Empowering Lifelong Learning: Innovative Approaches and Best Practices in Adult Education

Dear Colleagues,

The paradigm of lifelong learning incorporates all life stages, contexts, and settings of the learner’s life. It builds on the premise that learning continues until the very last stages of life. However, the volume of existing research on older people’s learning has not equaled studies on younger cohorts, although the volume is growing. Furthermore, existing research points to a need to further develop and creatively enrich senior citizens’ teaching and learning in terms of the aims, content, providers, recipients, and pedagogical approaches.

Older people are under-represented in formal institutional learning and workplace learning, and therefore, informal, and non-formal learning opportunities are of utmost importance for them. In the context of the global aging phenomenon and extended life expectancy, as well as global transformations and crises such as the digitalization, climate crisis and social inequalities, there is a need to rethink learning for older people and to develop innovative pedagogical approaches. The most pressing societal need is to empower older people in the most vulnerable life situations, which may stem from lower socio-economic status, as well as cognitive, physical, and social deficiencies.

This Special Issue aims to contribute to the literature by focusing on innovative approaches and practices to address these challenges. Specifically, this Special Issue calls for papers that investigate innovative approaches and best practices for older people’s teaching and learning in formal, informal, and non-formal settings. We are looking for cutting edge and innovative studies regarding learning theories, as well as methodological and pedagogical approaches. Empirical studies are preferred, and we also welcome conceptual papers and reviews.

Prof. Dr. Päivi Rasi-Heikkinen
Guest Editor

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• lifelong learning
• lifelong media literacy education
• older people's digital inclusion
• media literacies
• digital competences
• internet (non)use
• learning environment development in higher education
• design-based research