Supporting Lifelong Learning In The Information Age

In the pre‐pandemic world learning was most often onsite, in‐person and co‐located. This was turned upside down during the pandemic where online suddenly became the ‘new normal’. To continue learning in a pandemic world, learning providers and institutions were required to rethink and reconfigure learning to more online and ‘pandemic‐friendly’ formats. In the aftermath of emergency teaching and learning, providers, developers and teachers are now looking ahead to contemplate its impact on the educational landscape. Here, the large‐scale, wide‐spread development and delivery of online, blended and hybrid learning formats might demarcate a turning point for education. However, hybridity, hybrid learning environments and hybrid learning carry with them particular conceptualisations, characteristics and frameworks we need to bear in mind when thinking about lifelong learning in a post‐pandemic world. This article is an effort to provide an operationalisation of theories for hybrid lifelong learning through asking: How can we understand the concepts of hybrids, hybridization and hybridity in order to take advantage of the potentials and opportunities these concepts hold when it comes to lifelong learning? And how can we apply this understanding to describe hybrid lifelong learning in ways that sets it apart from emergency teaching and learning as well as other similar formats such as online learning or parallel teaching? Practitioner notes What is already known about this topic Hybrid learning environments is a central topic in the field, but it is not clear how we should think about this term. Hybrid learning has grown substantially in importance. Yet the field is still under‐theorised. Hybrid learning environments are challenging and under‐researched. The dissolution of dichotomies central in hybrid learning makes it more complex and less predictable. What this paper adds Theoretical groundwork is provided to circumvent the “common sense” understanding of hybridity in hybrid learning. Synthesises insights from a body of recent research on hybrid education and hybrid learning, reflecting the complexity added by the notion of hybridity to learning, learning environments and lifelong learning. A novel conception of hybridity that foregrounds the complexity, entanglement and dissolution of dichotomies as well as a more integrated and holistic theorisation of the assumptions and premises that underpin hybrid learning, based on existing theories and research. Implications for practice and/or policy More theoretically grounded accounts of hybridity, hybrid learning and hybrid learning environments provide richer explanations of these terms, and would benefit the field. The paper's theoretical perspective prompts some rethinking of how design for hybrid learning occurs, what it consists of and how it may be improved. Teachers who want to foster hybrid learning environments and hybrid lifelong learning should be aware of using an integrated theoretical approach when analysing or designing for situations where learning is hybridised. Researchers need to be more explicit about the theories that underpin their studies of hybrid education, hybrid learning and hybrid learning environments.

