Updated February 17, 2022 Show
Discover: What is continuous learning?Continuous learning is the process of learning new skills and knowledge on an on-going basis. This can come in many forms, from formal course taking to casual social learning. It involves self-initiative and taking on challenges. Continuous learning can also be within an organization, or it can be personal, such as in lifelong learning. Why is continuous learning important for organizations?Staying competitive in today’s global marketplace means that organizations need to be innovative, adaptive, and ever-changing. Achieving this depends on the skill and knowledge of the workforce. But how do you get this kind of workforce to begin with? To innovate, to try a new process, or to do something new all requires learning. People need to learn new knowledge or skills in order to see things in a new light and take that next leap. When organizations do not support a continual process of learning, innovation does not happen, processes remain unchanged, and nothing new is ever accomplished. Employees need to be able to challenge themselves in order to obtain new knowledge, ideas, and skills. Learning needs to be on a flexible, on-demand and continual basis in order to contribute this kind of cutting-edge performance. Benefits of continuous learningBenefits for the organizationCreating a learning culture within the organization is an effective way to improve performance and innovation, as mentioned earlier, but also employee satisfaction and retention. Here’s why:
Benefits for the individualContinuously updating knowledge or skills can help an employee in both their professional life and personal life for a number of reasons. Here’s why:
Continuous learning examplesLet’s take a look at the different ways an employee can engage in continuous learning: Formal learningFormal learning includes the ways a learner can gain new knowledge and skills via learning initiatives that have already been pre-determined, organized and implemented for a specific learning purpose or goal. This can include:
Social learningSocial learning includes all the ways a learner interacts, discusses, collaborates and learns from others to increase knowledge or learn new skills. This can be both formal and informal, including:
Self-directed learningObtaining a new skill or improving your knowledge and understanding of something does not have to be restricted to formal training or working with others. Self-directed learning can include:
What is the difference between lifelong learning and continuous learning?Lifelong learning and continuous learning are often terms used interchangeably. They can sometimes have a slightly different meaning depending on the context. Let’s compare the differences below: Lifelong learningThe term lifelong learning is geared more towards the individual level. It refers to someone who makes a long-term, voluntary commitment to learning new skills or acquiring new knowledge. A lifelong learner is someone who incorporates continuous learning as part of their lifestyle. An example of lifelong learning could be someone who chooses to read about something new for one hour every day. This is a personal commitment for self-betterment or long-term improvement. Continuous learningThe term continuous learning can also refer to someone who is committed to learning new skills or knowledge but is often used in a more temporary context or formal context. An example of continuous learning could be someone who is taking an extra training course for their job. This is a formal commitment, sometimes temporary, that is taken on to achieve new skills. How to build a continuous learning environment within the organizationCreating a supportive environment that encourages employees to engage in continuous learning takes commitment, resources, and coaching. Some employees will be self-motivated and will take up continuous learning on their own time, but the majority will not have the time or resources to do so. Employees are typically focused on the job or tasks at hand and do not want to be seen as wasting time. It is unrealistic to expect all employees to engage in continuous learning either during the work day or in their free time. This is a good starting point when figuring out how to start building a learning environment. Let’s take a look at some ideas on how to navigate this situation: 1. Continuous learning begins with leadersWhen employees see that their Manager or Supervisor is fully engaged and supportive of learning and development initiatives, it creates an atmosphere that promotes continuous learning. Sometimes it is difficult for employees to take time away from daily work tasks because there is an impression that management may not approve. Show employees that it is important and valued by becoming a role model. 2. Create a learning planWhen continuous learning becomes part of the way a business runs, employees are more apt to engage in it. This means defining the business goals of what is hoped to be achieved and creating an actionable plan around how to support it. Engaging in dialogue about continuous learning means that employees will not only see that the organization is genuine about supporting learning initiatives, but that efforts are being offered to make it a reality. The plan can include what resources or support individuals maybe need or the types of learning that can be offered, such as mobile learning or mentoring. 3. Provide the resources and time for continuous learningThe main component of creating a learning environment is time and resources. These need to be available to employees. This can come in all shapes and forms, depending on the needs of the organization, department, or individual employees. Some ideas include:
See also: Learning Approaches Most people associate learning with formal education at school, college, university etc. We are all told, from an early age, that we should ‘get a good education’. Generally speaking it is true that a formal education and the resulting qualifications are important. Education may maximise our potential to find better, more satisfying jobs, earn more and, perhaps, become more successful in our chosen career. However, ‘schooling’ is only one type of learning. There are many other opportunities to further your knowledge and develop the skills you need throughout life. Knowledge can be acquired and skill-sets developed anywhere – learning is unavoidable and happens all the time. However, lifelong learning is about creating and maintaining a positive attitude to learning both for personal and professional development. Lifelong learners are motivated to learn and develop because they want to: it is a deliberate and voluntary act. Lifelong learning can enhance our understanding of the world around us, provide us with more and better opportunities and improve our quality of life. There are two main reasons for learning throughout life: for personal development and for professional development. These reasons may not necessarily be distinct as personal development can improve your employment opportunities and professional development can enable personal growth.
