I just know that I still have a lot to know: reflections on lifelong learning

Life is, in essence, a learning process. Every day from the moment we are born we acquire knowledge, develop skills and expand the way we see the world. A process that goes beyond classrooms and books, that happens in every experience, every interaction and every challenge we face.

Learning is understanding how to live together, create and even transform our environment. It is not limited to formal education or academic knowledge. Cultivating this attitude of lifelong learning opens doors, fosters our curiosity and helps us reach our full potential.

What will I read about in this article?

The three areas of lifelong learning
The value of learning lifelong in organisations
How to foster a culture of lifelong learning

The three main types of lifelong learning

A lifelong learner discerns that there are three main types of learning and seeks to develop in each of them:

* Formal learning: This is structured and intentional learning, which occurs within an educational system with programmes specifically designed to transmit knowledge. It usually culminates in a certificate or diploma, as in the case of school or university. According to the sociologist French Pierre Bourdieu, this type of learning generates a new form of institutionalised cultural capital.

* Non-formal learning: Occurs outside traditional education systems, but still has a defined structure and purpose. This includes technical courses (photography, cooking, languages) or training organisational, which are key to professional growth (and personal). Lifelong learners actively seek out non-formal learning opportunities, not being satisfied with education received earlier in life.

Informal learning: This takes place in everyday life, through concrete experiences that teach us something new. It can be technical, affective or social, and is often referred to as experiential or accidental learning. Lifelong learners know how to identify and take advantage of these situations to convert them into learning, either consciously or intuitively.

The Value of Lifelong Learning in Organisations

We don’t all learn in the same way, nor do we all take the same lessons from our experiences. Some of us repeat the same mistakes without realising it. According to this research, true learning takes place when we become aware of the frame of reference within which we are, and therefore think, feel and act, and become critical of its appropriateness, developing more frames of appropriate reference.

Learning therefore lies, in a way, in looking critically at ourselves. Being open to new perspectives allows us to develop more flexible and adaptive thinking. It’s allowing ourselves to recognise that we’re not necessarily right and that there’s room for learning.

Organisations are increasingly looking for lifelong learners, as they’re often talented employees who impact the sustainability, productivity and innovation of the organisation. Ultimately, these professionals are the backbone of companies. To remain competitive, many organisations have started to promote structures and environments that facilitate the continuous learning of their members.

Organisations with a strong learning culture tend to stand out from the competition. They’re known as learning organisations, companies where learning lifelong is a fundamental pillar of the work. Within them, people develop their capacity to achieve the results they want, innovative thinking is encouraged and spaces are created where learning occurs naturally and constantly

Management expert Peter Senge defines these organisations as learning communities, places where people continually expand their capabilities, generate new ways of thinking and work together to achieve collective goals.

Fostering a culture of lifelong learning in organisations

For an organisation to become a true, ongoing learning community, it is essential to implement strategies that motivate continuous growth. Some key recommendations may include:

Create environments that encourage learning by allowing employees to dedicate regular time (annual, monthly, weekly or daily) to their personal and professional development
Acknowledge and value learning, whether formal (technical skills) or informal, through personalised training plans and the encouragement of curiosity.
Identify permanent apprentices within the organisation, empowering their talent and providing them with opportunities for growth.

Organisations that are committed to creating learning environments tend to retain talent better, foster innovation and strengthen their competitiveness, and also enable their employees to empower themselves. In an environment often considered as VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous), learning is not only an advantage, but the only way to be able to contribute to improving one’s own environment. Long live the lifelong learner.

Sources:

Bloom, B. S., & Krathwohl, D. R. (1956). Taxonomy of educational objectives: The classification of educational goals, by a committee of college and university examiners. Handbook I: Cognitive domain. Longmans, Green.
Harrow, A. (1972) A Taxonomy of Psychomotor Domain: A Guide for Developing Behavioral Objectives.New York: David McKay.
Krathwohl, D.R., Bloom, B.S., Masia, B.B. (1964). Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, the Classification of Educational Goals. Handbook II: Affective Domain.New York: David McKay Co., Inc.
Laal, M. (2011). Lifelong learning: What does it mean? Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 28, 470-474.
Fleming, T. (1997, April 9). Lifelong learning: The challenge for later years. Age and Opportunity Seminar: Learning in Later Years – The Challenge to Educational Service Providers, Marino Institute of Education, Dublin, Ireland.

Dr Marc Grau is Professor of Social and Family Policy at the Education Sciences Faculty, UIC Barcelona, and Coordinator of the Joaquím Molins Figueras Chair for Childcare and Family Policies. He was research fellow at Harvard Kennedy School (2016-2022) and has a Master in Business Administration from ESADE Business School, as well as a Master in Social and Political Science from the University Pompeu Fabra and Doctorate in Social Policy from Edinburgh University. He has published several books, including The Work-Family Balance in Light of Globalization and Technology (Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2017), The New Ideal Worker (Springer, 2019), Engaged Fatherhood (Springer, 2022) and Human Flourishing (Springer, 2023). He is currently Co-Editor of the magazine Community, Work and Family.