Lifelong learning. Training the elderly: organizing the process correctly Innate and acquired skills

I decided to write a note about Lifelong Learning, since this concept is becoming very popular in Europe. More and more reports on this topic are appearing at various conferences. Various programs and projects are being created to develop strategies and methods for implementing lifelong learning. Much research is being conducted in this direction.

Present day

Indeed, today, many industries are developing at a rapid pace. Information and multimedia technologies first of all. New mobile devices with completely new functions and capabilities are constantly appearing, the quality of transmitted multimedia streams is improving every year, social networks are becoming an integral part of the lives of a large circle of people, and much more.

It turns out that the knowledge gained may not be relevant in just a few years. Today, workers in many specialties are forced to update and expand their knowledge regularly in order to do their job correctly and remain in demand in the labor market. The ability to quickly find and master the necessary information, often independently, becomes very important.

Teacher

Teachers of various courses are increasingly beginning to act as consultants, giving only direction for students. More and more often I come across the opinion that one should not force one to teach, but rather try to interest a person so that he gets the impetus to study the material independently. It is clear that there are subjects or material that simply need to be learned. But now I’m talking, in general, about the subject. If the teacher managed to interest the student in the first steps and show the advantages of certain knowledge, the person himself will move on with interest.

What is it? Let's start to figure it out in order. First, hwhat is study?

Learning is acquiring new knowledge and skills. Examples:

  • Learning how to ride a bike.
  • Studying of foreign language.
  • Learning to communicate with people.

How can we learn?

  • Classes (lectures, seminars).
  • Experimentation.
  • Reading books and magazines.
  • Internet.
  • Watch video.
  • Games.
  • Communication with other people.

Now imagine your past training, does it include the following concepts?:

  • School, teacher, class, quarter.
  • “Hush”, “Calm down”, “I’m late.”
  • “Boring”, “Not interesting.”
  • “Must”, “Necessary”, “Necessary”.

Now examples from Lifelong Learning ( Lifelong learning):

  • “I can”, “I want”, “I’m interested”.
  • My attitude towards what I study is important.
  • It's never too late or too early to start learning something.
  • There are learning opportunities for people of all ages.
  • There are different ways to gain knowledge.

Benefits of Lifelong Learning

  • Updating knowledge.
  • New experience.
  • Ability to solve current problems.
  • Understanding the current situation in your field.
  • Anticipating the development of the situation.
  • Ability to properly evaluate new information and perspectives in your field.
  • Professional and intellectual development.
  • Demand in the labor market.

Some good habits for Lifelong Learning:

  • Any learning begins with an understanding of what will happen at the end. Why am I studying this? What will this give me? Motivate yourself to gain new knowledge.
  • Any problem must be perceived as a challenge, as a problem that needs to be solved.
  • It is necessary to use all kinds of new information technologies and courses to obtain useful knowledge.
  • Teach other people, share your experience.
  • Try and discuss.
  • Make the process of acquiring new knowledge a part of your life.

In conclusion, I would like to give one example. In some country, I don’t remember exactly which one, there is a special project for training taxi drivers. As a rule, taxi drivers have free time, which they spend on useless things. The project allows people in this profession, using mobile devices, to receive and study distance courses in an interactive form.

Summarize

Lifelong Learning is an educational activity throughout life. Something like a bicycle, you constantly have to pedal, that is, gain new knowledge in order to move forward. Also, the success of Lifelong Learning development in any country depends on many factors, but more on that next time.

Best wishes!

From this article you will learn:

    What stereotypes exist in society about teaching older people?

    What are the characteristics of learning for older people?

    How does education for older people happen abroad?

    How education for older people is organized in Russia

    What to consider when teaching computer literacy and the Internet to older people

Today, even older people keep up with the times; they do not want to sit at home and waste their time. Upon entering their well-deserved retirement, many of them wish to continue leading an active lifestyle. This is a completely normal desire, because as children grow up and retire, an elderly person has a lot of free time. If your health allows, then why not think about further education? But teaching older people is doubtful for most. And as experience shows - in vain!

Society's stereotypes about education for older people

There is still an opinion in society that educating older people is a difficult and almost useless process. Such stereotypes occur all the time. But numerous experiments prove that there is practically no difference in educational abilities between older and younger people. Many retirees, after training, prove themselves to be hardworking, competent and reliable employees. Certain difficulties in the educational process are based only on the state of human health. Unfortunately, they are characterized by some physical weaknesses, including poor vision, poor hearing and coordination of movements.

Numerous studies prove that older people have an excellent memory structure and the ability to make the right decision in difficult situations. Moreover, training older people helps train mental functions; stable mental stress has a very good effect on the brain and helps keep the nervous system in shape.

