Various international scholars and associates of the PASCAL (Place, Social Capital and Learning Regions) International Observatory (Africa hub), under the auspices of the Centre for Local Economic Development (CENLED) based at the University of Johannesburg (UJ), have contributed chapters in this scholarly book. The book aims to demonstrate how a combination of globalisation, pandemics and the impact of innovation and technologies are driving towards a world in which traditional ideas are being challenged. The book carries forward a dual context and relevance: to South African social, educational, economic and cultural development, and the broader international context and action directed at how lifelong learning for all can be fostered in communities as a foundation for a just, human-centred, sustainable world. The distinctive contribution of this book to the production of a local body of knowledge lies in the symbiotic relationships between these objectives, so that South Africa could serve as a test case in working towards approaches that have a wider international significance.

The educational needs and interests of older adults have been largely overlooked by universities. Traditionally, universities have geared their curriculum and recruitment drive towards younger adults, yet the number of older adults, as a proportion of the total population, is growing. Many of these older adults want to remain in work longer whether in a paid or voluntary capacity. This article argues that universities have the potential to play a major role in innovation through increasing and widening participation of older adults. It outlines an approach, the Age Friendly University (AFU) which highlights ten principles that offer a possible guide for innovation and institutional change. The integration of AFU's mission and principles is reflected in cases from Ireland and the UK. It argues the AFU has the potential to bring social, personal and economic benefits to older adults and universities alike.

An age-friendly university movement is transforming traditional universities into centers of lifelong learning that support active, healthy aging and include older adults in the core elements of the university. Initiated by Dublin City University (DCU), Dublin, Ireland and expanded as a collaboration between DCU, Arizona State University, United States, and the University of Strathclyde, Scotland, this international initiative spawned an inaugural international conference in 2015. In May 2016, the Association for Gerontology in Higher Education (AGHE), an educational unit of the Gerontology Society of America, announced its endorsement of the ten age-friendly principles which provide a guiding framework for developing, distinguishing, and evaluating age-friendly programs and policies. This session will present the history of the age-friendly university initiative and international collaboration, present the ten principles of an age-friendly university, discuss the experiences and challenges of the founding universities in this growing movement, and present a model of sustainability for universities considering joining the age-friendly initiative.

The global society is facing a new burgeoning element: an ageing population. Response to the educational needs and interests of older adults requires innovative pedagogies and practices of teaching, research, and community engagement. While traditionally geared towards provision for younger adults, the case is presented that universities have the potential to play a major role in innovation for later life learning for older adults. This article outlines one approach, the Age Friendly University (AFU) and highlights 10 principles that offer a possible guide for innovation and institutional change. The integration of AFU’s mission and principles into three universities is reflected in stories from three university cases in Ireland, the UK (Scotland) and the USA exploring potential merits and also major challenges. It is argued the AFU has the potential to bring social, personal and economic benefits to older adults and universities alike.

A wide variety of tools and systems are used in the development and implementation of learning activities through e-Learning. While there are tools in learning management systems which can be used to implement a wide range of learning activities and develop a rich virtual learning environment, this is sometime insufficient and learning activities are also usually carried out not only within the learning environment, but also outside (for example, searching for information online, communication in social networks, self-reflection in blogs, retrieval and presentation of information in academic information systems, etc.) In this paper we argue that each of these activities should be integrated into a successive learning process through the development of a more integrated learning environment. A range of technological solutions for the development of integrated e-Learning environments already exists in the literature. However, the most appropriate solutions require further research and the development of integrated learning environments are still in the early stages. The aim of this paper is to present the functional architecture of the integrated learning environment that enables the implementation of a successive learning process using advanced learning methods. We will review technological solutions for the integrated learning environment based on existing academic literature. This will include an analysis of tools necessary to implement learning activities using advanced learning methods: personalised learning processes, and social communication and collaboration. The paper will also present the functional architecture of a service-oriented integrated learning environment. The architecture is flexible and reliable and can be easily extended. The development of the integrated learning environment is relevant for all educational institutions providing training services and seeking to improve the quality of learning.

A range of demographic education, training, health and wellbeing data in developed nations confirm that men are experiencing a range of dilemmas as they age, particularly around and after the age of retirement. Adult learning and policy research have seldom linked learning and wellbeing, particularly in relation to older men. More commonly, learning by adults is analysed and researched in terms of its contribution to workplace skills for people of working age. Our paper is based primarily on findings and insights from recent, mixed method, field research in Ireland and Australia. It suggests that engagement in learning in informal community settings can have a positive impact on older men’s health and wellbeing. Our research has been undertaken in the context of population ageing and deteriorating employment and post-work recreation options for people with low skills not in paid work in many developed nations. We regard it as timely to examine new methods and policies for integrating older men into society that are less focussed on researching and providing services for older men from deficit and client-centred models, and which take more account of older men’s agency and holistic, informal learning and wellbeing needs in community settings. Our paper reflects on what lessons our empirical research findings might have for policy makers and for government and service providers interested in promoting men’s improved health and wellbeing in the ‘Third Age’ and implications for creating a new culture for lifelong learning which encourages the engagement of older men in community settings. Specifically our paper draws conclusions from attitudes and experiences of older men already learning in community contexts in Australia and Ireland and from complementary research carried out in the UK. In exploring some factors that shape attitudes of men towards learning, we seek to explain why some older men are often overlooked in local and community learning provision and policies. Our paper identifies several types of informal, group-learning environments, contexts and organisations that successfully and positively engage older men and promote wellbeing for individuals, families and communities. Finally, we examine and discuss current policy and practice for older men’s learning in Ireland and Australia and look at how policies might positively re-engage older men in other, similar, developed nations.

This chapter looks at ways in which learning from personal experiences can empower learners through examining inequalities affecting their lives.

The article examines how a foresight approach and methodology was used to generate health and education research priorities and evaluates the contribution it can make to education and development research.

This (e)book examines a range of issues affecting the development of European Lifelong Learning and represents the proceedings of the 39th EUCEN Conference, Lifelong Learning for the New Decade, 27-29 May 2010, University of Lapland, Rovaniemi, Finland.

This chapter looks at the relationship between literacy, equality, and creativity and their relevance to literacy practice. Drawing on the experience of an action research project on literacy and equality, it examines how these concepts can be linked together to enable tutors and learners to understand equality issues affecting their lives. The medium used to assist this learning is non-text/creative methodologies. Findings indicate that tutors and learners were able to make use of a range of non-text methodologies to improve their understanding of equality and the issues that arise from the inequalities affecting their lives. It also enabled students to develop their own knowledge and skills and their literacies in different contexts.