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Merits and demerits of lifelong learning
Investigate and propose ways in which lifelong learning in personal and professional contexts could be encouraged
Merits and demerits of lifelong learning
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According to the authors (Entwistle & Ramsden, 1983), differences between approaches to learning concern the differences that what learners are focusing on, what they are trying to achieve and how they are going about it. In the deep approach, students intend to extract meaning and, thus, engage in an active process of learning that involves relating ideas and searching for patterns and principles (Entwistle, 2000). Furthermore, the deep approach is argued to promote understanding and long-term retention of ideas that could result in long-term and meaningful outcomes of higher education (Gibbs, Margon & Taylor, 1982; Marton et al., 1997; Marton et. al., 1993; Purdie & Hattie, 2002). On the other hand, in the surface approach, the students …show more content…
The relevance to the dimension of quality is that it is possible to identify the features of courses that foster a surface or deep approach (Entwistle, 2000). In addition, learning is argued as an activity that combines the aspects of ‘what’ and ‘how’ and, most importantly, how the two aspects are integrated during the learning process. The ‘what’ aspect concerns the activity of learning, and the ‘how’ aspect concerns the structure of a learning task (how learning is done). How the two aspects are merged inform whether students employ a deep approach or a surface approach to learning (Ramsden, 2003). Thus, if learning is focused on the content, e.g. when a text in itself is the object of learning, and the learning task is approached by organizing it into smaller separate parts, a surface approach to learning is adopted. By contrast, if learning is focused on the content, extraction of meaning is the object of learning, and the learning task is approached or managed as a whole, a deep approach to learning is …show more content…
Students increasingly demand a type of education that allows them to update their knowledge when necessary and to continue to do so throughout their working lives (McIntosh, & Varoglu, 2005; Tomlinson, 2007). The debates on lifelong learning and learning skills continue to emphasize independent and self-directed learning as a central need (Strivens & Grant, 2000). The ability to engage in critical self-assessment is viewed as a meta-skill that would aid students in managing their general life both during and after university (Knight & Yorke, 2002). Based on this view, suggestions are raised to educational institutions concerning learning cultures that help students know what they are learning and why and how to develop the claims to achievement that make them more successful. Teachers are expected to design promising learning environments and help students discover what they afford, what might be learned, how and why (Knight & Yorke, 2003). According to the authors (Strivens and Grant, 2000), if learners have an accurate awareness of their levels of achievement in skills, in conjunction with a desirable skill profile for a job or a range of jobs, they will be able to recognize when and where they need to improve their level of skill. It has also been
Matthew L. Sanders discusses the necessity of taking responsibility for one’s own education in a section of his book Becoming a Learner: Realizing the Opportunity of Education. In this section, Sanders explains how he initially blamed an instructor for not teaching him sufficiently and then learned that “No matter what kind of teacher you have, no matter what kind of class you are taking, if you are a learner you will set out to understand the material and create opportunities for success.” This statement is true and the concept can be applied through many methods to create success for students if they are willing to put forth effort.
The goals and operational values of the cross-curricular approach are to help the student develop self-regulating (learning-how-to-learn and metacognition) and lifelong learning skills as well as effective democratic citizenship skills (Alahiotis & Stavlioti, 2006; Stavlioti, p. 61; Koustourakis, 2007 p.133; Vars, 2007, p.7). In order to cope with the modern realities, there is a need to move from the traditional organization of curriculum into discrete subjects/discipline areas offering fragmented knowledge, to a more linked and unified approach to knowledge in a holistic way (Alahiotis & Stavlioti, 2006; Marshall, 2005, p. 229). Conferring with psychology, the child should be treated as a whole entity so this should be reflected in the way children learn (stavlioti, p. 54; Stavlioti megalo, p. 4). Studies have shown that links between the different disciplines and connections with real-life situations enhance brain synapses, so in this way learning is promoted through multiple stimuli that these connections send to neurons (stavlioti megalo, p. 5-6). “According to Piaget (1963), learning occurs when new information is attached to prior knowledge and placed in existing conceptual compartments or schemata” (as cited in Marshall, 2005, p. 229).
As a learning provider it is essential that I have the ability to meet the requirements of someone who is deemed as a learner. Many of us know that people are different and receive information in several different ways. It is also ideal to become aware of what motivates a learner to understand the information which is being delivered to them in the classroom. As learning providers we cannot make the assumption that everybody learns in the same way because if that were the case we would soon find that the learners will only have the ability to remember certain parts of the information that they most relate to. This would result in the learners being unsuccessful in the class room. For example the VARK method from Neil Flemings (1987) theory, this shows that learners can take information in, in different ways.
When having an education, people grow and expand their knowledge. By expanding and gaining knowledge from the experience of college, people are able to become independent learners. However, most people tend to start evolving into independent learners after leaving high school; from leaving high school, I started to evolve into an independent learner. Setting goals for yourself creates individual growth. In the article, “Why we are looking at the ‘value’ of college all wrong” by Valerie Strauss, Nelson discusses how an independent learner is able to teach themselves and learn from the challenges they tend to face.