I would like to dwell on the very process of training older people. For example, in educational institutions in the United States, the presence of retirees in classrooms is not unusual. This is not only an educational process with the aim of acquiring new knowledge and a profession, it is also an excellent way to delay the signs of aging that appear in the intellectual sphere. Today, new technologies are gaining popularity among the older generation. For example, computer training for older people is in great demand, because the Internet makes it possible to communicate with relatives and friends who live too far away for real meetings. In addition, older people are interested in meeting new people, because they are often very lonely, and this worries them even more than their health or financial situation. This generation does not want to lag behind life, they want to follow world events, discover something new and simply not get bored. Fortunately, the World Wide Web can meet all of these needs with the proper training of the elderly in the basics of computer technology. But if it is not possible to constantly use a computer, then it is better to turn to the most common methods of self-education - books, magazines, newspapers, radio, television.

Today, activities to create interaction between different generations are very developed. For example, in some educational institutions, education is structured in such a way that grandchildren help their grandparents master a computer, and they, in turn, teach children sewing, carving, etc. Thus, the learning process becomes something of a connection between generations. Such ideas can lead to a solution to one of the most difficult public problems of all time - the lack of understanding and mutual respect between representatives of different generations.

Education of older people contributes to their development and securing their significant position in the modern world. Now the pensioner is able to diversify his leisure time and spend his free time with interest. Of course, this can be considered a way to improve the quality of life of retirees.

The desire to learn something new, the need to improve one’s knowledge about the modern world is the result of an elderly person’s collision with a reality that becomes incomprehensible and inaccessible to him. The education process for older people should be aimed at filling this gap. It is necessary to connect the student to modern life, taking into account his age characteristics. After training, a person’s range of choice of behavioral models for different situations expands.

Teaching older people is about imparting skills in human interaction with a variety of information resources. In this case, it is necessary to take into account some of the needs of representatives of the age group in question. The educational material must meet certain requirements - the information should not be monotonous, it is necessary to combine different types of presentation. It is necessary to carefully select information, taking into account the age and qualifications of the elderly person, it is necessary to focus on the wishes of students, to use specialized literature in various fields of knowledge, etc.

Features of training for older people

Many training courses for the age category in question have certain characteristics - they are diverse and cover all possible areas of knowledge. You need to approach the choice of teaching methods wisely, because older people have a desire to learn, but the approach to them has its own characteristics, unlike working with ordinary students.

Effective training of older people requires the desire of the participants in the process. The level of interest is a significant factor in obtaining such education. If an elderly person decides to learn something new, then he must have motivation and clearly understand what exactly he needs. Only in this case can he become a full-fledged part. For the need to acquire new knowledge to arise, certain needs must appear, which can be triggered by various situations. Here are some examples:

    Awareness that the actual stock of knowledge is not enough to effectively interact with the current society;

    The discrepancy between one’s own knowledge and social ideas that need to be mastered in order for an older person to acquire skills that help them adapt to the rapidly changing socio-economic, political, moral and psychological situation in the country;

    The habit of people of this age to analyze very deeply issues that go beyond their own lives and are of a universal nature;

    The desire to better study your personality;

    Disorientation when faced with a critical situation;

    The desire to quench a cultural, creative or intellectual thirst.

So, the main problem of training older people is considered to be the formation of skills for intensive and effective participation in all areas of the social sphere. This result can be achieved by satisfying certain intellectual wishes and demands that society puts forward to the elderly person. For example, increasing the level of professionalism, supporting well-being, harmony in family relationships, interest and participation in public life, full-fledged organization of free time, development of one’s inner world.

It must be said that the educational training of older people is focused not only on acquiring a new specialty, but also on their self-education, which can be considered a desire for constant self-improvement. As we have already said, when a person retires, his free time increases several times. Now he can begin to implement his long-standing plans, for which he always did not have enough time, for example, learn a language, master a musical instrument, choose a suitable sport, take up drawing, etc. New education will help an older person feel self-sufficient and not lose self-confidence.

Summarizing all of the above, we can say the following: training older people must help a person comfortably adapt to a rapidly changing world. It is necessary to teach him certain skills to overcome the existing barrier, which negatively affects many areas of his life. The educational process should help to navigate situations that may be incomprehensible or difficult for an elderly person. Let us note that the main point in the formation of educational activities should be an individual approach to everyone; it is necessary to take into account both the age and psychological characteristics of the person.

How do seniors study abroad?

In the land of the rising sun, they began training older people back in the 60s. Foundations supporting the Japanese education system provide courses in a variety of areas. Such training programs cover a variety of areas of knowledge, for example, the Japanese help young women learn the basics of motherhood. Since 1965, the development of a system for training older people began. The initiator of this program was the government of the country, and by 1980 local authorities were able to give it permanent status.

Folk educational institutions in Finland have been teaching everyone for more than 60 years. Many universities, along with regular education, have special programs for training older people.

In Denmark and Sweden, education for older people is also offered by folk universities. In addition, separate higher education institutions have been formed in Denmark to educate older people. Funds for the operation of such universities are allocated by the ministry and local authorities, as well as by private individuals.

In Holland there are several training centers that interact with manufacturing enterprises. They run a project called "Pension in Perspective", the idea of ​​which is to provide education to employees preparing for retirement. The training course takes several days and helps people adapt to the changes. It's about building new relationships in an unfamiliar life situation.

