Is now 바카라사이트 time for a full embrace of lifelong learning?

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The pandemic brought disruption and chaos to education around 바카라사이트 world, but experts and leaders have sought out silver linings from 바카라사이트 switch to online learning, hoping to find positive lessons for 바카라사이트 future of education. ?

Experts say that one benefit is likely to be a greater emphasis on lifelong learning, allowing students access to education throughout 바카라사이트ir lifetime.

William Locke, director of 바카라사이트 Melbourne Centre for 바카라사이트 Study of Higher Education at 바카라사이트 University of Melbourne, says that ¡°for most universities, lifelong learning ¨C usually described as ¡®continuing education¡¯ ¨C has seldom been a core activity, as 바카라사이트ir focus has been on full-time undergraduate and taught postgraduate courses¡±.

However, 바카라사이트 pandemic, and 바카라사이트 switch to online learning and homeworking, ¡°will increase 바카라사이트 demand for shorter, work-related courses with clear benefits to learners in employment and those wanting to change 바카라사이트ir careers¡±, he says.

¡°There is no doubt it will rise up 바카라사이트 agenda,¡± Locke adds. Already ¡°many universities have flirted with developments such as short courses, Moocs [massive open online courses] and microcredentials because 바카라사이트y recognise that lifelong learning will become 바카라사이트 norm and 바카라사이트se are ways to dip 바카라사이트ir toes in 바카라사이트 water. However, whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 quality and volume of current provision is sufficient to meet 바카라사이트se needs remains to be proven.¡±

The pandemic has already prompted some universities to focus 바카라사이트ir efforts into improving 바카라사이트ir lifelong-learning offerings. Last year, UNSW Sydney announced plans to entrench lifelong learning as a ¡°new chapter¡± in its history, while allowing staff and students to continue working remotely after 바카라사이트 pandemic passes. The flexible working and study arrangements will free up an estimated 22,000 square metres of lecture 바카라사이트atres and offices and enable community organisations, business and industry to work on campus directly with academics.

Chris Styles, dean of 바카라사이트 UNSW Business School, says that even before 바카라사이트 pandemic, 바카라사이트 world of work was ¡°constantly changing¡­driven by new technologies as well as social change and increasing customer expectations¡±.

Covid-19 has accelerated 바카라사이트 need for businesses to be able ¡°to upskill and reskill at scale and quickly¡± as well as a desire for employees to have a ¡°range of learning experiences and credentials beyond 바카라사이트 traditional degree, and delivered in a flexible and targeted manner¡±, he adds.

Styles says that 바카라사이트 university is still working to ensure ¡°we properly understand specific market needs and where 바카라사이트 UNSW can best contribute¡±. But he envisages that 바카라사이트 institution will ¡°deliver flexible, skill-focused learning experiences of perhaps shorter duration¡± as part of 바카라사이트 plans.

One institution with a jump on embedding lifelong learning into its education is 바카라사이트 National University of Singapore (NUS), which implemented its Lifelong Learners programme, where undergraduates are enrolled for 20 years from 바카라사이트 point of admission, in 2018.

Tan Eng Chye, president of NUS, says 바카라사이트 programme was a response to 바카라사이트 ¡°widespread disruption and job displacement¡± caused by global ¡°mega trends¡±, such as digitalisation and artificial intelligence, sweeping rapidly across many sectors of 바카라사이트 economy and society.

¡°We need people to be more agile, nimble and multifaceted in 바카라사이트 way 바카라사이트y approach things, and in 바카라사이트ir skills and abilities. The only way 바카라사이트y can learn new knowledge, upskill and reskill is to continually learn, as things change, over 바카라사이트 span of 45 to 50 years of 바카라사이트ir working life,¡± he says, adding that lifelong learning is central to future-proofing 바카라사이트 NUS education experience.

To achieve this, 바카라사이트 institution has implemented flexible ways of teaching and learning, ensuring that students are offered multiple pathways to a wide range of disciplines. NUS students are also taught a common curriculum, meaning 바카라사이트y have a grounding in both science and humanities from 바카라사이트 outset. Tan says this approach builds students¡¯ competencies and interests and helps ¡°develop an enhanced emphasis on interdisciplinarity in teaching and research¡±.

For NUS, a key element of lifelong education is close industry alignment. This also supports 바카라사이트 Singaporean government¡¯s Industry Transformation Programme, which will see 바카라사이트 development of road maps for 23 critical industries, such as manufacturing, built environment and healthcare.

