Further Education and Training (FET) in Ireland: Stephen O’Brien

 

Dr Stephen O’Brien the author of Chapter 11 and is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Education, University College Cork, Ireland. He is Programme Director for the Postgraduate Diploma in Further, Adult and Community Education (PDFACE). O’Brien sets the scene for critically examining Further Education and Training learners’ transition to university, discussing how ‘voice’ is central to the university’s mission and can deepen inclusion in the Higher Education community.

 

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An Overview of the Evolution of Higher Education in China: Lingfei Luan

 

 

Dr. Luan is a researcher and educator originally from China and is one of 3 authors who collaborated on the Chinese chapter. She also shares the unique differences in Chinese higher education and culture that impact the adult learner and their growth as learners. Lingfei has a background in educational psychology and, in this episode, she helps us understand the perceptions of adult learners to better understand knowledge acquisition and memory in the learning process. 

 

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Adult and Community Education in New Zealand: Colin McGregor

 

 

Colin McGregor is the former Director of Adult and Community Education (ACE) Aotearoa. ACE Aotearoa, a non-governmental organisation, is the lead body for Adult and Community Education in New Zealand. Our role is to support ACE providers through training, resources, conferences and sharing best practice. Colin says “I am committed to promoting the value of lifelong learning and ensuring access to learning opportunities.”

Mr. Colin McGregor has had a long career in Adult Education. He recently retired as the Director of the peak body for Adult Education in New Zealand (NZ) - Adult and Community Education (ACE) Aotearoa. In this podcast episode, Colin shares his thoughts about NZ’s bi-cultural society and how we might learn from collaborations and partnerships across the world. In addition, he discusses the importance of policy and funding for ACE.

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Digitalization and Higher Education in Germany: Jan Schiller

Jan Schiller

 

Dr. Jan Schiller is a researcher at Helmut Schmidt University and has a sociology and educational philosophy background. In this episode, he highlights Bildung's importance to adult education and lifelong learning. This chapter highlights the digital transformations critical to higher education and learning in later life.

Dr. Jan Schiller has been a research assistant at the Chair of Continuing Education and Lifelong Learning since November 2016. He currently researches and teaches primarily on questions of digitalization in adult education/further education, time-related issues in the context of education in connection with educational sociological and contemporary philosophical approaches, European and national educational policy, as well as formats, didactics, and target groups of academic continuing education. Jan Schiller did his doctorate on education for an uncertain future. Temporal Agendas in the Context of Continuing University Education awarded the 2022 Dissertation Prize of the German Society for Scientific Continuing Education and Distance Learning (DGWF). He worked on international comparative issues and those of open education in the completed ERASMUS+ joint project INTALL, previously COMPALL. He is currently working in the dtec-bw project DigiTaKS*.

 

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Twenty-First Century Holistic Learning: A Caribbean Perspective: Shermaine Barrett

 

Shermaine Barrett

Dr. Shermaine Barrett has been involved in adult education for many years, including environmental education for community leaders in Jamaica. In this episode, she shares how adult learning is about preparing people for the world of work. As educators, we need to understand our learners and engage them with a holistic approach that develops the skills and competencies needed in the 21^st century.

Dr. Shermaine Barrett is a Professor of Adult Education and Workforce Development. She holds a PhD in Work and Human Resource Education from the University of Minnesota, USA and a Masters Degree in Adult Education from the Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax, Canada. She has a strong background in academic leadership and management, having served in various leadership capacities over twenty years at the University of Technology, Jamaica. She is the Acting Deputy President of the University of Technology, Jamaica. Her substantive post is Dean of the Faculty of Education and Liberal Studies (FELS) and has served as Head of the School of Technical and Vocational Education (SOTAVE).

Her professional experience goes beyond academia, as she has served in several other positions of leadership in industry and the not-for-profit sector. She has served as Principal Consultant with SAMBAR Associates, a training and development consulting company she founded. She has also served on several local and international Boards.  She is the immediate past Caribbean Vice President of the International Council for Adult Education (ICAE) and the Jamaican Council for Adult Education (JACAE) president.

She is the author of the book “Adult Education, Social Change and Development in Post Colonial Jamaica: Investing in Human Capital.” She has also authored several journal articles and book chapters.

Professor Barrett has been invited as a speaker at various conferences, seminars, and other forums, local and international, face-to-face and virtual.

 

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Transitions Shermaine Barrett Interview Transcript