In Italy, there are training courses for older people, which were created by decree of the Ministry of Education. They are not additional education, but serve to compensate for lost knowledge, in other words, this program fills the gaps at the primary school level. This program does not operate on a permanent basis, because there are quite a few people willing to study. But in Italy, training for older people aimed at developing creative abilities is very popular; for example, there are amateur choirs and theater troupes that consist of pensioners.

In France, there are three areas of education for older people:

    Cultural-social comes from traditional rural education.

    Field of educational activities of trade unions.

    Vocational training, which is most popular among older people.

Special attention is paid to the organization of permanent educational process for disabled people and pensioners. Training is focused more on vocational knowledge, which has become the dominant sector of the adult education system. This is a feature of the French education system as a whole.

In Poland there were general educational institutions in which people of different ages and from different parts of the country studied. Their most noticeable impact is in small towns and villages. Three generations could study at such a university at once: young people, the middle age group and the elderly. There were students aged from 16 to 80 years old.

In the 60s and 70s, special universities were formed to educate older people, the educational program implied that older students had a primary education. The course included ways to develop a person of retirement age, the characteristics of such people were taken into account, and fresh ideas for their training were put forward and implemented.

The earliest institution where the education of older people began is considered to be the university founded by Professor Pierre Vella. It opened in 1973 in Toulouse. In this institution, not only the educational process was organized, but also scientific research was carried out on the training of older people.

Who organizes training for older people in Russia?

There are educational institutions and organizations of various types, including universities, academies, courses, consultations, master classes, training and retraining centers for training older people.

The educational complex can be built by both a higher education institution and a secondary one. Even urban and rural schools, religious communities, political parties, veterans' organizations, cultural organizations, and charitable foundations can implement such a program. It should be noted that this is not the entire list; it can be expanded, focusing on the needs and interests of participants in the educational process.

It is better to locate an educational institution for older people close to their place of residence. The premises must be equipped with age-appropriate equipment that facilitates a comfortable learning process for older people.

A significant factor in the effective existence of an educational institution is the presence of qualified personnel in the teaching staff, which may include employees whose age is approximately equal to the age of the students. With this approach, it is easier for an elderly person to navigate a new environment. To do this, it is necessary to organize a stable exchange of experience among workers in this field. It will be useful to summarize theoretical and practical information on this issue and conduct new scientific research. National or interregional resource centers and corporations for training older people deal with similar issues.

In the current socio-economic environment, it is very difficult for government agencies to resolve all the financial complexities of this issue on their own. But there are certain programs that help provide partial financing. An example of this is the “Senior Generation” program. It exists thanks to government lending and preferential conditions.

The allocation of finances for the activities of the institute for older people occurs on a parity basis, in cooperation with pension and other social funds, public organizations, and political parties. The personal investments of the students themselves and their loved ones also play an important role.

It is necessary to increase the number of competitions for educational projects that can be carried out by educational organizations both in Russia and in other countries.

To create a legal framework, it is necessary to adopt a special law - the Law of the Russian Federation "On Adult Education", which will spell out certain sections on the institutionalization of education for older people. It is necessary to fix it in legal acts; this is how an effective organization of this kind is carried out. Such events are quite possible, even at the regional level.

To increase the number of people willing to study, it is necessary to get rid of the conditions that prevent this. Problems with physical and psychological health, negative memories associated with the past educational process, self-doubt and lack of a real learning goal can negatively affect the motivation of an older person.

To solve such problems, it is necessary to constantly explain to older students the advantages of the educational process, talk about the benefits that they can receive, and motivate them. It's not that hard, because educating older people can really change their lives for the better.

To attract an audience, you need to organize appropriate events. Which will be used to support the education of older people. You can organize a thematic forum, holiday or festival. In addition, there are an infinite number of other suitable forms of training.

Teaching computer literacy to older people: 7 tips for grandchildren

This part of the article will serve as a guide for those who decide to teach computers to older people. But first you need to choose and purchase the computer itself.

Keyboard

    One of the common problems faced when teaching older people is the same color of English and Russian letters on the keyboard. You can solve this issue with the help of colored keyboard stickers.

    It is best to purchase a white keyboard, because black keys usually have one color layout for both languages, and if there are two, then the Russian letters are written in red, which does not stand out too much against the black background.

    You can disable the CapsLock button because it is very common for older people to press it accidentally. This is especially problematic when entering passwords.

    A regular keyboard has 104 keys, but older people don't use it to its full potential. For them, only letters and numbers are relevant, and the rest of the keys may even interfere. That is why it is better to refuse the ability to use some buttons and simply disable them. To do this, you can use special programs MKey or KeyRemapper. But there is a way to disable them manually: if you are using an inexpensive keyboard that you don’t mind, then simply remove the buttons with a screwdriver, which you can later put back if desired. This method is even more effective than the program, because the user will see only the necessary buttons, and the rest will not distract his attention.