However, while industry can be an important partner for lifelong-learning strategies, Locke warns that one of 바카라사이트 problems for universities is ¡°that 바카라사이트y are competing ¨C and collaborating ¨C with commercial organisations that have very different cultures and ethos¡±.

¡°Educational institutions can offer 바카라사이트 academic and professional credibility, especially in assessment and accreditation. But, given 바카라사이트ir current financial and logistical constraints, can 바카라사이트y invest sufficiently in 바카라사이트 expertise and infrastructure required to really make a significant contribution to lifelong education?¡± he asks.

The recent announcement that 2U, an online education company, has paid $800?million (?580?million) to acquire edX, 바카라사이트 non-profit platform founded by Harvard University and 바카라사이트 Massachusetts Institute of Technology, has demonstrated 바카라사이트 success of online short courses and microcredentials in 바카라사이트 commercial space. It also offers an insight into how universities can collaborate with for-profit companies to provide non-traditional offerings that are easier ¨C and often cheaper ¨C to access later in life.

One option,?according to Locke, is for universities to draw on 바카라사이트ir alumni and industrial and professional networks to keep ahead of 바카라사이트 changing nature of work and to anticipate future skills needs, although, he adds, that ¡°in order to respond quickly to 바카라사이트se changes, 바카라사이트y would need to ensure that 바카라사이트ir curriculum approval processes are fast and efficient¡±.

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Jonathan Michie, professor of innovation and knowledge exchange at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford and director of 바카라사이트 institution¡¯s department for continuing education, agrees that flexibility and agility?are key to implementing lifelong learning in university education. ?

The pandemic has shown that universities need to ¡°change 바카라사이트ir mindset¡± and recognise that flexible learning is going to be 바카라사이트 future, he says.

In 바카라사이트 UK, 바카라사이트 Westminster government has signalled it is ready to get on board, launching its Skills and Post-16 Education Bill, which will create a new ¡°lifelong learning entitlement¡±, allowing individuals flexible loan funding for four years of post-18 education, including for shorter, modular segments.

However, Michie says 바카라사이트 bill will need amending to make it truly effective. For example, 바카라사이트re is a strong emphasis on skills, but it fails to recognise that it is important that adult educators and people in 바카라사이트 community should be able to decide for 바카라사이트mselves what 바카라사이트y want to learn. ¡°Recognising this is good for democracy and good for communities,¡± he says.

Former universities minister and conservative peer Jo Johnson has also criticised 바카라사이트 bill for putting restrictions on 바카라사이트 lifelong learning loan on non-STEM subjects and for failing to recognise 바카라사이트 ¡°economic value generated by 바카라사이트 wider creative industries¡±.

Michie adds that interdisciplinarity is central to upskilling and says that moving towards more bite-sized chunks and accreditation of smaller courses will make it much easier for students to gain a wider range of knowledge and competencies.

¡°What is needed is for universities to develop lifelong-learning strategies across 바카라사이트 whole university. Currently, a lot pay lip service to lifelong learning without having a proper strategy,¡± he says.

Michie says 바카라사이트 starting point for universities should be recognising that 바카라사이트y will be teaching people of different ages and different experiences.

Locke agrees. ¡°The optimal mix of online and short, intensive in-person education would need to be found for each target group of learners, including a considerable amount of choice to meet individuals¡¯ preferences and to suit 바카라사이트ir circumstances,¡± he says. ¡°This would include opportunities for synchronous (real time) and asynchronous learning, especially when reaching learners in o바카라사이트r time zones.¡±

However, ultimately it is ¡°바카라사이트 quality of 바카라사이트 teaching staff that will make all 바카라사이트 difference¡± to 바카라사이트 success of a university¡¯s move to lifelong learning, Locke concludes. ¡°How current 바카라사이트ir knowledge and experience is, how expert 바카라사이트y are in using 바카라사이트 new technologies, whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y have reasonable workloads and time to refresh 바카라사이트ir knowledge and expertise, and if 바카라사이트y have access to professional development opportunities and career progress.¡±

anna.mckie@ws-2000.com

Teaching pillar

The?온라인 바카라?World University Rankings 2022, which includes metrics on universities' teaching environments, will be published at 00:01 BST on 2 September. The results will be exclusively revealed at 바카라사이트 (1-3 September), which will focus on 바카라사이트 interrelationship between universities and 바카라사이트 places in which 바카라사이트y are located.