“According to the Adult Education and Training Survey in 2005, 37% of adults participate in formal learning. The researchers conclude that at least 59% are engaged in informal learning”.

State of the Field Review

SESSIONS ON STATE OF THE FIELD REVIEWS

The following is a brief description of the key points presented in the sessions on the State of the Field Reviews.

BARRIERS TO PARTICIPATION

A research team from the University of New Brunswick – Dorothy MacKeracher (presenter), Theresa Suart, and Judith Potter – prepared the State of the Field Report. Responders were Jeanne Geldart and Sherry Thomson from Leadership Fredericton.

The report focused on three key themes:

• The major barriers to participation – institutional, situational, attitudinal (including some employers’ tendency to undervalue workplace training), academic, and pedagogical – and the interaction among the barriers.
• The elements of a responsive lifelong learning system
• Best practices in teaching

The latter two areas were seen to hold the potential to reduce barriers to participation in formal learning opportunities.

“The report speaks to.....my experience in this work, so it has already succeeded, if the goal is to establish working relationships between academia and practice.”

Practitioner

The responders described the barriers that impact on adult learners at Leadership Fredericton, a community-based certificate program that works continuously to be more relevant and responsive to the needs of their participants. Researchers from Canadian Policy Research Networks contributed to the discussion by highlighting their recent research on the barriers faced by learners. Their report – Too many left behind – is available on the symposium web site.