Lifelong Learning and the Field of Adult Education

Lifelong Learning and the Field of Adult Education

Introduction

Purpose of the paper is to explore the concept of lifelong learning and learning society. The paper sheds light on the development of a learning society and its relationship with adult learning. Finally, the paper provides a conclusion on the overall understanding of the subject matter.

Discussion

With the advent of the information age, the humanity has shifted from a lifelong education to lifelong learning (Smith, 2001). It is a phenomenon that enables societies to foster adult education and adult development into a responsible and accountable citizen. In the modern world, policymakers and politicians have drawn considerable emphasis on using lifelong learning as an approach to build a learning society (Merriam et. al., 2007).

Lifelong Learning and Learning Society

Learning is a life function, which cannot be solely related to the school or childhood rather it is a set of activities adopted by individuals, friends and families without a formal curriculum or structure of tuition (Claxton & Lucas, 2009). The term lifelong learning refers to a voluntary, vigorous and continuing quest of knowledge either for professional or personal reasons (Smith, 2001). In the modern world, lifelong learning has emerged the concept of the learning society that seeks beyond formal educational environment in an attempt to describe learning as the quality of the system rather than a quality of an individual. Today, politicians and policymakers of civilized and developed societies pay special regard to the initiative of becoming a learning society because it is the only way to pace up with the changing environment and technological innovations (Merriam et. al., 2007).

Adult Education and Lifelong Learning

Merriam et. al. (2007) argues that relative emphasis on adult learning can be determined by the nature of society in a given point of time. Humanity has ...