead to a reduction in near misses or adverse events. The process of revalidation entails a commitment to the provision of lifelong learning and assessment of clinical practice that ultimately ensure patient safety. Lifelong learning addresses knowledge and skills, whereas assessment of clinical practice ensures quality of care. Various learning and assessment tools are available in clinical practice; however, the tools for revalidation are not validated at specialist level. Further research is needed to develop and implement evidence-based structured programmes of revalidation that consider the holistic needs of modern urologists.

E‐mentoring for e‐learning development

Creating new distance e‐learning modules requires considerable staff expertise. To help develop and expand this, mentoring holds promise. However, in lifelong learning provision, potential module creators are often very distant from potential mentors and asynchronously available. E‐mentoring might overcome these logistical constraints. This study explored the viability and effectiveness of e‐mentoring for an e‐learning module development within arts and humanities. Over two phases of implementation, participants were supported by face‐to‐face (FtF) training meetings, linked with a Web‐based chat room facility. Mentors had eight paid hours per year per mentee, for email, telephone and/or FtF contact. Evaluation was based upon e‐questionnaire feedback and FtF interviews with mentors and mentees, with assessment of quality of new modules by programme leaders. It was concluded that e‐mentoring offers a promising but not straightforward socio‐technical solution for developing new distance e‐learning modules. Effective e‐mentoring for this purpose should involve systematic induction, mapping all support channels, needs assessment, differentiation and blended forms of communication.

‘The planet will not survive if it’s not a learning planet’: sustainable development within learning through life

This review analyses the report Learning through Life from the point of view of the sustainable development theme and from a ‘South‘ perspective. The review recognises that the report is written to influence UK policy‐makers and practitioners; it has captured the results of a broad‐based inquiry, and it therefore has had to proceed within that remit. It introduces some refreshing and innovative ideas to shift the terms in which lifelong learning is considered to be more integrated across the lifespan in the UK. It has located the discussions broadly within the national and global financial and environmental crises and has offered suggestions for ways to encourage individual and collective engagement with lifelong learning as integral to a form of sustainable development. It has implicitly offered a ‘critique’ of the current provision of lifelong learning within the contemporary economic and political conditions rather than a ‘critical’ analysis that explicitly advocates radically different ways of being and doing business in the UK and globally. Given the extraordinary times within which we are living and the heightened awareness of the need for bold planetary responses to the economic, political and environmental conditions around the world, the report does not offer ‘a great leap forward’ but rather offers what have been referred to as ‘momentary palliatives for immediate pain’ that are not in themselves ‘steps towards creating the new successor system that we want’. However, these are not to be sneered at, but to be worked with alongside deep engagement in both debates and experimentation in the search for alternatives that can produce a more democratic, egalitarian learning planet, which can sustain life for centuries to come.

Lifelong learning across cultures: an examination of learning provision for a particularly disadvantaged group

This paper examines adult learning in the context of the European Union lifelong learning policy agenda, an agenda that places an emphasis on promoting social inclusion and strengthening community cohesion and inclusive citizenship. The paper examines the policy context of lifelong learning at European level and the extent to which it feeds into policy framework at the national level. The paper also examines lifelong learning provision – programmes or courses – for adult learners with long-term mental illness, defined in this context as people who have been diagnosed with bipolar affective disorder and who are unemployed. The work reported in this paper is based on the documentary/content analyses of the European Union's policy papers including heads of states and governments/council of ministers' communiques on lifelong learning and on the review of literature on lifelong learning courses and programmes across Europe – with specific reference to eight European countries where the EMILIA project has demonstration sites.

Lifelong learning for all? Policies, barriers and practical reality for a socially excluded group

Lifelong learning is recognized as an important tool to reduce social exclusion, but out of the many investigations into the provision of lifelong learning in Europe none has yet sought to examine the specific situation of mental health care service users. This study examines the provision of lifelong learning for this disadvantaged group; it identifies current policies and explores the access to, and nature of, lifelong learning practices for mental health care service users in eight European countries. Data have been collected through a literature and policy review and through questionnaires completed by mental health practitioners in the eight countries. The study found broad compliance amongst the eight countries with the Lisbon policy goals on lifelong learning, but evidence of specific lifelong learning provision for mental health care service users is patchy and sporadic. The study identified the main benefits of, and the barriers to, the participation in lifelong learning for mental health care service users from the viewpoint of mental health professionals and practitioners. The implications for practice were described, and suggestions for actions were made for improving the lifelong learning provision for the target group.

Greek academic librarians' perceptions of the impact of Google on their role as information providers

The increased popularity of Google search engine in the daily routine in one’s workplace and in the academic information seeking process is undeniable. ‘Googling’ challenges the traditional skills of librarians as information providers and the role of library and information service provision in the digital era. This paper reports on the preliminary findings of a qualitative study investigating the perceptions of Greek academic librarians on the impact of Google and ‘Googling’ on their role as information providers in the digital era. To address the needs of this study a set of semi structured interviews was employed with library managers and librarians. The findings of this study revealed that Greek academic librarians use mainly Google Search for its easy information provision but advise on adequate training on Google sources evaluation before use. It was suggested that libraries need to support life-long learning, and enhance their services quality in order to survive. Additionally, IT and managerial skills acquisition seems to be vital. Research also revealed the essential role of LIS departments in the provision of life-long learning and the organisation of training programmes.

Education Reform as Platform for Promoting Lifelong Learning: The Case of Hong Kong

The fierce competition largely brought by the globalization of a knowledge-based economy provided an impetus for the Hong Kong government to endorse massive education reforms in 2000, as proposed by the Education Commission, as the central strategy to improve and sustain workforce quality and social justice through the provision of lifelong learning for all. The purpose of this article is to provide a preliminary analysis of the impact of reforms on lifelong learning thus far, through an examination of its implementation in the higher education sector and the operation of the qualifications framework. A comparison between the policymaking of the Education Commission and the Education Bureau was made to demonstrate how the process affected resulting policies. The preliminary analysis presented a pessimistic outlook, and implications for policies and practices to achieve lifelong learning were discussed. Key recommendations for future success included balancing the conflicting demands and interests, using wisdom and tact, without losing sight of upholding the quality of educational outcomes.

Perceptions, attitudes and opinions of general dental practitioners and dental nurses to the provision of lifelong learning for the dental team

This paper reports on a survey of the attitudes of general dental practitioners (GDPs) and dental nurses to continuing education. This has become the subject of increased policy attention in recent years. The Adult Dental Health Survey of 1998 indicated that in order to meet the increase in requirements for the provision of Dental Health Services in the UK the Professions Complementary to Dentistry (PCDs) would be required to play a greater role in the delivery of dental services. In 2001, the Government undertook a review of the dental workforce, with a remit to look at ways to modernise the education and training system for dentists and the other members of the dental team.