Learning at university : challenges, strategies, perspectives for lifelong learning

Bibliogr. : p. 162-174Change in the contemporary world is overarching. It is reflected by interaction between increasing requirements for the level of competencies, which is initiated by changes in science and technologies, and the growing number of learning opportunities. This interaction initiates development of a learning society and changes of the dominant paradigms. University, as a part of educational system undergoes a phase of an intensive development due to the fact that a great number of the required competencies could be achieved mainly in the context of higher education. An important factor of lifelong learning is readiness of each student to use learning opportunities that are provided. In analyzing lifelong learning the latter issue sometimes lacks the necessary attention (Cornford, 2002). In the interaction of the contexts of expansion of university and the paradigm of lifelong learning the problem - In what way learning of students can be improved and prerequisites for lifelong learning can be created in university studies - of this monograph is analyzed. Learning to learn is one of the crucial themes in analyzing successful learning throughout the individual’s lifetime, as learning, even if it socially constructed, nevertheless, remains essentially an individual activity (Jarvis, 2001). Therefore, answering the problem question, concerning the ways of improving learning of students with an emphasis on meta-cognitive learning strategies enables identifying the opportunities of creating prerequisites for lifelong learning in university studies and the development of competencies necessary for productive functioning in a globalized world (intercultural awareness, ability to function in more than one spheres, to change careers or at least aspects within a career)Vytauto Didžiojo universiteta