The program Learning for Community Action in the Sector of for Life Learningwas for life enacted with the Decision of European Parliament and Council with fundamentalobjective to contribute in the growth of Community as a advanced society of knowledge, withsustainable economic growth, more and better places of work and bigger social cohesion,ensuring also the social and economic growth and the protection of environment for thefuture generations. More special objectives are the modernisation and the adaptation ofsystems of education and training of member states particularly in the line of strategicobjectives of Lisbon. The particular article aims to analyze the subjects of education and lifelong learning in E.U. in the context of knowledge and learning society.Life Long Learning, Education, Training, Knowledge, Socio-Economic Development.

Constantinos Tsamadias

George M. Korres

English

Research Papers in Economics

  172
TOWARDS A LIFE LONG LEARNING AND A KNOWLEDGE SOCIETY 
 
 
George M. Korres,  Department of Geography, University of the Aegean of Mitilene, e-mail: 
gkorres@hol.gr 
Constantinos Tsamadias, Harokopio University of Athens 
 
 
ABSTRACT: The program Learning for Community Action in the Sector of for Life Learning was 
for life enacted with the Decision of European Parliament and Council with fundamental objective 
to contribute in the growth of Community as a advanced society of knowledge, with sustainable 
economic growth, more and better places of work and bigger social cohesion, ensuring also the 
social and economic growth and the protection of environment for the future generations. More 
special objectives are the modernisation and the adaptation of systems of education and training of 
member states particularly in the line of strategic objectives of Lisbon.  The particular article aims 
to analyze the subjects of education and life long learning in E.U. in the context of knowledge and 
learning society. 
 
Keywords: Life Long Learning, Education, Training, Knowledge, Socio-Economic Development. 
 
JEL Codes: D8 
 
 
Distance learning activities are designed to fit the specific context for learning. 
•  Learning opportunities include a clear statement of intended learning outcomes, learning content 
that is appropriate to those outcomes, clear expectations of learner activities, flexible opportunities 
for interactions, and assessment methods appropriate to the activities and technologies. 
•  Elements of a learning event – the learning content, instructional methods, technologies, and 
context – complement each other. 
•  The selection and application of technologies for a specific learning opportunity are appropriate 
for the intended learning outcomes, subject matter content, relevant characteristics and 
circumstances of the learner, and cost range. 
•  Learning activities and modes of assessment are responsible to the learning needs of individual 
learners. 
•  The learning experience is organized to increase learner control over the time, place and pace of 
instruction. 
•  Learning outcomes address both content mastery and increased learning skills. 
•  Individuals with specialized skills in content, instructional methods, or technologies work 
collaboratively as a design team to create learning opportunities. 
•  The learning design is evaluated on a regular basis for effectiveness, with findings utilized as a 
basis for improvement. 
In the decisions and in the conclusions of Council of Lisbon, the adoption of strategy for the 
Life Long Learning constitutes priority and basic element of European social model. The main axis 
that puts together around so much the various levels of educational system, including the space of 
work and enterprises, the local community, the family, as well as the means of mass 
communication, promoting new innovative methods and using the new technologies of information. 
Two are the main objectives of for Life Long Learning: 
•  the promotion of active attendance in social environment, and 
•  the increase of possibilities of employment and employability. 
   173
Table no.1 
Lisbon Goals for Education 2010 
  Average 
Rate 
(E.U.-25) 
Greece  Goal of E.U. 
for 2010 
Early School Leave (as % pupils)  14.9%  13%  10% 
Secondary School Attainment (as % pupils)  77%  83%  85% 
Basic Skills (as % pupils with low skills)   19.8%  25.2%  15.5% 
Higher Education Attainment in Scientific and 
Technological Subjects  
(as % inhabitants 20-29 years) 
12.5%  No available 
data 
15% 
Participation in Life Long Learning Programs (as % 
total population 25-64 years) 
10.8%  1.8%  12.5% 
Source: European Union, European Commission, Progress Report, 2006, SEC (2006)639, 
16.5.2006. 
 
Following this recommendation, the European Community Commission adopted an 
initiative entitled “E-Learning – considering tomorrow’s training”. All member states were asked 
to “persevere in efforts to integrate information and communication technologies in teaching and 
training” and to “take advantage of the potential of internet, multimedia and virtual learning 
systems to realize in as short a time as possible an improved and permanent education.” Tables no. 
1 and no. 2 illustrate the main Lisbon goals and the population in education and training in 
percentage rates. 
 
