Emphasis has always been on good scientific and technical education to enable one to compete in the globalized economy. Martha Nussbaum of the University of Chicago is of the opinion that scientific and technical education addresses one area of concern whilst neglecting the “equally crucial abilities that help ensure the health of all democratic societies and the creation of a decent world culture” (Nussbaum, 2007, p.37). According to Nussbaum (2007, ibid), the abilities associated with the humanities and the arts are equally crucial particularly the ability to think critically, the ability to transcend local loyalties and to approach world problems as a “citizen of the world”, and the ability to imagine sympathetically the predicament of another person. As Nussbaum maintains, an education grounded in these abilities cultivates human beings and their humanity. Asha Kanwar (2010), Vice-President of the Commonwealth of Learning, Vancouver, in her Public Lecture at the Wawasan Open University (WOU) on ICTs in higher education: Who stands to gain? traced the new learner of the 80’s as being “the adult learner who looked for new education, training and/or skills for personal development, promotion, change in career, and/or enhanced job requirements”. The digital native of the 21st century were “technology-savvy learners, usually young school-leavers”. Following on from the new learner and the digital native is the emerging ultimate learner. According to Kanwar (2010, ibid) the ultimate emerging learner is one who “has the means to learn; the mindset and motivation; lifelong learner; and multidisciplinary, analytical, ethical, innovative, disciplined, respectful, and collaborative”. In January 2009 the Wawasan Open University launched the Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Liberal Studies through its School of Foundation and Liberal Studies. This paper will briefly profile the ODL liberal studies learner at the WOU and discuss cultivating ultimate learners as the way forward.
Material type
Electronic
Notes
Paper presented at the 24th AAOU Annual Conference (27-28 October 2010; Hanoi, Vietnam)
Liberal studies and the emerging ultimate learner
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Liberal Studies
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