Learning is among the most basic of human activities. The study of learning, and research into learning is becoming a central part of educational studies. This is a comprehensive introduction to contemporary theories and modern practices of learning. Updated and expanded, this second edition should be of interest to teachers, facilitators, human resource developers and students of education. The contents cover: lifelong learning; the social background to learning; cognitivist theory; types of learning; learning using ICT; and philosophical reflections on learning.

Table of Contents

Part 1 The emergence of lifelong learning: From childhood to adult to lifelong; From the few to the many; From learning as process to learning as an institutional phenomenon; From education and training to learning; From teacher-centred to student-centred education; Liberal to vocational and human resource development; From theoretical to practical; From single discipline to multidisciplinary to integrated knowledge; From knowledge as truth to knowledge as relative/information/narrative/discourse; From rote learning to learning as reflection; From welfare needs to market demands (wants); From classical curriculum to romantic curriculum to programme; From face-to-face to distance learning; Conclusion. Part 2 The social background to lifelong learning: The focus on change; Characteristics of modern societies; Education and modern society; The forces of change; Learning and the postmodern condition. Part 3 Behaviourist approaches to learning: The problem of definition; Behavioural theorists; Conditioning; Teaching and learning; Conclusion. Part 4 Cognitivist theories: Jean Piaget; Lev Vygotsky; Jack Mezirow; Conclusions. Part 5 Social learning: Learning, culture and social roles; Mead and the social construction of self; Bandura and social learning theory; Collective learning; Conclusion. Part 6 Experiential learning: The nature of experience; The nature of experiental learning; Reflections of experiential learning; Conclusions. Part 7 Types of learning: Authors and their terminology; A process of synthesis; Conclusions. Part 8 Culture and learning: Introduction; How do women learn?; Women's identity and morality: the work of Carol Gilligan; Women's ways of knowing; Do Chinese learners learn differently?; Conclusion. Part 9 Self-directed learning: Cyril Houlke; Allen Tough; Malcolm Knowles; Stephen Brookfield; From theory to practice; Self-directed learning and public policy; Conclusion. Part 10 Contracts and learning: The search for predictability; Contracts and markets; Learning contracts: self-direction and personal autonomy; Contracts and competence; The 'contracting society'; Learning contracts and modular learning; The language of contracts; Contracts and freedom. Part 11 Open and distance learning: Traditional education and closed institutions; Defining open learning; Open learning and distance education; Theories of distance education; From theory to practice; Conclusion. Part 12 Work-based and problem-based learning: Learning at work; A brief history of learning at work; Training and the changing workplace; Developing 'human resources'. Part 13 The learning organization: The historical evolution of the learning organization; Defining the learning organization; Landmark contributors; Applications; A critical perspective; Conclusions. Part 14 Assessing learning: The traditional approach to assessment; Contemporary issues in assessment.