Lifelong Learning for older adults

The research Blog of G.J. COOKE
An on-going work with personal reflections on various themes associated with lifelong learning:
Towards a redefinition of lifelong learning for older adults in the UK
« Upholding the positive impact on senior health, I seek to establish qualitatively a correlation between ageing, activity and wellness. Current emphasis on capacity and skills building to improve career and employment prospects is largely irrelevant for a senior, requiring activities that fulfil his/her desires as a mature individual. I seek to define the motivations for seniors and why and how a greater number might be encouraged to engage in Lifelong Learning. »
The Next Milestone in UK Lifelong Learning
    In 1903 The Workers’ Educational Association (WEA) was founded and continues to this day, albeit in a slimmer form, catering mainly for people who have ended their working lives.
    In 1919, just after the Great War ended that local authorities took on a duty to provide any form of adult education and The British Institute of Adult Education was eventually set up. This organisation essentially continues today in the form of The National Institute of Adult and Continuing Education (NIACE).
    Just after the Second World War, a number of local authorities set up Adult Residential colleges in former large houses, some with Trade Union support.
    The Open University pioneered accessibility to accredited study when it began in the 1970s.
    The University of the Third Age (U3A) movement has been developing non-accredited, non-institutional, mostly self-directed informal learning since the late 80s.
    In 1998 green paper The Learning Age kick-started a wide range of activity through colleges and community organisations. Introducing phrases such as ‘Individual Learning Accounts’, ‘Widening Participation’ and a number of funding streams.
    In 1999 the Skills for Life strategy focused on basic skills for adults in response to a serious identified deficit.
    In 2006 the Train to Gain initiative attempted to encourage businesses to boost the basic skills of their employees
    In 2009 The white paper The Learning Revolution attempted to revitalise the breadth of informal learning
    In 2011 The Review of Informal Adult Continuing Learning was commissioned by the new coalition »
    and …
Lifelong Learning 3.0
- Lifelong Learning 1.0 for the masses brought in through social reform and liberal ideals, often through the philanthropic vision of societies, religious institutions and governing groups
- Lifelong Learning 2.0 run as adult education by institutions as an extension of schooling to develop skills that are directly useful to the economy.
- Lifelong Learning 3.0 developed by communities for communities, providing engagement for all adults throughout the lifespan »