The Democratisation of Lifelong Learning

This article examines the impact of digital media in the democratising of learning. Location and wealth are becoming a much less constraining factor on how, why and where learning takes place. Three questions are explored: what is meant by lifelong learning; why is lifelong learning important and how is lifelong learning having an impact over a substantial and ever increasing number of the world's population? The article concludes by considering the implications of lifelong learning in terms of a ‘collective shift’ in the role of schooling in the lifelong learning context.