Ease of use and learning

    When teaching older people, you should not rely on their memory - absolutely everything needs to be recorded in writing. You can draw up plans, diagrams, tables, graphs, schedules that will help to clearly demonstrate the necessary information.

    It will be useful when training older people to install a program for automatically changing the layout - PuntoSwitcher.

    Older people perceive one-sided information better, so do not mix different types of activities during the learning process. If you look at photographs, you only see them, but if you switch to a movie, you have to watch it in full screen. Nothing should distract students' attention.

    Try to minimize the number of operations performed during training. The rule is very simple - the less complex information you give, the better the older person will assimilate it. Therefore, avoid multi-layered activities. If you can do without a specific procedure, then do not overload the student, limit yourself to a basic sample.

    When teaching computers to older adults, try implementing Google's voice search. Sometimes it is easier for a person to express himself orally than to type a request using a keyboard. Just don't forget about the microphone.

    If the previous point was successful, then you should connect a voice control program for the entire computer, which can simplify learning.

    Informers and widgets that are displayed on the desktop will be quite convenient for an elderly person to use. Use an RSS reader with the latest news feeds. Don't forget about radio and television, as well as social networks.

    Elderly people have difficulty finding a common language with search engines; they are constantly confused by the abundance of advertising. To simplify the situation, you can use a special encyclopedia. It is very convenient when teaching to include various topics that may be of interest to your student. You just need to choose from the list everything that matches your student's interests.

    Pay attention to the interface. It is difficult for older people to see small letters on the screen, so you need to adjust the optimal font and color.

    Passwords often confuse older people. Try to make entering keys as easy as possible during training. For example, with the English layout turned on, you can press Russian keys, but please note in advance that not all Russian letters can be used, because some of them are duplicated by characters on the keyboard. And if you have connected the PuntoSwitcher program, then an elderly person can only get confused. In any case, you need to accurately record and save all passwords and other data in duplicate (for you and your student). Enable your browser to remember passwords.

    Study the list of startup programs and close unnecessary ones, especially those that constantly display various alerts on the screen.

    Explain to your student the principle of operation of the energy saving mode, sleep mode and screensaver. You can simply turn them off. The main thing is that an elderly person does not mistake a black screen for a breakdown. We don't need unnecessary worries.

    Install the most basic games, download movies and music, providing quick access to them. As a last resort, you can explain the principle of online programs, but this is more difficult.

    Explain the meaning of the ESC button and consider situations in which it might be useful.

Security and Stability

    Perform all operations with sending messages and codes yourself, including registration, data recovery, and so on. Explain to your ward that you should not comply with requests to send SMS and indicate his number.

    Take care to install a stabilizer and surge protector, especially during power outages.

    If during training you use a shared computer that is used by the rest of the family, then you need to create a separate user for the elderly person. Then you can save its individual settings and not worry that someone will change them.

    Let's share a good remote method to help older people master computers. Training is provided free of charge on the Mikogo service. This is simply necessary for those who want to help a loved one, but are very far from him. Of course, you can spend hours teaching an elderly person, communicating with him on the phone or Skype, but there is a chance that you will not begin to practice, but will slow down at the stage of setting up the computer. The Mikogo service allows you to do everything yourself without overloading an elderly person with information. You only need to send a special number, which your student enters into the program, after which you can control his computer remotely.

    When teaching computers to older adults, a program that takes screenshots, such as SnagIt, can be useful. If your ward calls you in a panic, worrying about some changes, then you will be able to assess the situation by receiving a screenshot from the screen.

    It is better to use licensed software for training older people, because you need to minimize the occurrence of difficult situations.

    When studying, you cannot do without an antivirus. You can use free programs, for example, Avast, or you can buy a license for a long period. Then the process of learning to use will not be complicated by searching for free keys on infected sites.

Saving

    When choosing a computer for teaching older adults, focus on its reliability, not its power. Such a computer will last longer and consume less energy.

    It should also be noted that laptops and monoblocks consume even less energy than any PC.

    The monitor is the part of the computer on which you can save money. Buy a screen with defective pixels. An older person certainly won’t find fault with this flaw.

    If you decide to teach an older person a computer using a used device, then try to make it as fast as possible. You can sacrifice various effects in favor of speed.

    If you choose between unlimited slow and fast limited Internet, then choose the first option. It is difficult for an elderly person to assess the scope of the limit.

Mouse

    If you buy a mouse with a wire, it is better to choose one with a USB connector, but the best option would be to buy a wireless mouse.

    Don't forget to set up the mouse for an elderly person. The following can be considered standard settings for an elderly person: lower cursor speed, increase double-click delay, large cursor icon.

    To begin with, you can buy the cheapest mouse. By reviewing it with the older person, you can decide what criteria the next one should meet.

    Usually they buy large mice for training the elderly.

    Don't consider complex gaming mice, you need three main buttons, and anything else will only complicate the learning curve.

    Even if you have an old mouse, it is better to buy a new one.

    Older people often have difficulty learning the right mouse button. They constantly touch it and call up the context menu. To solve this problem, you can make it more difficult to press this button using tape, which is located under the frame of the button itself. Then the key will work, but pressing it will be more difficult, which will avoid accidental actions. You can turn it off completely, but this may lead to new complications of the process.

