This event took place on 2 July 2021.
Internationally, educators are being challenged to transform education and learning to respond to the demands of contemporary society and prepare learners for the future. To answer these demands, the question arises as to what forms of knowledge and learning might support society in facing future challenges?
Lifelong learning has long been the mantra of many national governments and international organisations. It is premised on the notion that laying strong foundations for children’s learning in the early years supports their continued and sustained learning into adulthood. While lifelong learning recognises that learning extends beyond statutory education, extending for example into areas such as professional development, it has been criticised for being instrumentalist and technocratic in its view of learning, therefore creating limited views of learners and learning.
Present and future challenges around the environment, social inclusion/exclusion, digital societies, economic sustainability, technological change, health and well-being as well as equality of opportunity require taking a refreshed view of learning and learners. This could be through reimagining the relationships between education, society and the environment, reshaping curriculums and pedagogical practice – as well as diversifying our understanding of where learning takes place, particularly in support of continued professional development. Sharing successful learning strategies and interventions across different life stages and between learning environments further provides opportunities for enriching the future of learning.
This workshop was an opportunity for educators, researchers and students to come together to identify the forms of knowledge and learning that might support society in facing the challenges of the future, with a view to informing research collaborations.
Who was this event for?
This event was of most interest to those who research, study or work in sectors related to education; childcare and child development, nurseries and pre-schools; professional and adult education; corporate development; sociology; psychology; society and the environment.
Need-to-know
With permissions, contributions to the workshop were recorded and used in Plymouth Institute of Education research outputs. A minimum of one research collaboration will be taken forward for a cross-Institute project intended as a foundation on which to generate grant capture.
