VISTULA UNIVERSITY
The faculty of Business and International Relations
Program of study Management
Tomiris Nurakysh
Student’s number 59490
Lifelong Learning concept. Is
Lifelong Learning necessary
in today's world?
Warsaw.2023-2024
Agenda
1. Introduction
2. Main part:
The concept of " Lifelong Learning"
3- Is Lifelong Learning necessary in today's
world?
- Reason number 1
- Reason number 2
4. Conclusion.
From the very beginning of the history of the human race, of all known
factors, it was learning and the desire for new things that made the ancient
apes capable of thinking and reasoning. And subject to constant modification,
learning in all sorts of spheres of life has accompanied us in our development
as a species. And after many millennia, it became clear that the knowledge
acquired in schools and universities is limited and its relevance is only a
matter of time, knowledge is one of the components of our society, both
professionally and personally, for whatever situation we find ourselves in, our
acquired knowledge and skills become our salvation. The truth is that the
concept of "learning" has become something more than graduation, no, it is
now a priority on par with a good job and family. Our knowledge and skills
are directly related to our quality of life. I am sure any person wants to live a
comfortable and fulfilling life, with success in all spheres, that is why, despite
the general employment, everyone should ask themselves the question, is the
knowledge that I have received at the moment, will be relevant in 10 years?
And most likely the answer is, no. Without the development of skills and
knowledge, we lose our value as a specialist and as a person. For as we know,
a stable life without any development leads to a gradual decrease in the
quality of life and its holistic degradation. Therefore, taking into account the
above mentioned, an important topic for discussion is how we can incorporate
learning into our lives, for our continuous development. Remembering the
quote of the American futurologist Alvin Toffler "Illiterate in the 21st century
will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn,
unlearn and relearn" his statement gives a clear idea of how in our time the
skill of learning will be a key indicator of a person's value.
his words, in my opinion, best captures the meaning of the philosophy of
Lifelong Learning.
There are more and more different meanings of the term Lifelong Learning
on the Internet, due to the relevance of the term today, from the sources
studied I have formed the opinion that the concert of the term Lifelong
Learning is a philosophy that implies continuous personal and professional
development throughout life, the main focus is on holistic education and
broad learning opportunities, which in turn represents the traditional
educational offerings as a base and modern learning opportunities as a
continuation of life. As it was mentioned earlier, the continuous improvement
of the professional aspect of our lives is now a priority, but another aspect of
learning, personal development, is also important, of course this philosophy
besides the professional benefits, lifelong learning provides personal growth
and self-actualization. Lifelong learning fosters intellectual curiosity, critical
thinking and problem-solving skills. It encourages people to explore new
interests, broaden horizons and enrich their lives beyond their professional
lives. This pursuit of knowledge contributes to personal development, leading
to a richer and more fulfilling life.
So, if there is an understanding of this philosophy, another question is
whether this philosophy is so necessary for people now and will be necessary
in the future? From the reasoning above, it's clear that, yes.
it is clear that, yes, Lifelong Learning is necessary and obligatory now and in
the future, however, I would like to answer this question more openly.
To begin with, it is believed that the term "lifelong learning" was first used in
1968 in the materials of the general conference of UNESCO.
That was fifty-five years ago, and over the past fifty-five years, constant
scientific and technological innovation has had a profound impact on the
understanding of learning. Learning can no longer be categorized as a place
and time such as school or work. Rather, learning can be seen as something
that happens all the time as a result of our daily interactions with others and
the world around us. Allen Tough, a Canadian educator and researcher,
states that almost 70% of learning projects are self-planned.
From the articles I have studied, I have come to the opinion that there are
clear 2 reasons why society should introduce Lifelong Learning into its life.
First, Adaptation to the changing labor market and the inevitable
development of technology.
The labor market is in constant flux due to technological advances, shifting
economic priorities, and evolving social trends. And since career is a
significant factor in a person's life, it is clear that changes in the labor market
are also changes in a person's life, and if earlier generations lived according to
the principle "university-work-retirement", now and in the future the
relevance of the constant development of personal qualities, the constant
growth of professional knowledge and the very concept of retirement is no
longer the same as 30 years ago.
According to the Global AgeWatch Index report, by 2100 the number of
people aged 80 and over will increase more than seven times - from 125
million to 944 million.
Even now, workers aged 55 and older are staying in the workforce and not
retiring until their 60s or even 70s. Growing statistics show that the average
age of life has become higher, which means an increase in the time of a
person's career, if before it could be 30-40 years, in the future this time will
increase by 50-60 years exactly. Thus, work occupies more and more space in
a person's life, and with the constantly changing realities, we must take into
account the constantly changing standards in the labor market and not only
there, training is the key to a stable future in such unstable conditions.