The purpose of higher education is that it fosters and produces the skills and knowledge for individual self-growth, drives innovation, and challenges societal norms (Corey, Corey & Callanan, 2011). For an individual student, higher education is seen as a place that cultural capital is obtained or challenge, in which students are able to reconstruct their identity in society (Corey et al. 2011). Self-growth for an individual is not only limit to cultural or social growth, but also pertains to career exploration through the courses and the work related experience they are exposed to in higher education. The theory that I chose to analyze in this paper is the constructivist approach with a dual use of both the Solution-Focused Therapy
It examines the causes that made this course relevant, mentioning why these skills haven’t been learned already and why at a university level they aren’t still taught implicitly by college life.
However, this is not to say that Surface learning is entirely wrong or inefficient in higher education. It has been proven that the surface approach to learning is indeed essential for some subjects to be mastered, for example, law, medicine or a second language. In these subject areas, certain universally accepted principles are taught which ar impossible to be questioned or altered. Here it is acceptable to adopt the surface approach to learning as there is no need to deeply analyze the information to see if it is wrong or not. It is a known fact which cannot be argued. For example, the mathematics
In this lesson, all three dimensions of the Quality Teaching Framework [QTF] are used to ensure pedagogy that promotes intellectual quality, a quality learning environment and ensures the significance of their work is known to students (NSW Department of Education and Training [DET], 2003). To guide my practice in meeting the needs of the students within this class, I have focused on substandards 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 3.1, 3.5, 4.1, 4.3, and 5.2 from the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership [AITSL], 2011).
of lifelong learning, the learning organization and the learning of society as a whole” (Hughes and Tight 1995 as cited by Tight 2010 pg. 254) suggesting that lifelong learning does not just present benefits for an individual, but is itself part of a much bigger picture in the development of society. This being said, with a youth unemployment rate of 21% and a national unemployment rate of 7.7% (Parliament statistics, 2013). It is worth questioning whether or not the measures in place for lifelong learning are significant enough to deal with the growing issues in Britain. With these principles in mind, the body of this essay will look at, and discuss lifelong learning in regards to the 14-19 demographic and explore the opportunities and barriers generated within contemporary lifelong learning provision and practice. Years 14 to 19 are the transition stages of a student from the end of their compulsory study based on the guidelines set by the national curriculum, to other learning styles that aid the pathways to higher education, training, employment and further lifelong learning.... ...
Education is an infinite learning process that plays a vital role in modern society. Even now, without a higher education one cannot even get a simple occupation such as a sales clerk, carpenter, or custodian. From writing checks, filing taxes, driving a car, to budgeting groceries, all involve the pre- knowledge and basics of reading, writing, and calculating. Higher education is very important to the success of a person’s career goal. To avail all benefits and acquire a proficient education, one has to take the learning process as a solemn one.
...at previously, sometimes in the midst of a discussion, people forget that there are two sides of a story and not everyone has to agree to yours. What we learn from our books or our studies is not what is necessarily important. What we learn from our peers and our professors is what’s important. Learning is more than absorbing fact, it is acquiring understanding, and it is being passionate about the material you are given. Each piece that we have read in class, and each comment that we make impacts a person no matter how little it seems. The education systems focuses too much about effective methods of teaching and not enough about effective methods of learning. However, this course felt like we were learning something instead trying to finish the curriculum. As Albert Einstein once said, “education is not the learning of facts, but the training of the mind to think”.
A good understanding of one’s own metacognition is necessary before aiming to understand that of other people. This is referred to as intrapersonal perception. Self-regulation, which involves self-monitoring and self-motivation, is an essential skill required to achieve academic success at university. It focuses on the concept of individuals being able to accurately judge their level of knowledge and determine the effectiveness of methods implemented for exam preparation. This allows evaluation of strengths and weaknesses, enabling individuals to engage in focused study. Students who can effectively do this will excel in their time at university. Conversely, those who lack in this skill can have major implications, such as overestimating their knowledge, thus hindering their success. Debra A. Bercher’s findings sugg...
Components such as these weigh heavily on the understanding and importance of learning to the student. These aspects aid in creating lifelong learners.
Learning is defined as the acquisition of knowledge or skills through experience, study or by being taught (Merriam-Webster, 2014). Every student has a different way of learning, or if you will a learning style. Learning style is defined as an individual’s unique approach to learning based on strengths, weaknesses and preferences (Dictionary.com, 2014). Many professors try to accommodate the different learning styles of their students through lecture or one-on-one time sessions. The International Dimensions of Technology and Culture at University of Colorado at Denver is different from all of the other courses that I have taken on this campus due to the teaching techniques offered by Dr. Michael Tang. The professor of this course shows his students how to study for this particular course and hopefully apply this study technique to other classes. The study technique is referred to as mind mapping. Mind mapping accommodates the visual learners, logical learners and kinesthetic learners. Mind mapping is designed to make complex reading simpler to understand, make simple units of meaning into complex units and make connections between those units, and help students understand these relations as the whole. The process of mind mapping helps students recall information better. However, the main purpose of mind mapping to help students synthesize and integrate knowledge in a visual form.
The first step of being a successful engineer is to have a systematic and efficient learning. It is very important for a student to understand the fundamentals and basic principles of engineering. For me, an expert engineer needs diverse skills and qualities, which will lift them to the higher level. I am now realizing that my approach to learning is not a way it should be. I found that by memorizing and copying out things are helping me to remember notes, but I know that these only just work for a short period. So I have to set out to understand the meaning of what I have to learn instead of concentrate my time repeating things, which are surface approach to learning. Now, w...