This special issue of seminar.net is the result of a collaboration between teachers at the two master programmes, “Communication, Design and Learning” at the University of Oslo and “ICT Supported Learning” at the Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences. For 2013-2015, we received a grant from Norgesuniversitetet to develop partnership, flexible teaching and study methods, and to increase learning outcomes among students. The four papers represent the first research results from our project. We are grateful to Norgesuniversitetet for its support.Per HetlandGeneral editorThe first paper, by Per Hetland and Anders I. Mørch, both from the University of Oslo has a title called “Ethnography for Investigating the Internet”. They describe the field by giving an overview of the competing concepts, and argue for their chosen path. They point at important crossing roads and selections that needs to be taken for future research.Jan Erik Dahl, also of The University of Oslo, presents the paper “Supporting learning through epistemic scaffolds embedded in a highlighter tool”. It explores how the use of the tool was used to support students’ readings and discussions of research articles. He argues that the use of annotation technologies in education is increasing, and that annotations can play a wide variety of epistemic roles; e.g., they can facilitate a deeper level of engagement, support critical thinking, develop cognitive and metacognitive skills and introduce practices that can support knowledge building and independent learning. Dahl criticises some of the underlying assumption of present research in the field and suggest that one needs to look for the active co-construction that students do in collaboration with others.Monica Johannesen and Leikny Øgrim, of the Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences, has collaborated with Ole Smørdal of the University of Oslo on the paper “Facebook as an actor - a case of students negotiating their social presence in an online course”. Their paperreports on a study of a higher education online course based on asynchronous communication. In the selection of technology for online discussions they aimed at creating a sense of togetherness among the teachers and the students. Their choice proved to be a insightful experience of how the differences of agency of a virtual learning environment (VLE) are compared to social media when it comes to social presence.Anders I. Mørch of the University of Oslo has collaborated with Louise Mifsud and Bård Kjetil Engen, of Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences on the fourth paper, called “Problem-Based Learning in Synchronous Networked Environments: Comparing Adobe Connect and Second Life”. Their approach was to compare experiences from using two networked learning environments: Adobe Connect (AC) and Second Life (SL) for supporting teaching and learning in distance education courses. Data were collected from two separate case studies: one in Norway (AC) and the other in the United States (SL), using different but comparable methods of data analysis. They focus on problem-based learning (PBL), using four application characteristics of PBL (learner activity, collaborative learning, feedback, and valuation of previous knowledge).General sectionIn addition to the four papers in the special issue of Seminar.net, we also contribute with two more papers.David Hallberg, representing both The Swedish Red Cross University College and the Stockholm University, has written a paper with Henrik Hansson and Anders G.Nilsson, also from Stockholm University called: “Immigrant Women's Reasoning and Use of Information and Communications Technology in Lifelong Learning”. The paper explores the reasoning and use of information and communications technology (ICT) in lifelong learning by immigrant women. The researchers collected data from semi-structured and unstructured interviews. The study was carried out primarily in a school environment, which also made it possible to draw conclusions about the connection between learning in and outside school environments.Trine Fossland, of University of Tromsø UiT The Arctic University of Norway, presents the last paper in this issue. Her paper, “Stories of technology-enhancement in higher education – a critical approach”, continues a critical stance of educational technology, suggesting that even if there is a large body of research on technology-enhanced learning, questions related to the educational effectiveness of technology use still needs to be questioned. She argues that “digital innovators’” stories about technology enhancement may constitute a rich source for understanding this complex educational phenomenon both in relation to teachers’ daily practices and the implementation of ICT in higher education at large. Her paper relies on biographical interviews with “digital innovators”. Her findings suggest that technology-enhancement is linked to nine key characteristics: different educational models, authenticity, pedagogical added values, meaningful student activities, changing approaches to feedback, assessment and connection with the outside world, as well as holistic planning, supportive leaders and strong micro-cultures. This paper proposes a more nuanced understanding of the term technology enhanced learning and suggests strategies for educational development and further investigations related to this phenomenon in higher education. Yngve Nordkvelle

One of the areas in which these technological advances are dramatically influencing people’s lives is information technology and telecommunications hence the claim that we are in the midst of a ‘digital revolution’ that is driving us towards an ‘information society’. The development of human learning abilities has been changed over the past 60 years of technological innovation starting from the widespread use of the radio, through television, and finally to the mass implementation of computers and information and communication technologies (ICT). With information revolution on the go, shift towards knowledge-based economy is the prime target of all nations of the world. Also, there is a growing concern about the current trends in ICT adoption and use. Throughout the world communities are grappling with the concept of knowledge based development. Education is considered, as the most important contributing factor to nations development and achievement of knowledge economy in the era of information revolution. Education especially the primary and secondary education is important; as it is here the foundations of knowledge are led. The literature on educational technology lacks empirical research on the social practice of information and communication technology (ICT) that would enable us to extend our understanding of the barriers to adoption and integration of ICT in the educational context. The present field study was undertaken with teachers, students, parents and staff of a government primary educational institute in a disadvantaged rural area of India. Research was initiated with the investigation by adapting participatory appraisal methods suitable to a rural context. The anthropological approach used in the present research focuses on the influences of culture and society on the individual adoption behavior; it emphasizes participant observation and academic analysis of behavior through both management and consumer perspectives. The cultural capital in question includes knowledge about ICT product features and qualities, ICT skills, digital literacy, the level of education of family elders, and proficiency in English. Economic capital includes access to electricity, lack of knowledge of the ICT market, a transportation system, and ownership of ICT equipment. Social capital includes distrust of rural and semi-urban sources of ICT purchases, lack of motivation, and access to ICT. In addition to finding ways to facilitate the work of teachers and educational institutions in both formal and non-formal learning environments, the informal learning environment has to be considered. The paper explores that every culture, organizational or national, is different, and not all technologies are equally acceptable in all cultures. It brings forward the ground realities including policy concerns, failures in governmental efforts and community’s role in facilitating ICT adoption. It also highlights the role of teacher’s in promoting ICT adoption and use in education. The better we understand culture, the better we can maximize the usefulness of new information technology in the workplace. Keywords: ICT4d, educational technology, digital literacy, developing countries, barriers to technology, diffusion of innovations.