Internet

    Yandex is considered the most comfortable search engine for using and teaching older people, provided that we are talking about a Russian-speaking audience. This service provides access to everything your ward may need.

    Yandex.Mail is also suitable for an elderly person.

    You can also use Mail.ru, but this is more likely for games, rather than for sending messages.

    Register your student in Odnoklassniki. Create an account for him yourself, enter the activation code and help him understand the capabilities of the site.

    You can choose Google Chrome as your browser. Don't forget about AdBlock to block ads.

    If you intend to teach an elderly person how to watch movies online or download them, then check out our tips:

    1. The hard way is to train a person to use the download program.

      You can download everything yourself, specifying the wishes of your student.

      You can teach an older person how to use online services, especially if he has already mastered the basics of the Internet.

    Radio online is an excellent service for older people. It is especially appreciated by those who are far from their country, because with the help of the Internet you can turn on any radio station in the world. The main thing is that there is no limit.

    When teaching computers to seniors, your goal is to make the entire process simple. Display browser shortcuts, and in the browser itself make buttons for frequently visited sites or display them on the desktop.

    It will be useful to get acquainted with state and municipal websites where you can find useful information for an elderly person.

    Talk about how to use the computer library. Choose one only if the older person is comfortable reading books from a computer screen.

    Follow the older person's practice; after training, not everything can go smoothly. It may be difficult for him to find some programs on the computer, then just display the shortcuts on the desktop.

    Skype is a must. For training, try to install older versions, because they are simpler. And don't forget to disable updates. They can be confusing for older people.

    Learn how to properly use browser zoom. To do this, hold down the Ctrl key and roll the mouse wheel or Ctrl + \ key.

Hardware

The most optimal device for teaching older people is a candy bar with a touch screen. Issues with wires, mice and occupied space immediately disappear. The advantages include the presence of a web camera, microphone, economical energy consumption, large screen, and lack of noise.

A laptop would also be a good solution for teaching computers to older people. Its main advantage is mobility - unlike a PC or all-in-one PC, you can take it for a walk, move it around the house, etc. The laptop does not take up much space, its noise level is not high, and older people get used to the touchpad even faster than with a mouse. But there are also negative aspects - the size of the display, an uncomfortable keyboard, high cost, and not the most comfortable position of the head in relation to the screen.

You can train older people on a simple PC. Its price and the ability to choose configurations will definitely please you. The disadvantages are that it takes up too much space, has a lot of wires, is noisy, and consumes a lot of energy.

Consider learning using a netbook as well. Of course, it is a little small for older people, which can negatively affect both vision and the spine.

Tablet PCs are very popular, but not among older people. A touch screen may support learning for older adults, but a small size does not. But Western grandmothers have already mastered this gadget. Most likely, tablets will become the main assistant for an elderly person in learning, if, of course, budget options are presented.

The choice of speakers depends on your financial capabilities, but you should not choose the cheapest product in the store for an elderly person.

Before starting training, purchase wipes for your monitor. Show the elderly person how to use them, because without instructions they can wash the computer with a wet rag.

Which monitor to choose:

    Large monitor - 22-23 inches. They are suitable only if it is possible to install the monitor far from the eyes of an elderly person. If he stands close, it will create severe discomfort.

    The average monitor is 18.5-19 inches - the best choice for teaching older people.

    Choose a matte screen. This monitor is preferable for the vision of older people.

That's probably all we wanted to tell you about training for older people. All the information provided will certainly help you in this difficult but productive process - training older people!

The number of courses, lectures and educational programs is growing every year. On the other hand, uncertainty is also growing: it is unclear what knowledge and skills will be in demand tomorrow. It's scary to lose the job that holds your whole life together. But at the same time I want to realize myself in something important, to make my dream come true.

Alena Vladimirskaya helps thousands of people find their calling with the help of the Anti-Slavery project, and Nikil Sinha is responsible for the development of the most popular online education platform Coursera. We invited them to a round table to understand how modern “adult education” works.

You argue that the ability to learn and relearn is important for everyone. Why?

Nikhil Sinha: First of all, people are changing jobs more often than ever. We, people of the older generation, are accustomed to staying where everything suits us. But the generation that is now 20-30 years old will change jobs on average 13 times in their lives!

Why so often?

N.S.: There are three reasons. The first is rapid changes in the economy. The transition from recession to recovery is happening faster than ever. The second is, of course, globalization. People can find work all over the world, they are not tied to a specific location. And the third is technology. They also evolve quickly, and this requires quickly acquiring new skills. At the same time, the technologies themselves make it possible to do things that were previously beyond our capabilities.

But this means that we must also be able to adapt.

Alena Vladimirskaya: In our country, people, especially the older generation, think like this: first we study, and then we work. And even if we study while working, then it is the employer’s responsibility to send us to some courses because he is interested in us. The situation is changing, and more and more often people are being told: “You don’t fit the bill, we’ll take someone younger.”

