Teaching is a dynamic process and requires teachers to be become lifelong learners who can demonstrate their ability to change their instruction practice in line with educational needs. Continuing professional development (CPD) is the means by which teachers develop the knowledge and skills to enhance their teaching and learning experience of…

This article investigates Brown's assertion that students today exhibit an unwillingness/inability to engage in critical thinking (CT). He describes this as a 'critical thinking deficit'. The question of whether CT can be taught or whether we can only create the conditions in which CT can thrive and develop is explored through analysis of data…

How can social media help transform a student's learning experience and promote active engagement with learning content and peers? "Social Media for Active Learning" helps instructors achieve this goal. Many people use social media in their everyday lives, seeking information and informal learning opportunities via their online networks.…

The American Association for Adult and Continuing Education (AAACE) is dedicated to the belief that lifelong learning contributes to human fulfillment and positive social change. The mission of the AAACE is to provide leadership for the field of adult and continuing education by expanding opportunities for adult growth and development; unifying…

The gradual development of intelligent learning (iLearning) systems has prompted the changes of teaching and learning. This paper presents the architecture of an intelligent learning (iLearning) system built upon the recursive iLearning model and the key technologies associated with this model. Based on this model and the technical structure of a…

The shift to a knowledge information society has given rise to a need for lifelong learning programmes. Such programmes are especially relevant for public health professionals, whose dynamic field of practice is subject to changes due to rapidly developing technologies, evolving expectations of the labour market and new health treats. Lifelong…

This paper discusses challenges and opportunities arising during the development of open educational resources (OERs) to support communicative language teaching (CLT) with interactive whiteboards (IWBs). iTILT (interactive Technologies in Language Teaching), a European Lifelong Learning Project, has two main aims: (a) to promote "best…

This article is written in response to a recent report on a review of teacher education in Scotland undertaken by Graham Donaldson (2011). In particular it questions the recommendation that engaging teachers in professional enquiry and research-informed teaching is the way forward for developing the professional capabilities required of "21st…

The American Association for Adult and Continuing Education (AAACE) was founded in 1982 as the result of a merger between the National Association for Public and Continuing Adult Education (NAPCAE) and the Adult Education Association (AEA). This prestigious association is dedicated to the belief that lifelong learning contributes to human…

This paper describes a lay course on general relativity (GR) given at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Florida International University. It is presented in six hour-and-a-half weekly sessions. Other courses offered by the author include special relativity (which precedes the course described here), quantum theory, and cosmology. Students…

Instruction, even when designed and based on sound instructional principles, oftentimes does not stimulate learners' motivation to learn. The result may be that learners may not be motivated to pursue lifelong learning and use the knowledge and skills learned to deliver patient care. The purpose of this study was to identify an appropriate…

Lifelong learning and continuing professional development (CPD) are considered important activities for geography teachers. However, research in Slovenia shows that many lose their enthusiasm for these activities when they leave university and enter professional practice. In Slovenia, whilst geography teachers have a sound undergraduate education,…

Commentators in the profession are asking why adult continuing education students seem preoccupied over getting "a good grade" and "finishing school quickly" rather than pausing to consider how the teaching/learning process helps their personal growth and valuing learning for learning's sake. The purpose of this study was to identify, categorize,…

The independent Commission of Inquiry into the future of lifelong learning, established and supported by National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (NIACE), has set itself the ambitious task of understanding both the motivation for engaging (and especially re-engaging) with learning through the life-course, and the infrastructure that is…

Cedefop's report "Learning while working: success stories on workplace learning in Europe" presents an overview of key trends in adult learning in the workplace. It takes stock of previous research carried out by Cedefop between 2003 and 2010 on key topics for adult learning: governance and the learning regions; social partner roles in…