This study investigates the impact of hybrid learning and digital literacy on student satisfaction within Islamic Religious Education. As educational institutions increasingly adopt digital technologies, understanding their influence on student satisfaction is essential. A quantitative approach was employed using regression analysis to examine the relationship between hybrid learning, digital literacy, and their combined effects on student satisfaction. The study population consisted of 242 active students in the Islamic Education program at STIT Bustanul Ulum Anak Tuha, Lampung Tengah. A purposive sampling method was applied, selecting 65 students from the main campus based on specific criteria, including ownership of electronic devices and active enrollment. The findings demonstrate that flexibility and accessibility in hybrid learning, coupled with students' digital literacy, significantly enhance their overall satisfaction. Hybrid learning provides adaptive and personalized educational experiences, while digital literacy fosters comfort and engagement with online platforms. These factors collectively contribute to improved student satisfaction and learning outcomes. The results emphasize the need for universities to invest in robust digital infrastructure and provide targeted training programs to optimize hybrid learning environments. The implications of these findings extend beyond Islamic Religious Education, offering insights for other educational institutions aiming to enhance teaching strategies in the digital era. By prioritizing hybrid learning strategies and promoting digital literacy, universities can elevate student satisfaction and academic achievement, creating effective and adaptable learning environments for the future.

This article investigates the difficulties farmers encounter in adopting and utilising ICT technologies for sustainable agriculture, with a particular emphasis on bridging the digital divide. To assess the digital divide among farmers, the study examines access to technology, digital literacy levels, and internet connectivity. Affordability, awareness, and complexity are highlighted and analysed as barriers to ICT adoption. To address these barriers, customised ICT solutions, including user-friendly tools, are being developed. The influence of these solutions on long-term farming practises were assessed. The interpretations emphasise solutions such as cost reduction, subsidisation, improved power supply, information delivery in local languages, the establishment of service centres, and the provision of training programmes. Implementing these solutions can help to bridge the digital divide, improve information access, and promote sustainable agriculture. This article examines the challenges that farmers encounter when adopting and utilizing ICT (Information and Communication Technology) solutions for sustainable agriculture, with a particular focus on addressing the digital divide. The research investigates the accessibility of technology, levels of digital literacy, and internet connectivity to determine the extent of the digital divide among farmers. It identifies and examines affordability, awareness, and complexity as obstacles to ICT adoption. To overcome these barriers, customized ICT solutions are being developed, including user-friendly tools. The long-term impact of these remedies on farming practices is being studied. The findings highlight the importance of cost-cutting measures, subsidies, improved electricity supply, information dissemination in local languages, the establishment of service centres, and the provision of training programs. Implementing these solutions can help bridge the digital divide and enhance farming practices.

Combining the advantages of online learning and traditional classroom learning environments have been leading to a new learning environment, often referred to as "Blended Learning (BL)." BL integrates face-to-face interaction with technologically mediated interactions among students, teachers, and learning resources. The role of teachers is essential in the growing educational environments that are being formed with the help of Information Communication and Technology (ICT). ICTs allow students to take control of innovative learning, solve on practice, and identify the framework that allows them to cope with new learning methodology extensively. The combination of the use of MOODLE, spoken tutorials, flipped classroom (FC) and website creation for content management system should foster the student's active participation so that students become involved in their learning through an impulsive process to acquire a high level of competencies. ICT for teaching is an enabling technology with a possibility for increased learning outcome in education.

