This Open University Reader examines the practices of learning and teaching which have been developed to support lifelong learning, and the understanding and assumptions which underpin them.

This Open University Reader examines the practices of learning and teaching which have been developed to support lifelong learning, and the understanding and assumptions which underpin them. The selection of texts trace the widening scope of academic understanding of learning and teaching, and considers the implications for those who develop programmes of learning. It examines in great depth those theories which have had the greatest impact in the field, theories of reflection and learning from experience and theories of situated learning. The implications of these theories ar examined in relation to themes which run across the reader, namely, workplace learning, literacies, and the possibilities offered by information and communication technologies. The particular focus of this Reader is on the psychological or cognitive phenomena that happen in the minds of individual learners. The readings have been selected to represent a range of experience in different sectors of education from around the globe.

'Together these volumes represent something of a treasure trove of writing about adult lifelong learning. As a whole, they bring together significant ideas and concepts which are currently being used to understand and research learning in an expansive, lifelong context. The chapters interact with one another in a way that makes each volume more than the sum of its parts and should encourage the reader to engage in a critical fashion with the ideas presented.' - Studies in the Education of Adults