by Evangeline Artates
Lifelong learning is the pursuit of wisdom and understanding gained through both formal and informal ways and it is promoted by the motivation of developing one’s self deliberately and continuously for either personal or professional reasons. So no, lifelong learning is not defined only by a doctorate degree; the idea pertains to learning a new skill, a hobby, or learning a new language. Learning is indispensable, certain, and it happens at all times. Making that new knowledge meaningful to us promotes learning that is lifelong.
According to Skills You Need, “lifelong learning can enhance our understanding of the world around us and provide us with more and better opportunities to improve our quality of life. In his book, Master It Faster, Colin Rose describes the six stages of learning to include 1) motivation, 2) acquire, 3) search, 4) trigger, 5) examine, and 6) reflect. Our motivation, or the drive that pushes us to achieve the goals we have set for ourselves, involves our commitment, initiative, and the positive attitude we have about the idea of learning. The more motivated we are, the more likely we will do well. Acquiring information or knowledge is gained through several means; whether it be reading, observing, listening, or doing. We often do not get very far in learning something new (especially when it is difficult to understand), when there is nothing meaningful that we get out of it. We usually search for how our new found knowledge applies to us and this further motivates us to acquire more knowledge. We trigger recollection of facts to help us retain what we have learned longer in our memory. Triggering can be in the form of note-taking, discussing, or practicing and experimenting. As we gain knowledge, we question and examine our understanding and finally, we reflect on what we have learned and perhaps how we feel about knowing.
Relish that sense of achievement when you learn, examine, and reflect on a new learning discovery. It is not as much as to make us intelligent that we need to learn, but rather, we learn to enjoy and have a more purposeful life.
References
Dictionary.com retrieved from https://www.dictionary.com/browse/lifelong-learning
Lifelong Learning retrieved from https://www.skillsyouneed.com/learn/lifelong-learning.html
Rose, C. (1999) Master it faster. Accelerated Learning Systems, Inc.
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