Applying adaptive swarm intelligence technology with structuration in web-based collaborative learning

This review paper examines the digital divide and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) access in rural communities across Africa and the United States, employing a comparative analysis to understand the multifaceted nature of digital disparities. Through an exploration of theoretical frameworks, including Technology Acceptance Models, Socio-Economic Models, and Cultural and Policy Analysis, the paper highlights the complex interplay of factors influencing ICT access. It delves into the current state of ICT infrastructure, digital literacy, and the impact of ICT on socio-economic development in these communities. The analysis further assesses policy and regulatory environments, identifying challenges and opportunities for bridging the digital divide. The paper concludes by offering insights into future directions for research, policy reforms, and innovative solutions aimed at enhancing digital inclusion.
 Keywords: Digital Divide, ICT Access, Rural Communities, Technology Acceptance Models, Digital Literacy, Policy Analysis.

Digital development for a progressive networked society

In the United Kingdom, since 1997, the New Labour government, along with other public and private actors with vested interests, has been responsible for a steady but subtle (re)construction and (re)positioning of ‘lifelong learning’ – ostensibly moving away from a notion based upon an economic compulsion for individuals to participate in credentialised vocational education and training. A significant element of this shift has been the use of information and communications technologies (ICT) in a rebranding of lifelong learning from an avowedly economic concern to a societal and even moral pursuit for the ‘information age’. This article considers how this ‘technofication’ of lifelong learning has been engineered to appear as constituting a ‘remoralisation’ of education and training; i.e. a reconstruction of lifelong learning as more than just an economic duty, but also as a civic and societal duty for the information age as well as being a ‘good’ and intrinsically nourishing activity for individuals to pursue. Having mapped out the nature of these ‘new’ imperatives and the discourses surrounding them, the article then goes onto assess the likelihood of these technology-based forms of learning achieving the goal of stimulating sustained lifelong learning for all individuals in society where previous policymaking has failed.

Aim/Purpose: The study aims to evaluate Information and Communication Technology (ICT) implementation in academic colleges of education. The article offers a conceptual framework for ICT implementation within teacher education in the information era, which combines an array of frameworks and addresses the needs of teacher education. Background: The study examines the components of ICT implementation within the training as perceived by teacher educators in these colleges, their attitudes towards the contribution of ICT for teaching and learning, and the available conditions and resources in these colleges for ICT implementation in teaching. Methodology: A mixed methodology of quantitative and qualitative nature was utilized. A questionnaire was developed including a set of sequential steps. The sample that responded to the questionnaire included 615 faculty members, which were approximately 25% of the population of lecturers in 8 colleges of education. Contribution: The results enabled insights regarding success and challenges in the implementation of the computerization program. It supplies policymakers as well as practitioners with updated data and enables evidence-based decision-making. Findings: Use of ICT by faculty shows two key factors: basic ICT use and advance collaborative use. Use in teacher training was divided into 5 factors: information management, advanced technological methods, project-based learning, display of information, and learning organization. Two factors were related to the students’ use of ICT in their teaching: integrating ICT in classroom activity, and usage for distance learning. Recommendations for Practitioners: Recommendations for practitioners include empowering the efficiency of ICT implementation, thereby transforming teaching and learning; training pre-service teachers to utilize advanced ICT tools that encourage collaboration, problem-based learning; utilization of the tool developed and used in this study for decision-making and assessing ICT implementation in teacher training; and highlighting the role of the teacher educator as a major factor in translating educators’ beliefs and modelling for students. Recommendation for Researchers: Recommendations for researchers include identifying the possibilities of utilizing the proposed tool in their research and development plans within their teacher training institutes, as a means of assessing the nature of ICT implementation in their teacher education programs. Impact on Society: ICT implementation in education has an impact on the future generation of students, as citizens of the knowledge society and lifelong learners. Teacher educators are at the heart of this process; hence, developing and implementing a tool to measure as well as encourage a paradigm shift in teaching and learning is of utmost importance. Future Research: Future research should include examining the utilization of the developed tool in diverse contexts, as well as using it as an indicator for comparing ICT implementation processes and models between institutes, and for examining the implementation process from a longitudinal point of view, from pre-service education throughout the TPD (Teacher Professional Development) as an in-service teacher.

