Lifelong Learning and Online Education: A New Framework for the Competence of Tomorrow's Educators

Abstract

In this chapter, the effects of lifelong learning and online education in the role of an educator are examined. Lifelong learning and lifelong education, as well as online learning and online education are terms that are located in a new context where flexibility has become a central demand. In such a framework, we identify the new capabilities and challenges that organizations, learners, and educators face. Moreover, we attempt to describe the role that an educator should adopt in order to be effective and able to support learning in this new environment. This review concludes with a framework of competencies necessary for the educators who practice their profession within new learning environments that already exist or that are going to appear in organizations, as needs for learning and knowledge management are continuously increasing. For this purpose, a specific case study is presented regarding the way an online training system can be implemented in order to support learning within a banking organization..