Lifelong Learning Roddie Shepherd Professional Adviser, Academic The Library Association

Lifelong Learning The Learning Age : issues & opportunities for LIS –what lifelong learning is and why it is important –the Learning Age Green Paper –the challenges + opportunities for LIS in HE –our responses

Lifelong Learning What is lifelong learning? Campaign for Learning definition –Learning is a process of active engagement with experience –It is what people do when they want to make sense of the world –It may involve an increase in skills, knowledge, understanding, values or the capacity to reflect –Effective learning will lead to change, development and a desire to learn more

Lifelong Learning Why is lifelong learning important? L  C where L is Learning and C is Change Applies to society, communities, organisations and individuals.

Lifelong Learning Why is lifelong learning important? L  C where L is Learning and C is Change Applies to society, communities, organisations and individuals. We don’t have to do this … survival is not compulsory

Lifelong Learning The Green Paper on Lifelong Learning The Learning Age : a renaissance for a new Britain Foreword by the Secretary of State Introduction 1. The individual learning revolution 2. Investing in learning 3. Learning at work 4. Realising the Learning Age 5. Ensuring standards, quality and accountability 6. Recognising achievement

Lifelong Learning Introduction Education is the best economic policy we’ve got The weakness: basic and intermediate skills –7m adults have no formal qualifications at all –21m adults have not reached level 3 (equivalent to 2 A levels) –1 in 5 adults have poor literacy and numeracy skills

Lifelong Learning 10 policy commitments –Expansion of F & HE - 500K extra students by 2002 –Launch the University for Industry in late 1999 –Set up Individual Learning Accounts - £150m to set up 1m ILAs initially –Invest in Young People - increase the numbers studying beyond age 16 –double the number of adults receiving literacy and numeracy training - 500K by 2002 –widen participation and access –raise teaching / learning standards –National targets for skills and qualifications –develop workplace learning - employers, employees and Trade Unions –revise qualifications structure for clarity, relevance and standards

Lifelong Learning 1. The Individual Learning Revolution The country needs to develop a new learning culture, a culture of lifelong learning for all The University for Industry connect individual & cos. who want to learn with ways of doing so Learning Direct Call: Mon - Fri 9 - 9Sat BECTA British Educational Communications & Technology Agency (ex NCET) Broadcasters –raising awareness, widening access, distributing learning opportunities –BBC Learning

Lifelong Learning 2. Investing in Learning Investing in learning benefits everyone so it should be a shared responsibility. We will target public funds for student support on learners in greatest need. The Priorities for the public funding of lifelong learning: –to bring back into learning those who stopped after leaving school –address particular shortages –widen access to those who are disadvantaged –enable individuals to choose the method of learning that suits them best. Individual Learning Accounts –accounts which will allow individuals to save and borrow for learning –potential for a whole new funding steer Support for Students Reform LEA awards + a national childcare strategy

Lifelong Learning 3. Learning at Work … individuals and their employers will share responsibility for increasing the quality and quantity of learning at work Investors in People as the general standard Trade Union role 5 priority areas of work-related skills –basic skills –employability skills –modern apprenticeships –technician skills –managerial skills

Lifelong Learning 4. Realising the Learning Age … will require every part of the education and training system to make its contribution Investing in Young People FE and the Kennedy Report Collaboration –a collaborative network of tertiary education –co-operation between schools and colleges –coherent planning and funding arrangements in post-16 education –Collaboration Fund Participation –colleges to seek out groups with low participation and people who have not achieved –FEFC to encourage wider participation through weighted funding. –80K extra largely drawn from the educationally disadvantaged population achieved

Lifelong Learning 4. Realising the Learning Age … will require every part of the education and training system to make its contribution Higher Education and the Dearing Report Widening access –people with disabilities –people from semi-skilled/ unskilled family backgrounds –people from deprived backgrounds –Afro-Caribbean men & Bangladeshi women –women and ethnic minorities in certain subject disciplines FE/ HE Collaboration –better links between FE colleges in disadvantaged areas and HEIs –F & HE projects to address low expectation/ achievement and promote progression –FE will enable more people to go on to HE HE in FE £4m for diploma courses, mainly in FE

Lifelong Learning 4. Realising the Learning Age … will require every part of the education and training system to make its contribution Inclusive Learning –improve access for students with disabilities and special learning needs, including severe learning difficulties –Tomlinson Committee Report Inclusive Learning Public Libraries –£50m lottery funding to provide digital content for libraries –proposals for the public libraries electronic network

Lifelong Learning 5. Ensuring standards, quality and accountability The UK must aim for world-class standards in the Learning Age FE : –annual targets to improve retention and achievement –all new FE teachers to acquire an initial teacher training qualification within 2 years –establish a NTO for FE by the end of the year –harmonise post-16 inspection arrangements: schools, FE colleges, Adult Education, training providers HE: –the Funding Councils to establish a direct link between funding and quality in teaching and learning –the Funding Councils to identify ways of rewarding successful outreach to the disadvantaged or under-represented –the Institute of Learning & Teaching should be established asap

Lifelong Learning 6. Recognising achievement Qualifications in the Learning Age should meet the needs of people and uphold standards. They must value both academic and vocational achievement Qualifications should state what is needed to achieve a given standard or skill provide step-by-step progress through education and training allow people to take small steps and choose combinations be recognised by employers and society as a whole The Quality Assurance Agency for HE to establish a national framework for HE qualifications - underpinned by Credit Accumulation and Transfer The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority to develop a framework for all non-HE national qualifications (in England)

Lifelong Learning Key skills –people skills –communications skills, including writing skills –number skills –IT skills –learning skills –problem solving skills Qualifications targeted at adults should be available through a wide variety of methods of learning

Lifelong Learning Library & Learning Resources: issues and opportunities Widening participation Accessibility and flexibility –4,759 public library service points in the UK, including 693 mobile libraries –210 Open Learning Centres attached to public libraries –19,136 public library provided service points in hospitals, prisons, old peoples’ homes –5,900 secondary school libraries –835 libraries and learning resources centres in FE colleges –600 library service points in HE institutions

Lifelong Learning Library & Learning Resources: issues and opportunities Collaboration, co-operation and partnership –ALLIN - the Access to Libraries for Learning in Northamptonshire scheme The Learning Resources Services of Nene College of HE and Northants LIS. Nov 1997 –Derbyshire Libraries Statement of Co-operation 7 FE colls, 4 hospitals, 2 public library authorities, 1 university, 1 police authority –The Halton Community Project N & Mid Cheshire TEC, Halton College and Runcorn Public Library –Libraries Access Sunderland Scheme The LIS of Sunderland University, City College, and Sunderland Public Libraries Provide 29 service points, 2.5K study places, circa 4K PCs throughout the city –People Flows Research project, managed from the University of Central England, to report July The aims: to investigate the extent of cross-use of FE, HE and public libraries

Lifelong Learning Library & Learning Resources: issues and opportunities Expansion and diversity Inclusive learning –Share good practice –internal partnerships –staff development ILT/ Communications Technology –flexibility of access + learner choice –assistive technology for inclusive learning –coping with expansion + distributing and sharing access to resources Professional skills, competences and culture –learning & learner support skills –the fit with the skills of others –a professional culture of collaboration, co-operation and partnership