New Pew Study on Lifelong Learning and Technology

T & L Colleagues,

The Pew Research Center's Internet, Science & Tech published on March 22nd, 2016 offers some interesting new findings on Lifelong Learning and Technology. The summary is that:

A large majority of Americans seek extra knowledge for personal and work-related reasons. Digital technology plays a notable role in these knowledge pursuits, but place-based learning remains vital to many and differences in education and income are a hallmark of people’s learning activities.

Are you a lifelong learner? Are most Americans? Are your students lifelong learners? If so, what does that mean?

Here's a finding that needs our attention:

For significant minorities of Americans with less education and lower incomes, the internet is more on the periphery of their learning activities. Fewer of the people in those groups are professional or personal learners, and fewer of them use the internet for these purposes. Overall, the internet does not seem to exert as strong a pull toward adult learning among those who are poorer or less educated as it does for those in other groups.

And in case you don't get to the end of the article, you may be interested in this:

  • Distance learning – 61% of adults have little or no awareness of this concept.
  • The Khan Academy, which provides video lessons for students on key concepts in things such as math, science, the humanities and languages – 79% of adults do not have much awareness of it
  • Massive open online courses (MOOCs) that are now being offered by universities and companies – 80% of adults do not have much awareness of these.
  • Digital badges that can certify if someone has mastered an idea or a skill – 83% of adults do not have much awareness of these.

What are the implications of this study for our work in technology and learning?

David J. Rosen

Moderator, Technology and Learning Community

djrosen123@gmail.com