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Wisdom by Any Other Name

In a recent New York Times Article, Hall (2007) provides a succinct and interesting account of the body of formal knowledge surrounding Wisdom.

He believes, like Merriam, Caffarella & Baumgartner (2007), that Erickson popularized the study of Wisdom from an adult learning perspective opening the door to broad, far reaching discussions concerning age as it relates to Wisdom.  Unfortunately, the question continues to rage about the precise definition of Wisdom and whether age entitles you to Wisdom, or whether age is merely one component necessary to possessing Wisdom.

In presenting the case for determining whether Wisdom is the hallmark of adult learning, Merriam et al. (2007) fail to tie in the role of cognitive development in obtaining Wisdom.  In fact they state that “…although it has been discussed over the ages by the great philosophers and the theologians, this area of study has received little attention in the literature on cognitive development and learning in general” (p. 358).

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Learning to Learn – A Prerequisite to Becoming a Self-directed, Continuous Learning Society

Consider the difference between a community of well-educated, fully employed adults, and one that has few employment or learning opportunities.  The former will have lower unemployment, higher standards of living and higher property values.  Employers will flock to these areas because the workforce is well skilled.  They are also likely to be continuous learners because they are well educated and are employed by organizations that offer training and other learning opportunities.  These “pockets of prosperity” are marked with rich, diverse cultures because people flock to these areas from many different places.  Since the members of these communities are self-directed learners, they continually re-skill themselves and contribute to an ever-increasing growth of the society in which they live.

The need for reskilling and continuous learning is becoming a necessity in today’s rapidly-changing world.  Skills learned several years go can become obsolete in many professions. The need for continuous learning has become essential for individuals who need to remain fully employed throughout their lives.  And if organizations are to compete in a complex and rapidly changing global marketplace, it will be necessary to hire and train employees who are self-directed and life long learners.

How shall we, as a society achieve a level of competence in learning management so that we have the ability to foster adult learners who continuously renew themselves throughout their lives?

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Lifelong and Self Directed Learning

The two go hand in hand.  I believe that the longer a person stays in school, the more likely they are to continue to learn throughout their lives.  I think this is because learning is like anything else; it takes practice to get good at it.

In her article, Merriam (2001) states that Knowles believes that “learners become increasingly self-directed as they mature” (p. 8)  This is an easy assumption with which to agree.  Maturity can come at any age.  If we posit that adults are naturally self-directed learners, then our task as educators or trainers would be simple.  Provide learning opportunities and they will learn.  Of course this is not the case.  Merriam, Caffarella & Baumgartner (2007) point out that adults do not participate in learning activities for many reasons.  Time, money and proximity to learning opportunities all play a part in an adult’s willingness to learn.

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