Do young people have a more flexible mind, are they better oriented in modern realities?

A.V.: It's not about youth, it's about the skills that these people don't have. People get very offended and say: “Well, how about that? You didn’t teach me this.” And the company says: “We shouldn’t teach you, we should take the best professionals so that the business grows faster.”

In the banking sector, about 17% have already lost their jobs, and it will reach 30%. This is a huge number. People see that they are also not in demand in another market, because they have very narrow professional skills.

Director of Business Development at Coursera Nikil Sinha and recruiting expert Alena Vladimirskaya

N.S.: You said correctly: before, we studied first and then worked. Now we are learning constantly. We have entered an era that we call “lifelong learning.” People now, even after they have graduated from university, continue to study.

And we have students of all ages, some 50, 60 years old. For me, I took my first course on Coursera when I was 54 years old.

Do you need to be prepared for the fact that at some point you will have to relearn?

N.S.: Yes, learning is key now. I would recommend Barbara Oakley's Learn to Learn online course to absolutely anyone, especially young people.

He talks about what skills are needed in order to get the most out of the educational process, what mental processes are involved.

How much do people actually understand why this is needed? Why should they make time, take courses, get certificates? What will it give?

A.V.: I'll tell you about the case. Just the other day I gave a lecture for managers of the largest bank in Russia. I talked about the skills of the future, about what you need to do in order not to lose your job.

People love it when they are told clearly: “Go get this education, master such and such a specialty.” This is not the case now

When I finished, a woman about 50 years old stood up, 20 of whom have been working in this bank. She said it was the most harmful lecture of her life because I didn't say anything specific. People love it when they are told clearly: “Go get this education, master such and such a specialty.” Now this is not the case.

People say: “We are 50 years old, we don’t understand this.” They require a guarantee. To make it clear: if I receive these three certificates, my salary will increase by 50%, and the probability of dismissal will decrease to zero.

When I explain that in today's society this is impossible, people get very offended and say that I am apparently not telling the most interesting thing. And they need specifically: “Tell me what I should do now.”

N.S.: Very important question. We have two solutions on the Coursera platform. For example, if you want to become a software developer or get into data analysis, then here is a list of exactly the courses you need to take in order to embark on this career path.

But we also find out what knowledge applicants lack, conduct surveys and then give them precise recommendations on what skills they still need to master.

A.V.: Russia is going through a difficult time right now. We are experiencing a very serious crisis, which, of course, has affected layoffs. People are losing and will continue to lose their jobs. Therefore, I cannot help but ask: what courses should I take now in order not to lose my job? What skills will be in demand in 3, 5, 7 years, so that people do not lose their jobs and earn more?

N.S.: Wait, I'll take out my crystal ball and tell you exactly... Seriously, these are skills that I would call new literacy. Twenty, thirty years ago it all came down to three basic skills: to be literate, you had to be able to read, write and do math. Everything is different now.

What changed?

N.S.: Components of literacy. Now these three components are: knowledge of computer code and programming, data analysis and the ability to communicate.

What you are talking about concerns specific areas. What if I don’t need either programming or data analysis?

A.V.: Very often a hobby becomes a job. We have some great stories here at Anti-Slavery. For example, a woman was an accountant for a long time, and not a very happy accountant, but she baked pies perfectly. We helped her refocus, and as a result she became very popular because she made a video course on how to bake pies well.

And she now earns a lot of money from this, much more than she earned before. In general, I say that a person can now go through 2-3 careers in his life, and they will be different.

This doesn't mean he isn't successful. First, let’s say, he’s an accountant, then he has his own pies business, and then something else. This is good. Thus, we overcome this curse of the first diploma that you received when you were little and knew nothing...

N.S.: Yes, we have thousands and thousands of success stories of people who completely changed their lives thanks to taking courses on our platform. There are a lot of such listeners from Russia. For example, Stanislav Filippov wrote to us that he always wanted to work in healthcare, to benefit people, but he never had such an opportunity. And it just appeared after he took a course on Coursera. He was able to start working in healthcare. We have a lot of different areas from purely technical disciplines to the humanities: music, art, history.

Education is important not only for gaining knowledge, it is important for networking, the connections it gives

A.V.: When I tell people: “Sign up for online courses,” quite often I hear in response: “This is some kind of Western education, it’s incomprehensible, we need Russian - ours, which takes into account our specifics.”

N.S.: Yes, indeed, we are doing this, we are not just adapting some of our courses to Russian specifics - many of our courses are provided by Russian universities. For example, we cooperate with the Higher School of Economics and MIPT.

156 courses that are available on the Coursera platform are entirely in Russian. In addition to university partners, we also have two companies with which we cooperate here in Russia on an ongoing basis.

A.V.: Can I tell you a little secret about which I am very ashamed?

N.S.: Yes, sure.

A.V.: I started different courses on Coursera seven times and never finished. Lack of time, motivation and other things. The meeting or the client is more important. And it’s probably not even about me.

