Submitted by Monica Collins, Director of Professional and Community Program, University of Windsor, Division of Continuing Education
The New Approaches to Lifelong Learning Research Team (NALL) is looking for help from committed interested volunteers in a couple of projects. We look forward to hearing from any interested volunteers!
What is NALL? A team of academics, business people, representatives of community organizations and labour from across Canada and Europe working under the leadership of Dr. David Livingstone, OISE, to chronicle the current relations between formal and further organized (nonformal) education and their linkages with informal, extra-institutional learning and to identify major social obstacles to uniting informal learning with institutionally- organized programs and certification. Eventually our goal is to develop and support new program initiatives to overcome identified barriers.
PLAR PROJECTS
The research activities are divided into six distinct groups. Group Two, co-chaired by Dr. Alan Thomas (OISE) and Monica Collins (University of Windsor), is the Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition group.
The first two foundation projects undertaken were the development of an annotated bibliography of about 1000 items and a snapshot of PLAR in Canada and abroad. These were developed with the intent of developing systems which would ensure the documents remained current and updated - "living" documents, that could be shared and linked electronically around the world. Printed copies of the bibliography are being distributed, but negotiations are underway with CLFDB to ensure publication on the PLAR web-page, along with the template for the snapshot updates.
ASSISTANCE REQUIRED
We need CAPLA members' help to identify and annotate new relevant materials with the newly formed editorial board comprised of Doug Myers and Sherman Wadell. We need CAPLA volunteers to identify individuals within their provincial PLAR organizations who will take responsibility for the biannual updating of the provincial snapshot template.
To apply or for more information about the NALL initiatives please contact either Alan Thomas at 416-923-6641 x 2350 or at athomas@oise.utoronto.ca or Monica Collins at 519-253-3000, x 3455 or at mcollin@uwindsor.ca. They will be happy to provide you with more detailed information.
