Lifelong Learning

On March 10, 2008, a conference organised by the Slovenian presidency entitled: "Universities and Lifelong Learning" took place.

The concept of skills in order to become lifelong learners has once again emerged in this conference. Lifelong learning is an attitude towards life in a way that when the individual becomes aware of an information need, he/she is able to supply it for himself.

To enter this paradigm shift, a whole array of skills are needed. The basic literacy of reading and writing are the starting place of becoming informed citizens and lifelong learners. Then, we have to include other literacies and Information Literacy (IL) is what we need to start teaching at all levels in our schools. IL is the key to build and promote informed citizens who are able to think, analyze and present information in whatever format it may be found. Amongst other things, IL encompasses computer literacy but being computer literate does not make one an IL person. And here is the lacunae.

We cannot afford to continue on the momentum of promoting IT and ICT at the expense of IL. My background is in IT and ICT however, in my experience, the best use of a computer is garnered when one understands what it can do for you especially when one is trained in IL.


(Source: http://www.publictechnology.net/print.php?sid=14695)