People, many people who started studying, say the following: education is important not only for gaining knowledge, it is important for networking, the connections that it gives. I come, I get to know you personally. When I send you a letter later, you will react to me not just as a girl from Russia.

This is especially important now, because we are in a crisis, we have a problem with work. A huge number of people now find work through connections. The connections we acquire during education are probably the most durable. Maybe, except for family ones.

N.S.: I think online education is making great strides in solving this problem. One such step, an example of how this works, is, of course, the LinkedIn network. The most frequently posted certificate on a user's LinkedIn profile is the Certificate of Official Course Completion on Coursera.

A.V.: Only our LinkedIn is blocked.

N.S.: I give this example to make it clear that many of our users, many of our former students, after they published this certificate, mentioned on their resume that they took a course on Coursera. This then significantly shortened their interview time or they were immediately offered a job.

Is it because they are considered suitable for a particular job, or do employers see this as an indicator of a worldview focused on self-development?

N.S.: I think that, of course, employers make all decisions based on the full picture. But, of course, the most important thing is whether the candidate has the skills that he needs to perform his duties.

A.V.: Unfortunately, the situation is different among employers in Russia. Online certificates are not considered an advantage. If we have two absolutely identical candidates and both are 100% suitable, then they will probably take this into account. So far, Russian employers have a lot of mistrust in online education.

N.S.: Yes, this is indeed a very important point. And I'd like to tie it in with what you were talking about earlier, which is on-the-job training of employees by companies. We work directly with companies, helping them train their employees, and the companies themselves approve the courses that employees take, that is, employees receive exactly the skills they need in their work.

Many have already come to the understanding that it is easier and cheaper to create a team of the future from a team of the present

A.V.: There is a global contradiction here. The company teaches the employee what is beneficial to it now. At the same time, she is looking for those who have those competencies that the company does not currently have. That is, she will teach you, but she will always look for someone better.

The company will most often not teach the skills of the future because it is counting on profit. Therefore, it seems to me that in addition to this very useful work that you are doing, it is very important to do some kind of educational work both for people who are losing their jobs and for HR people. So that there is an understanding that these certificates show a person’s desire to acquire a skill of the future.

N.S.: I think companies are already starting to think differently. This entire cycle, from hiring to firing, is very expensive. Many have already come to the understanding that it is easier and cheaper to create a team of the future from a team of the present. They reason: “Let's give them the right skills, let's train them, and not repeat this endless chain of hiring and firing.”

You said that in Russia, employers are not very friendly towards online education. And in which areas are there more chances of meeting understanding?

A.V.: In those areas where there are no problems with employment. And this is the worst thing. In theory, people should get additional chances for employment through such things. And where are such diplomas in demand: primarily in IT, everything related to programming and the value of a person as a “thinker.” In education, and in Western companies, in branches of Western companies in Russia.

N.S.: I'd like to add. We recently entered into a partnership with Sberbank and are very actively working with them. In addition to sending their employees to our courses, they have also become involved in creating new courses.

For example, the Sberbank Corporate University launched two courses on our platform: “Fundamentals of Risk Management” and “Banking and Finance.” That is, we see that the situation is changing and even traditional companies in Russia are beginning to recognize the value of online education.

What do the people themselves say? Is this valuable to them?

N.S.: At Coursera, we conduct a survey 6 months after a student completes a course. In relation to the Russian audience, we know that 85% of students receive certain benefits from taking our courses. And 35% of them report that they got a new job or were able to open their own business, or received a salary increase or promotion.

Our task is not to replace traditional education, but to complement it. Once people have completed a traditional education and are faced with the need to learn new skills, they no longer need to go to university. Roughly speaking, we will take the university to their home.

But at home you don’t have a teacher who can give you feedback or advise you in the process. And motivation is lower when there are no students like you around who are also studying. Moreover, age has an effect: many are simply unaccustomed to being in such a role.

N.S.: We take this into account. Here we have three levels:

  • the first is when feedback is given by the students with whom you are taking the course;
  • the second is mentors, people who have already taken the course, but are now taking it again in order to help students;
  • the third is feedback directly from teachers to ensure that the course meets learner expectations.

As for motivation, the numbers are as follows: 65% of students who pay for the course complete the course. Well, as for age, I have already cited myself as an example. There is a saying in English: “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” But we have already dispelled this stereotype.

Prepared by Anton Soldatov

I think many of you, especially during your school years, asked yourself this question with complete despair. I remember that when I first heard somewhere that a person learns throughout his life, I simply lost heart. You go to school, then you go to university, and then that’s not the end, and then you have to study all your life. How much is possible? When to live? But a little later I realized this simple truth, I realized how important it is.

And we are not talking here about studying as memorizing material (by the way, such incomplete understanding is therefore viewed with hostility during school years). Lifelong learning means much more - improving, developing, growing.

What does it mean to be a lifelong learner?

Freezes at the level at which it stopped. And the world, the world moves, it is alive, it is constantly changing. And if we stop, and life moves forward, this means that relative to life we ​​are moving backward, we are losing everything that we have.