Regarding technological development, it is clear that it is not the incredible
pace of innovation that surprises us, but the direction in which technology is
rapidly evolving. Every year more and more often the topic of introduction of
artificial intelligence and robots is raised, and here is a settlement of 2 years
artificial intelligence is increasingly being introduced into different spheres of
life, especially social networks.
In the future envisioned by many, artificial intelligence will take over most
human responsibilities, and the question arises, how will such a change affect
our lives, work and skills?
A report by the World Economic Forum states ) that by 2025, 44% of the
skills employees are expected to perform at work will change due to rapid
technological advances. That's a lot of outdated skills that will need updating.
According to the same report, 85 million jobs will close due to robotization,
but the same process will stimulate 97 million new jobs.
"By 2025, companies will divide jobs equally between humans and machines.
The demand for functions that utilize human interaction skills will grow.
Machines will focus predominantly on data processing," the study says.It
follows from all this that people who are educated once and no longer update
their knowledge are unlikely to be successful in a changed world. People will
need a skill like Lifelong Learning to adapt in new environments.
When I began to study exactly the question of the impact of new technologies
on our lives, it became clear to me that a similar situation has already affected
me, for a long time I was engaged in graphic design, on one popular and very
convenient program Canva, but about a year ago, the Internet and the
program itself there were updates related to the vision of artificial
intelligence, so my work became not as interesting as the artificial programs,
in order not to lose the base of clients, I began to practice in more complex
platforms, where the artificial intuition of the artificial intelligence, and I
began to work in a more complex platform. Aspiration in my business and the
desire to keep up with technological progress, gave me an incentive to deepen
my knowledge, so that this does not happen again, I constantly pump up my
knowledge.
The technological transformation of almost every aspect of our economy
means that we all need to learn new skills and acquire knowledge at an
unprecedented pace and scale. But what skills?
Companies need not just technical help, but intellectual agility as well.A
Strada Education Network analysis of more than 36 million job postings,
resumes, and social profiles shows that in the first half of 2018, the most in-
demand skills were leadership, research, communication, writing, and
problem solving. Combined with technical knowledge, these uniquely human
skills will remain even more relevant in the future than they are now.
If the first reason was about how external factors and changes affect us, then
the second reason, the importance of continuous learning will have more to do
with how this philosophy can affect our inner state.
From the materials I have studied, it is clear that learning has a very positive
effect on our psychological health. Nowadays more and more attention is
being paid to a healthy psychological state of a person, and thanks to constant
training a great number of people will have a chance to maintain their
emotional state within the limits of norm, without the intervention of
psychologists.
Canadian psychologist and author Romeo Vitelli argues in an article for
Psychology Today that lifelong learning not only increases the likelihood that
a person will feel satisfied, it can improve their emotional balance and help
them avoid depression.
People who attend university programs for seniors feel happier and less lonely
because they can socialize with like-minded people while learning something
new.
Back in 2004, researchers at the Oxford Review of Education conducted in-
depth biographical interviews with people about the effects of constant study
on their perceptions of well-being and security.
The researchers found that lifelong learning enabled the development of the
following psychosocial qualities:
Self-esteem, self-efficacy, sense of purpose and hope. In addition, people who
continued to study at an advanced age found it easier to integrate into a new
team if they changed jobs or residence. Those who stayed in school also
overcame mental illnesses such as depression or post-traumatic stress
disorder more quickly.
Also learning on a regular basis not only familiar topics but also new skills
promotes the emergence of new and expansion of old neural connections. That
is, learning literally prolongs the youthfulness of the brain. Neurophysiologists
assure that it is not that it is never too late to learn, on the contrary, it is
especially recommended in adulthood. Constantly creating and changing
neural connections helps to avoid age-related changes in the brain, primarily
senile dementia. Researchers at the University of Michigan surveyed more
than 10,000 Americans and found that dementia rates dropped by about 24%
from 2000 to 2012. They hypothesized that this was due to an increase in the
years a person spends on education: over the same period, the average
number of years of schooling increased from 12 to 13. The decrease in
dementia was seen in both men and women. Therefore, learning is essential
for health.
In conclusion, the importance of lifelong learning cannot be overemphasized
in today's rapidly changing world. Lifelong learning enables individuals to
adapt to the changing labor market, promotes personal growth, increases self-
confidence, and creates meaningful social connections. By adopting a
continuous learning mentality and consciously acquiring new skills and
knowledge, people can improve their personal and professional lives and
contribute to a more adaptable and resilient society.
Resources:
https://lifehacker.ru/lifelong-learning/
https://continuingstudies.wisc.edu/blog/lifelong-
learning-essential-in-todays-workforce/
https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/media-
spotlight/201210/can-lifelong-learning-help-we-age
https://www.weforum.org/reports/the-future-of-jobs-
report-2020
https://rabota.sber.ru/media/obuchenie-v-sbere/#
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/
10.1080/0305498042000303008
https://www.stradaeducation.org