Learning for its own sake brings its own advantages. For example, learning in whatever context:
Learning for Personal DevelopmentThere does not need to be a specific reason for learning since learning for the sake of learning can in itself be a rewarding experience. There is a common view that continuous learning and having an active mind throughout life may delay or halt the progress of some forms of dementia, although there is actually very little scientific evidence to support these claims. However, keeping the brain active does have advantages since learning can prevent you from becoming bored and thus enable a more fulfilling life at any age. There are, of course, many reasons why people learn for personal development.
Learning for Professional Development
Our capacity to earn is directly related to our willingness to learn. Being well-educated is not necessarily the key to employment. Although qualifications may get you an interview, actually getting the job can take a lot more. Employers are looking for well-balanced people with transferable skills. This includes the ability to be able to demonstrate that you are keen to learn and develop. If you do find yourself unemployed then use the time wisely. Learning something new can pay-off with new opportunities which might not otherwise have arisen. While you are employed, take advantage of training, coaching or mentoring opportunities and work on your continuous professional development as you will likely become better at what you do and more indispensable to your current or future employer. Putting the time in for extra learning brings its own rewards.It means we can get more personal satisfaction from our lives and jobs as we understand more about who we are and what we do. This can lead to better results and a more rewarding working day in turn. If you choose to learn about another complementary sector, this enables opportunities to specialise and potentially earn more or move to a connected industry. In turn this gives us wider experience on which to build our knowledge and more transferable skills in readiness for your next move. From a financial point of view, a more highly skilled and knowledgeable worker is an asset to any company and can lead to faster promotion with associated salary increases. Someone who can offer more expertise will be of more value not just to employers but also to customers. Expertise is also, often, a key quality of an effective leader. If you are frustrated with your job, continuing to hone your skills will make it easier to find new ways out of a potentially stressful work situation. Keeping an open mind to learning and giving yourself room for flexibility is key to job satisfaction. Furthermore, potentially staying ahead of competitors for jobs by being more experienced or knowledgeable can give you an edge.
In his book, Master it Faster, Colin Rose uses the mnemonic MASTER to describe the six stages he believes are key to becoming an effective learner. These stages can be applied to any type of learning, either formal or informal.
MotivationLifelong learning requires self-motivation. You need to feel positive about learning and about your ability to learn. If you struggle to see the point of learning what you are learning, you are unlikely to do well. See our page Self-Motivation for more. AcquireEffective learning requires that you acquire information through reading, listening, observing, practising, experimenting and experience. Information is all around you: the trick is to acquire relevant and meaningful information and develop this into knowledge and skills. See our Study Skills section for more on effective learning techniques. SearchLearning is successful when we can search for a personal meaning in the information we’re acquiring. We find it hard to remember facts without understanding them or being able to put them into context. Learning is about applying what you acquire and asking yourself questions such as: ‘How does this idea help in my life?’ or ‘What has this experience taught me about myself?’ TriggerHuman beings are notoriously bad at retaining information. You cannot and will not remember all that you read, hear and experience. You can help to trigger recollection in a variety of ways. For example, you can take notes, practice, discuss and experiment with new ideas and skills to help you learn and develop. Our pages on Note-Taking may help here. ExamineYou should regularly examine your knowledge to help reinforce in your mind what you have learned. You should always try to keep an open-mind, question your understanding and be open to new information. Talking to others and seeing their point of view can be a powerful way of examining your own perception and understanding of a subject. ReflectFinally, you should reflect on your learning. Think about how and why you learned, including how you felt about a particular topic or situation, before and after you developed your knowledge. Learn from your mistakes as well as from your successes and always try to remain positive. See our page on Reflective Practice for more.
Further Reading from Skills You Need The Skills You Need Guide for Students
Develop the skills you need to make the most of your time as a student. Our eBooks are ideal for students at all stages of education, school, college and university. They are full of easy-to-follow practical information that will help you to learn more effectively and get better grades. Learning Gives You OptionsThe bottom line is that, whatever your life path, there are a number of sometimes unanticipated benefits to continual personal and professional development. Whatever your age, it's never too late to start. Successfully changing career path in mid-life and spending time informally developing expertise is more common than ever, especially during rapidly changing market conditions. Most people still rely on succeeding in employment for their ability to earn a living. The more flexible we can be about our direction, the easier we make our lives. Our economy is shifting increasingly towards short-term and part-time contracts with more flexible work-patterns whilst old industries are shifting abroad. We have to adapt to changes going on in the work-world and make more of ourselves by stepping out of our comfort zones and ideas of how we believe our life is going. Relying on job permanence for earnings and promotion is not as feasible as it once was. Because of work-life instability, more people of all ages are turning their hobby into a business idea. Continually following one’s passion outside of work hours can lead you to get paid for doing what you love, and typically you will develop business and other transferable skills as you go along until the point that you can delegate your least favourite jobs. |