Lifelong learning means much more - improving, developing, growing.

Developing is part of our natural nature, we must remember this. And our whole life is like a big subject, consisting of many lessons, exams, and work on mistakes. Every event, be it happy or sad, carries with it some kind of teaching moment.

Those who deny life as a great teacher stop in their development.

I think many of you will object to me: how can it be that misfortune can teach me something, especially when this misfortune happened through the fault of another person. How can the illness of a loved one or unexpected dismissal from work be a lesson when work is so important? Or how can it even be my lesson if, say, I was robbed, I never stole anything.

Paradoxically, if we look at all negative events in our lives as “someone is to blame,” we lose this opportunity to understand what the lesson is. We are happy to attribute successes to ourselves, and failures to “someone”: boss, weather, wife-spender, husband-goat. In fact, the world is very complete and perfect, we just don’t always understand it. All events have their cause, which is not always visible at first glance, which happened a long time ago and only many years later gives us a response. We often don't realize that we have created problems for ourselves because we don't grasp this connection, but it exists.

if we look at all the negative events in our lives as “someone is to blame,” we lose this opportunity to understand what the lesson is.

Only after realizing that any event in life (negative or positive) is our lesson, test, material for our learning and development, only then do we begin to discover and gradually understand what life teaches us. Teaches to love, compassion, serve, renounce self-interest, realize your talents, and not obey the will of others, and much more.

And she always teaches us something: either to fight our shortcomings, or to reveal and cultivate our virtues. After all, even success is a special lesson; not every person passes the test of great success. Someone breaks down and goes to great lengths. Having received a fortune, people waste it, having received power, they use it and exploit people.

Student position

What is this amazing position of a true student who walks in harmony with the world and his life, who uses the lessons given to him for his own development? What kind of student is he?


In order to become such a student, you need to change your attitude towards the world in your mind as something threatening, violent, imposed. We must constantly hold the thought that the world is teaching us something, I just need to understand what. Then, sooner or later, an understanding comes of what the lesson was, what exactly I learned. This truth is revealed to those who seek, who think and reflect. And then learning throughout your life becomes a pleasant, important and natural state that does not frighten you, but helps you develop.

Today’s post I want to highlight the role of learning in our lives, as well as the need to constantly develop and master new areas of knowledge and learn practical skills. Personally, I believe that every person can be a teacher, but you can become a teacher only when you begin to perceive all people as teachers. Anyone will perceive you as a teacher when they need it.

The fact is that today in the learning process there is too much dominance of theoretical knowledge over practical skills. By and large, this is quite natural, since the volume of information in the world increases by one and a half times every year. Communicating with teachers who graduated from higher educational institutions back in Soviet times, I can say for sure that then the ratio of practical and theoretical disciplines was very different from today. Thanks to this, people actually grew into practitioners who could work in real production or real-life facilities. Today, the volume of knowledge has grown so much that it would seem that 5 years of study at a university is not enough to master everything you need. In fact, it's not necessary. Personally, I believe that in the near future the education system will reach a kind of dead end, which will lead to a complete revision of the education process in principle. The Bologna education system as it exists in Europe is a prime example of this.

What are the ways out?

I believe that the main task of the education system is to teach people how to learn. Actually, this program can be implemented at school, but giving people knowledge is not a completely correct task. This results in a direct violation of the laws of supply and demand, because education is a monopoly structure, therefore, no one can assess the quality of the education provided, and moreover, assess whether a person actually needs what is being taught. Thus, in the future, I see the education system as a certain structured knowledge base, where teachers will be responsible for certain areas and disciplines, and the education process itself can be made lifelong, since each person will turn to the education system for certain knowledge and skills as they progress. how he will need them.

However, this is a fairly distant prospect and the process of transforming the education system may take many years. However, I can give one, in my opinion, important recommendation: learn step by step and practically apply the acquired knowledge, which is a big problem with us now. After all, how translators learn a foreign language is by communicating. If they take a dictionary and learn it, there will be no point, only in the process of communication can they understand the essence of the language and feel all the subtleties of its use. The same is true in any other area of ​​life. You have learned something - put it into practice, perhaps by putting things into practice you can get a very unexpected result for yourself - namely, you realize that you understood a certain problem and found its solution yourself.

Results

As a conclusion, I can say that the learning process never stops when you graduate from university. You always need to study, and you should not forget that the subjects of study are theoretical and practical, and learn to cook, swim, build, etc. - these are excellent practical skills that can also be safely elevated to the rank of skills and used in your life. But these skills have one caveat - no one can teach you how to cook a cake except a person who already knows how to cook it, so such skills in life should be learned from experienced practitioners. Of course, you can learn on your own, but you will ruin more than one product, a frying pan, and it will take much more time. If you perceive all people as potential teachers, and can say to a person without hesitation, “You cook so well, teach me.” - this will be for him the highest degree of recognition of his skills, and for you - a very grateful teacher. I wish you all success in mastering knowledge and skills, develop and improve every day, this is the only way to experience life to the fullest;-)!