Lifelong learning in a network

In our knowledge-based society learning will no longer exclusively be tied to the traditional educational institutions, but becomes lifelong. E-learning has enabled the establishment of networks of distributed collaborating learners, teachers and institutions. Lifelong learning in a network is quite different, because the student doesn’t belong to one institute and the roles of persons are no longer fixed. At the Open University of the Netherlands we are developing a set of models (a 'learning network'), technologies and open specifications in order to support networked learning. It will be related to the MSc-programme we are developing in collaboration with Sydney University and Florida State University.