Although Bangladesh has adopted many digital initiatives, it continues to grapple with widespread digital disparity and social inequality. Through semi-structured interviews, this study explores the dynamics of the digital divide and the perceptions and experiences of undergraduate students in Bangladesh in ICT education and learning. The findings indicate that, despite the significant impact of the digital divide, caused by multifaceted socioeconomic inequality, ICT education has largely failed to provide students with essential digital skills. This article emphasizes the need for an effective learning environment that prioritizes three interconnected dimensions: equal access, resources, and digital literacy. By examining the interplay between digital divides and the imperative of integrating e-learning into pedagogical strategies, this study contributes to the field of educational policy and technology. Ultimately, this article advocates a digitally inclusive and student-centred digital learning environment in the technology-poor setting of higher education in Bangladesh.

In the last two decades, lifelong learning has become a priority at the level of the European Union. However, empirical data shows that adult participation in lifelong learning is still low at the level of EU member states, especially if we take into consideration the benchmarks included in the Education and Training 2020 Strategy. While the analysis of results achieved through the different EU programmes, policies and strategies in the field of lifelong learning is an avenue of research, the present paper focuses on an aspect which requires more attention, namely barriers which are preventing adults from participating in lifelong learning. Understanding these barriers and trying to develop ways to overcome them could prove beneficial for reaching the goals which have been set in the ET2020 strategy. Thus, the main objective of this paper is to identify and discuss the different types of barriers which deter adult learners from participating in lifelong education, as well as to propose several solutions for overcoming these barriers. The paper is structured into three main parts. The first part consists in a brief discussion regarding the different conceptions and definitions of lifelong learning, with special focus on the perspectives of the European Union, as well as those of established authors in the field. The second part is meant to provide a general image on the different types of barriers which adult learners encounter, based on studies conducted by different authors, as well as on the latest statistical data available in this regard at the level of the European Union. The last part of the paper discusses several solutions for overcoming barriers in lifelong learning, with special focus on the role of national authorities, education providers and private companies.

A knowledge society is emerging in which Information and Communication Technology is omnipresent and ubiquitous. What form will education take to serve this society? And how will educational professionalism change? To begin to answer these questions one needs to understand the demands of this knowledge society on its citizens and knowledge workers. Continuous innovation in all aspects is characteristic of the knowledge society. This puts three demands to citizens and workers: lifelong learning, knowledge development and knowledge sharing. In the knowledge society learning is a continuous process: learning is lifelong learning. In many cases this learning will also involve knowledge development in the context of professional (or daily) life as new knowledge is needed to deal with innovation. Consequences of this are `democratization' of knowledge development (research) and a changing role of knowledge towards more prescriptive knowledge. In the knowledge society knowledge is the only resource that grows when shared. Knowledge sharing may be facilitated by communities of inquiry (practice, interest, etc.) supporting exchange and further development of knowledge. Information and Communication Technology is integrated facilitator in all this. If the picture sketched here is truthful, then there are profound consequences for education and the professionals in education. Education will find itself in a continuous process of change, embedded as it is in the changing knowledge society around it. The educational organisation will have to turn into a learning organisation, an agile organisation that is able to innovate educational processes to answer outside demands. New professionalism will be needed in such an organisation to understand and support new ways of learning and to create new learning environments. In this paper the Knowledge Society is explored in three aspects: lifelong learning, knowledge development and knowledge sharing. Then the implications for education and research in the twenty-first century knowledge society are explored. It is made clear that in this context new educational professionalism of teachers is needed, based on lifelong learning, practical research and knowledge sharing.

Students in higher education are using mobile devices, which challenges our understanding of what it means to learn in modern environments. By using mobile devices as instructional aids, students gain a variety of social, cognitive, and technical abilities. Mobile devices may therefore be seen as supporting the growth of employability skills and broader lifelong learning, both of which may be helpful in a variety of circumstances. The quickly evolving landscape of technology and education presented teachers with a number of challenges, and they had to retrain and refresh their skills in order to provide practical training. As a result, heutagogical methods are ideal for enhancing their collective knowledge and skills. Online and blended learning (BL) offer a learning environment that incorporates technological affordances to facilitate learning. This enables the growth of an independent, capable, and self-directed lifelong learner. Heutagogy provides an educational strategy in this context that may link the development of lifelong learning competencies with BL and online learning environments. Using this methodology, we investigate the potential contribution of online and blended higher education to technology-enabled lifelong learning where heutagogical experiences are available. The results support the notion that heutagogy and lifelong learning are linked by some basic concepts that apply to both mixed and online learning environments.