Table no. 2 
Population in Education &Training between 25-64 years (percentage rates) 
2005     
2000  Total  Male  Female 
EU-25  7.9  10.8  10.0  11.7 
Greece  1.1  1.8  1.9  1.7 
Source: Eurostat (Labour Force Survey) 
 
The economic aid of education and training it is possible to lead to social profit, via the 
reduction of unemployment, the higher attendance to workforce of and increase of productivity. In 
all Europe exists augmentative tendency of investments in the education.  Greece  belongs  in  the 
countries with comparatively low levels of expenses for the education and the training. This low 
level of expenses is justified partly by the budgetary restrictions that limit the possibilities of Greek 
government in of placing in application the all required policies. Regarding the level of expenses 
per education-level, Greece falls short of the first degree and secondary education. On the contrary, 
the public investments in the tertiary education in 2002 amounted in the 1.28% GNP, percentage of 
bigger means of European percentage same period (1,14%). Figures no. 1 and 2 illustrate some 
certain basic indicators with regard to the education and the training both for Greece and for the 
E.U. 
   174
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
L
a
b
o
u
r
P
r
o
d
u
c
t
i
v
i
t
y
 
p
e
r
E
m
p
l
o
y
e
e
(
Ε
Ε
2
5
=
1
0
0
)
,
(
2
0
0
2
)
T
o
t
a
l
 
E
m
p
l
o
y
m
e
n
t
R
a
t
e
 
(
1
5
-
6
4
y
e
a
r
s
)
,
 
2
0
0
5
E
m
p
l
o
y
m
e
n
t
 
R
a
t
e
a
b
o
v
e
 
6
4
 
y
e
a
r
s
,
(
2
0
0
5
)
L
o
n
g
-
T
e
r
m
U
n
e
m
p
l
o
y
m
e
n
t
R
a
t
e
 
(
a
s
 
%
 
o
f
u
n
e
m
p
l
o
y
m
e
n
t
)
,
(
2
0
0
5
)
E
x
p
e
n
d
i
t
u
r
e
s
 
f
o
r
R
e
s
e
a
r
c
h
 
a
n
d
D
e
v
e
l
o
p
m
e
n
t
 
a
s
 
a
%
 
o
f
 
G
D
P
,
 
(
2
0
0
3
)
Figure 1: Structural Indices: E.U-Greece, 
(Source: Eurostat)
EE25 Ελλάδα
 
  
0
100.000
200.000
300.000
400.000
500.000
600.000
700.000
N
u
r
s
a
r
y
 
S
c
h
o
o
l
P
r
i
m
a
r
y
E
d
u
c
a
t
i
o
n
S
e
c
o
n
d
a
t
y
E
d
u
c
a
t
i
o
n
H
i
g
h
 
S
c
h
o
o
l
 
(
L
y
c
e
u
m
)
P
o
s
t
-
S
e
c
o
n
d
a
r
y
E
d
u
c
a
t
i
o
n
H
i
g
h
e
r
E
d
u
c
a
t
i
o
n
Figure 2: Basci Indexes, Greece, (Source: Eurostat)
 
  
We can consider the life learning as “all the activity of learning that is realised at the 
duration of life of person, aiming at her increase, knowledge of dexterities and his faculties, via 
personal, cultural, social frame and with regard to his professional prospect constitutes integral 
piece of educational policy of E.U. Roughly the 10% of adults in the E.U. age of 25-64 years, 
participate in the for Life Long Learning. Greece belongs in that countries that recently have for life 
established legislative frame for the learning. The following Table 3 illustrates the various general-
basic and individual objectives in the strategy for the aid of for life education.   175
Table no. 3 
Objectives for Life Long Learning 
Fundamental Objective: 
•  Encouragement of exchange, collaboration and mobility between the systems of education and 
training in the interior of Community so as to they are rendered world point of report of quality 
Individual Objectives: 
•  Improvement of quality for Life Long Learning, and promotion of high output, innovation and 
European dimension. 
•  Support of concretisation of European space for the Life Long Learning. 
•  Improvement of quality, attractiveness and accessibility for the occasions for the Life Long 
Learning between the member states. 
•  Aid of contribution of Life Long Learning in the social cohesion, in the active attendance of 
citizens, in the equality of sexes and in the personal completion. 
•  Promotion of creativity, competitiveness, employability and growth of enterprising spirit. 
•  Contribution in the increase of attendance of citizens of each age in the Life Long Learning 
included the persons with special needs and the social teams in unfavourable place, independent 
from their socio-economic background. 
•  Support of growth of pioneering content, services, pedagogic approaches and proceeding that 
are based on the frame of Life Long Learning in new modern thematic units, as an example the 
subjects of health and providence 
•  Promotion of collaboration for the guarantee of quality in the all sectors of programs of 
professional education and training in Europe. 
 
