LEARNING FROM LIFE

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LEARNING FROM LIFE Gert Biesta University of
Stirling the Learning Lives project a 3-year
longitudinal study into the learning
biographies of adults (25 and older) using a
life-history methodology Tell me about your
life a particular way to listen to learners
and a particular way to understand learning in
life (as learning from life) 3 steps the truth
about learning learning from life listening to
learners voice and choice
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THE TRUTH ABOUT LEARNING there is no
learning there are no learners there is no
lifelong learning learning is a retrospective
concept learning is a normative concept to
refer to something as learning can only be done
after the event to call something learning
implies a value judgement about what counts as
(good, worthwhile) learning ? see the struggle
over what counts as learning (and who pays for
it) in the field of adult education
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learning is not an activity but a judgement
about change ? therefore people cannot be
engaged in learning (but they can be engaged
in studying) ? people can be students but not
learners lifelong learning is not inevitable
(unless on an empty definition of learning) all
depends on what counts as (good, worthwhile)
learning and who is able/allowed to define what
counts as learning ? we can refuse to be lifelong
learners
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LEARNING FROM LIFE learning in life ? learning
in formal education settings (formal learning
often linked to assessment) informal learning
(both inside and outside formal settings) life
stories often recount formal education and less
often informal learning many stories reveal
another kind of learning an understanding of,
insight in, or even conclusion about the life
(self and world) with significance for how people
lead their lives learning identity - agency
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THE ROLE OF STORY AND NARRATIVE many people tell
stories about their lives, but not all stories
are the same ? they differ in quality ? a
different learning potential and a different
action potential life story/storying as a
site for learning? intensity of the story
confined or elaborate quality of the story
descriptive analytical evaluative ? an
account of events or an attempt to make
sense
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FROM STORY TO NARRATIVE THE ROLE OF PLOT a
plot the organising principle in a story which
gives meaning and coherence to the elements of
the story ? a plot is the way in which the life
story and hence the life as storied makes
sense for the story-teller ? evidence of learning
from life Russell Jackson engineer conversion
experience priest relationship/divorce
adult educator priest the person I intended
to be this sense of identity gives meaning to
all other events in his life story (being closer
or more distanced from this core identity)
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the story-teller is not always aware of the
plot ? the efficacy of life stories/narratives wh
at people can do with their life stories ? can
they use them to learn (learning
potential)? narrative learning ? consequences
and conclusions or caught in the story Paul
Larsen (after 3 hours of talking) I never tire
of this. Christopher Leith I think that the
story of my life through the work that I've done,
there's something for me to learn from it, I feel
that somewhere. Sometimes I think what is that
telling me what is life inviting me to do next.
That's a learning.
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the learning potential of life storying is not
fixed ? over the course of the project some
people became more familiar with the genre of
life story/storying ? narrative learning can be
learned flexibility ? some people have strong
versions of their life story and stick to them
others have more flexibility in their
life-storying ? both can be functional moral
compass adjustment to changing circumstances
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narrative learning can be a resource for
responding to change ? the action potential of
life stories/storying ? agency the ability to
give direction to ones life ? the role of
imaginative distancing exploring alternative
futures and communicative evaluation
judgements about alternative futures the
experience of participation in the Learning Lives
project provided (unique) opportunities for
constructing, telling and evaluating life stories
(and hence for narrative learning)
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PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS what follows if it is
granted that narrative learning can be an
important resource for life? improving the
capacity for narration and narrative
learning? ? narration is less a capacity and more
a practice ? providing opportunities for
narration story telling as social Is this only
about individual stories about individual
lives? need to make the connection between
private troubles and public issues ? the
political dimensions of agency ? the voice and
choice agenda
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CONCLUDING REMARKS narrative learning as a
particular way to learn from life through story
telling (construction of life narratives) ? a
particular way to listen to learners valuing
a particular dimension of lifelong
learning voice ? but always voice-in-context
(private troubles/public issues) choice ?
choice from a set menu, or influencing the
meny We want democracy, not choice (Mr
Blair)!
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THANK YOU www.learninglives.org www.gertbiesta.co
m Paradigm Publishers, 2006 Pluto
Press UK