Queensland, Australia

The 5th International Lifelong Learning Conference aims to identify and bring together the various partners involved with lifelong learning - educators from all sectors, industry representatives, policy makers and lifelong learners themselves. Work, society and life in general encourage learning using formats and strategies that need to be assessed for their effectiveness and relevance if their future usefulness is to be assured.

Conference organisers have identified several sub-themes to be discussed – assessment, evaluation, planning for success, objectives and outcomes, celebrating achievement and creating new futures, to name a few. Delegates are invited to contemplate the sub-themes related to the broader conference theme of Lifelong Learning: Reflecting on Successes and Framing Futures and to bring their thoughts and ideas to what promises to be a stimulating and rewarding conference.

In this context of assessing and evaluating progress made as well as renewing and reshaping visions for the journeys ahead, it is appropriate to ask questions such as these:

• How effective have lifelong learning policies and practices been so far and how do we know?
• Who have been some of the winners and losers from lifelong learning initiatives to date?
• Which concepts and strategies have been most successful in generating and sustaining lifelong and lifewide learning?
• Which factors have contributed to success and in which contexts and environments?
• Do we need new metaphors for life and learning in the future or can lifelong learning continue to inspire and transform our aspirations?
• How can lifelong learning be most effectively harnessed as we strive to create more equitable, meaningful and productive futures for ourselves and future generations?

For more information please visit:  http://lifelonglearning.cqu.edu.au/2008/overview.htm