The usual measures for Life Long Learning aimed solely at strengthening infrastructures and 
equipment, are increasingly directed towards other areas; teaching content, ensuring quality and 
standards, training the trainers themselves, organizational changes, the transformation of education 
and training processes and the training and re-skilling of public sector employees. 
One of the basic formulas for the measurement of Life Long Learning us the calculation of ROI, as 
shown in Equation 1, is quite straightforward, the costs analyst has just to subtract costs from 
benefits, divide that difference by costs, and then multiply the results by 100: 
 
100 ⋅
− Β
=
Costs
Costs enefits
ROI     (1) 
 
The term Benefits minus Costs represents the Return on the project. The investment is the 
costs of the project or at least the up-front costs. To complete this study and for a greater 
understanding of the concept of ROI, an index is provided below which makes an interesting 
comparison between traditional didactics and e-learning. 
In many cases, there is a need for an instrument which can instantly indicate the feasibility 
and necessity of e-learning; events such as faculty meetings will often see a debate into the 
necessity and applicability of venturing into this area. Another interesting index is the e-learning 
Yield Index, or e-lYI, as shown in Equation 2, represents the rapport between the ROI of classic 
teaching programs (ROIcl) and that of the same programs in e-learning mode (ROIe-l): 
 
CL
e
ROI
ROI
IYI e
1 − = −     (2) 
   176
The Yield Index "e-lYI" represents a valid tool of control and evaluation from the economic 
and qualitative point of view of the "e-learning project", because it is based on the study of the ROI, 
that is a factor for a long time used to these purposes but that does not succeed in being "absolutely" 
decisional for the "process transformation"; in fact ROI does not produce a quantitative comparison 
among the different methodologies we can use to build a learning project. The Yield Index "e-lYI" 
has been studied for doing this quantitative comparison. 
  
3. Conclusions 
The five elements of quality, specifically for the improvement of quality in distance, are: 
•  materials that are learner friendly, academically respectable, able to be used by the average 
student, interesting in content and layout, and relevant; 
•  learning materials and any peripheral media or equipment that are readily available; 
•  tutors and students that become familiar with distance learning methodology and practice; 
•  the whole system that is managed effectively; and 
•  monitoring, evaluation, and feedback that are viewed as important. 
In Europe exists big fluctuation in the level of public investments in the education and 
the training as percentage of GNP. In Greece the public expenses constitute the 4,2% of GNP. 
Greece belongs in the countries with the bigger progress of proportion of students per PC. 
The proportion was 57,9 students per PC in 2000, while in 2003 it was limited in the 21,2 
students per PC. Roughly the 10% of adults in the EU, age of 25-64 years, participation in the 
Life Long Learning. The rates of attendance in the Life Long Learning of individuals with 
low education are the much smaller in combination individuals high of education. 
  An open environment of learning, constitutes basic condition in the effort of Europe for quality 
and more efficient work via the aid of education and training. Importance does not have the for Life 
Long Learning of concrete teams of population, usually those that have bigger education, but the 
permanent attendance of all teams of population. In order to is achieved this it needs more essential 
briefing on the profits of for life learning and more concretely: 
  (a). Creation of “Modern Society of Learning” through the encouragement and promotion of 
demand of occasions and issues with regard to via-life education and the training of adults. 
  (b). Publication of Studies, Researches and Articles with regard to the education and training of 
adults  
  (c). Training of Proposals and Inquiring Programs with regard to the activities for the education 
and training of adults.  
  (d). Specialisation of Scientists and Creation of Executives with regard to via-life education and 
the training of adults   
  (e). Creation of Networks between Public and Private (Government owned and Not-government 
owned) Organisms and Institutions with regard to the education and training of adults and 
  (i). Growth of any activities, so much in Regional, National but also European level with regard 
to subjects that concern via-life education and the training of adults. 
 
