This article aims at providing a check list of possible mechanisms to trigger more and better lifelong learning from within the national qualifications system. It analyses the existing policy responses to the lifelong learning agenda in the countries under study and identifies possible mechanisms within the qualifications system that could impact…

This qualitative ethnographic study examines five American teenagers' historical and current digitally-mediated multiliteracy practices within digital popular culture. The participants included three male and two female students of a private high school in the Midwestern United States. The study is framed by the notion that literacy is a socially,…

Lifelong learning and professional development have been the focus of government organisations after the 21st century was declared the "learning century", amidst the impact of globalisation and growth of knowledge-based economies. Although lifelong learning and professional development opportunities are available in most government…

This study sought to explore qualitatively how participation in an informal science program might affect the following aspects of upper elementary school children's scientific thinking: conceptual understanding, epistemology of science, and the formation of their identity as science learners. A purposefully selected, maximum variation sample of…

Our paper explores how and what adults living and working in the Alpine region of Victoria understand and are learning about the changes to water availability, in a time when the response to water availability is subject to extensive debate and policy attention. Interviews for this study were conducted in the towns of Bright and Mount Beauty, with…

This article explores the adult and community learning associated with "learning to be drier" in the Riverland region of South Australia. Communities in the Riverland are currently adjusting and making changes to their understandings and practices as part of learning to live with less water. The analysis of adult and community learning…

Learning in workplaces is always mediated through talk. It is tempting for management to seek to utilise everyday talk as part of learning and therefore enhance productivity. This paper examines the responses of workers to interventions that aim to formalise informal conversations at work as part of an explicit workplace learning strategy. It…

This article highlights the practice of a group of New Zealand teenagers who are considered by their family and themselves to be technological experts. Drawing on Pierre Bourdieu's key concepts of habitus, field and capital, this text identifies and discusses the cyber-relations that constitute the practice in the field of home computer use for…

This paper examines the focus on formal training and proposes a new way of incorporating communities of practice into professional development. It describes formal and informal learning found in organizations and discusses the implications of using communities of practice to foster professional development. Data collection involved observations in…

Highlights the problem of unintended pregnancies in the United States, especially those among adults. Discusses high costs, sex education for adults, the need for a national campaign that includes improving knowledge about contraception and reproductive health, increasing access to contraception, providing guidance to couples, and stimulating…

A qualitative study of four homeless women depicted their self-perceptions, instability of relationships, decision-making processes, and resourcefulness. Their informal learning included situational and intentional learning applied to survival. (SK)

Communities of practice are groups of people informally bound by shared expertise and passion for joint enterprise. In organizations that value knowledge, they can help drive strategy, solve problems quickly, transfer best practices, develop professional skills, and help recruit and retain talented employees. (SK)

Informal learning is one of the most prevalent forms of learning in the workplace. However, little is known about how such learning is best supported, encouraged, and developed within organizational settings. While organizational context is considered to be significant in facilitating or inhibiting informal learning, limited research has been…

This article covers three primary topics within the broad heading of ethnically focused supplemental education. The first is a general overview of the topic of supplemental ethnic schools. The second is a specific case history of one such program, the Mount Zion Ethnic School. The third is a discussion, informed by that case history, of how and…

This article presents a model for increasing science literacy of P-16 students as well as community members by engaging university students in the design and development of university museum exhibits. While the design of this project was in large part motivated by time and budget constraints faced by the faculty members involved, the positive…