A vision about lifelong learning and its barriers

Abstract

Over 25 years ago some researchers claimed for moving towards innovative learning models, more personalized and where the students would have a more active role, deciding what to learn, when to learn and how to learn. Nowadays, there is a need of a flexible, efficient, universal and lifelong education. Lifelong learning is fully integrated into our society and, from the student point of view, it is very different than regular learning. Some of the reasons are the maturity of students, domains of interest very broad, learning occurs at different depths, topics to study may be related both to work, family and leisure and students have little availability due to their necessity to conciliate home, work, leisure and learning. Lifelong learning requires personalized models that adapt to students' needs and constraints, but lifelong learners continue suffering from models neither adapted to their necessities nor the society needs. This paper states on the actual situation of lifelong learning, analyses some of the relevant literature and discusses the challenges to conceptualize, from a transdisciplinary point of view, innovative e-learning models that promote self-determination of students.