References  
1.  Allan, B. (2002). E-learning and teaching in library and information services. London:  
      Facet. 
2.  American Evaluation Association (2004), Guiding Principles for Evaluators  
3. http://www.eval.org/Publications/GuidingPrinciplesPrintable.asp   
4.  Bracchi, G., Francalanci, C., & Motta, G. (2003). Sistemi informativi e aziende in rete. 
McGrawHill. 
5.  Calvani, A., & Rotta, M. (2000). Fare formazione in Internet. Erickson.   177
6.  Clark, R. C., & Mayer, R. E. (2003). E-learning and the science of instruction: Proven 
guidelines for consumers and designers of multimedia learning (1st ed.). San Francisco, 
CA: Jossey-Bass/Pfeiffer. 
7.  Downes, S. (1998). The economics of online learning. Retrieved January, 20008 from 
the World Wide Web: http://www.atl.ualberta.ca/downes/future/economics.htm.  
8.  European Commission, Progress Report, 2006, SEC (2006)639, 16.5.2006. 
9.  Eurostat (2005) Labour Force Survey. 
10. Eurostat: Data Base, Various Publications. 
11. Filetti, V., Marengo, A., Pioppi, A., Ropa, E., & Uscidda, R. (2002). Il progetto corano. 
Bocconi University, Milan. from http://www.osel.it/marengo 
12. Hall, B. & LeCavalier, J. (2001). E-learning across the enterprise: The benchmarking 
study of best practices.Retrieved from 
            http://www.brandonhall.com/public/publications/benchmarking/index.htm. 
13. Henderson, A. J. (2003). The e-learning question and answer book: A survival guide for 
trainers and business managers. New York: American Management Association. 
14. Holton, E., & Baldwin, T. T. (2003). Improving learning transfer in organizations (1st 
ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. 
15. Horton, W. (2002). Designing Web Based Training. Wiley. 
16.  Institute for Higher Education Policy. (2000). Quality on the line: Benchmarks for 
success in Internet-based distance education. Washington D.C.. 
http://www.eric.ed.gov/...  
17. Jain, L. C., Howlett, R. J., Ichalkaranje, N. S., & Tonfoni, G. (Eds.). (2002). Virtual 
environments for teaching & learning. River Edge, N.J.: World Scientific. 
18. Kossmann, D. (2004). Investing in learning: Consider value, not just ROI. Retrieved 
from http://www.clomedia.com/content/anmviewer.asp?a=464. 
19. Marengo Agostino  and Vittorio Marengo (2005): “Measuring the Economic Benefits of 
E-Learning: A Proposal for a New Index for Academic Environments”, Journal of 
Information Technology Education, Volume 4, 2005. 
20.  Mariasingam M. A., Hanna D. E. (2006). Benchmarking Quality in Online Degree 
Programs Status and Prospects, Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration, 
Volume IX, Number III,University of West Georgia, Distance Education Center  
21.  Miller, C. &Kulik, T. (2000). Knowledge management: Becoming an e-learning 
organization. New York: Conference Board. 
22.  Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (1999). Guidelines on the quality 
assurance of distance learning 
23. http://www.qaa.ac.uk/academicinfrastructure/codeOfPractice/distanceLearning/contents.
asp  
24.  Radiant Systems. (2002). Training: A critical success factor in implementing a 
technology solution. Retrieved from http://www.e-
learningguru.com/wpapers/blended_radiant.pdf. 
25.  Sticht, T. G., Adult Basic Education: Strategies to Increase Returns on Investment 
(ROI), Applied Behavioral & Cognitive Sciences Inc., July 1999 
 

Adult Basic Education: Strategies to Increase Returns on

American Evaluation Association (2004), Guiding Principles for Evaluators

Benchmarking Quality

Designing Web Based Training.

E-learning across the enterprise: The benchmarking study of best practices.Retrieved from http://www.brandonhall.com/public/publications/benchmarking/index.htm.

E-learning and teaching in library and information services.

E-learning and the science of instruction: Proven guidelines for consumers and designers of multimedia learning (1st ed.).

Education Policy.

Fare formazione in Internet. Erickson.

Il progetto corano.

Improving learning transfer in organizations (1st ed.).

Investing in learning: Consider value, not just ROI. Retrieved from http://www.clomedia.com/content/anmviewer.asp?a=464.

Knowledge management: Becoming an e-learning organization.

Labour Force Survey.

Measuring the Economic Benefits of E-Learning: A Proposal for a New Index for Academic Environments”,

Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education

Sistemi informativi e aziende in rete.

The e-learning question and answer book: A survival guide for trainers and business managers.

The economics of online learning.

Training: A critical success factor in implementing a technology solution. Retrieved from http://www.elearningguru.com/wpapers/blended_radiant.pdf.

Virtual environments for teaching & learning. River Edge, N.J.: World Scientific.

TOWARDS A LIFE LONG LEARNING AND A KNOWLEDGE SOCIETY

http://oeconomica.uab.ro/upload/lucrari/1020082/49.pdf

TOWARDS A LIFE LONG LEARNING AND A KNOWLEDGE SOCIETY

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

Research Papers in Economics