The Role of Life-Wide Learning on Design of Curriculum

Abstract

There is an incredible development in twentieth first century in the area of education and technology. These changes affect education system as they do all systems. When we look at contemporary educational approaches, we see that education system proceeds toward distance education and web-based education. Today individuals want that they could get a flexible education independent of time and space in accordance with their interests and demands. From this point of view, there appears the concept of life wide learning as a new and transformative concept. Life wide learning is a concept that allows individuals to get education in more than one area in any time of their life. In this situation, an individual, either young or old, employee or retired or never joined work life, can get education in more than one area he needs or is interested in and can contribute to both personal development and national economy. The main problem here lies with the situation that curriculums –by welcoming these changing educational terms- should keep in step with new developments. Curriculum development in distance education has gained popularity recently. Studies of curriculum development are oriented by changing and developing knowledge and needs and this is an indication of what a vital role it has in terms of future education system. From this point of view, the main topic of this chapter is constituted by the need which requires that curriculum development studies in life wide learning should be adapted to web-based education in order to create equality of opportunity.