In times of rapid transformation, we are constantly asked to learn new technologies, new systems, and new practices. Terms such as the information, the knowledge, or the creative society signal the change from industrial to post-industrial societies. Those concepts emphasize the changes in both the means of production, circulation, and consumption of goods. We should also consider using the term learning society. In a globalized and interconnected world, our social, cultural, and economic lives have become increasingly a learning experience. Learning is everywhere. It it is increasingly part of the everyday life of all of us, independent of our age, professions, and skills. We live in an age where we can, given the resources and access to the networks, learn about all kinds of subjects, continuously. For those children, youths, and adults passionate about discovery and search, there is a world of learning abundance waiting to be explored.
Think for instance of the lean methodology that entrepreneurs use nowadays for running start-ups and doing customer development. It is based on the premise that entrepreneurship is a learning process. It is a process of experiment, search, and discovery, in which individuals can test and act on their ideas, and find solutions to problems.
In a world of learning abundance it is possible to foster a lifelong learning experience that is more democratic and more evenly distributed. Lifelong learners have existed before, in many societies, from the Greeks to the Romans to the modern Nation States, there have been always individuals who have had access to knowledge, information, and networks for continuing their learning during their whole lives. Today, however, learning appears more accessible to the people. There are still inequalities in who gets to learn, but at least barriers have become lower. I found the notion of learning society very interesting to pursue and develop, as it also has the potential of fostering active citizenship. Learners like to move, to act, to solve problems and experiment. Having more learners in our communities would perhaps enable social and cultural change, innovation, and democracy.
