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LIFELONG LEARNING: PRINCIPLES FOR DESIGNING
UNIVERSITY EDUCATION
Stefan Cronholm
University of Borås, Borås, Sweden
stefan.cronholm@hb.se
ABSTRACT
Aim/Purpose
Due to the rapid development of digital technology, create knowledge to sup-
port the development of education for lifelong learning.
Background
There is a lack of normative and prescriptive support that can guide the devel-
opment of education concerning lifelong learning.
Methodology
Design science research, interviews, grounded theory and root-cause analysis.
Contribution
Contribution to practice: A master program in Information Systems that sup-
ports lifelong learning. Contribution to theory: Advancements on design
knowledge that can guide the development of education programs concerning
rapid advancements in digital technology.
Findings
Five design principles: consider rapid development of digital technology, bal-
ance time-consuming bureaucratic procedures with companies’ demands for
speedy access to modern courses, simplify procedures for students applying
with work experience qualifications, implement plans for competence develop-
ment of teachers, and base courses on rigour and relevance.
Recommendations
for Practitioners
Companies could enter the whole education program or select interesting
courses or course modules.
Recommendations
for Researchers
The design principles should be considered when research on guidance con-
cerning lifelong learning for adult learners is conducted.
Impact on Society
Lifelong learning enhances social inclusion, active citizenship and personal de-
velopment, as well as competitiveness and employability.
Future Research
Further validation of the design principles in order to create knowledge that can
support the development of education for lifelong learning.
Keywords
lifelong learning, design principles, development of study programs, academy-
industry collaboration
Lifelong Learning
36
INTRODUCTION
The concept of lifelong learning has attracted a lot of interest for several years (Agudo-Peregrina et
al., 2014; Dascalu et al., 2016; Dunlap & Lowenthal, 2013). Lifelong learning is an ongoing, voluntary
and self-motivated acquirement of knowledge for either private or professional purposes (Cliath et
al., 2000). It is meaningful from various perspectives: individual (e.g., employability, social inclusion),
organisational (e.g., competitiveness, attractive employer), and societal (e.g., active and knowledgeable
citizens) (European Commission, 2006). Lifelong learning has become a success factor in shaping
knowledge societies with the potential of creating new scientific and technological knowledge.
On meeting the growing demand for lifelong learning, universities face several challenges. One over-
arching challenge is that the curriculum is seldom designed for lifelong learning. Traditionally, univer-
sities focus on bachelor and master degrees targeting younger students at an early stage of their edu-
cation. Already in 1997, the UNESCO Institute for Education announced that universities have to
open their doors to adult learners and that they have to adapt their programs and learning conditions
to meet the needs of adult learners. Yang et al. (2015) add that universities need to redefine their
commission in order to support lifelong learning and that there it is beyond doubt that universities
have a vital role to play in this respect. In general, it seems that the universities have handed over
much of the responsibility for lifelong learning to private training firms. Education offered by private
training firms is often of high relevance to individuals with work-life experience but may lack theo-
retical perspectives and methodological rigour. It is our conviction that universities can function as
attractive education partners for the founding of modern curriculum for lifelong learning.
There is a growing interest in lifelong learning among companies and individuals in the IT sector, due
to the rapid advancements in digital technology (Chitiba, 2012). Inoue-Smith (2017, p.17) states that
“Because of the increasingly rapid pace of technological advancement higher education institutions
face a strategic imperative to broaden access to lifelong learning …”. This means that up-to-date
knowledge regarding digital technology has become a powerful asset. Knowledge is a necessary re-
quirement for companies to survive in a more knowledge-intense society, embracing an increasing
number of digital components. Concepts such as data-driven innovation, artificial intelligence, ma-
chine learning and automation have become key components in technological advancements. The
rapid advancement taking place has created an increasing desire to study digital technology at univer-
sities (e.g., Yang et al., 2015; Swedish Council for Higher Education, 2020).
One specific challenge is how to manage the management of rapid development of new digital tech-
nology in relation to the cumbersome bureaucratic procedures at several universities (Chitiba, 2012).
The implementation of a modern education program that includes studies of the latest digital tech-
nology can take up to three years. This means that an education program might already be outdated
before it has been launched. On the other hand, following bureaucratic procedures is necessary to
ensure that legal processes and regulatory documents are followed. There seems to be a conflict be-
tween offering education that is up to date and the necessity of following bureaucratic procedures.
Another challenge is how to master the management of continuous competence development aimed
for teachers at universities (e.g., Day, 2002; Scales & Kelly, 2012). Usually, when we discuss lifelong
learning, we are talking about lifelong learning for students, and we tend to forget competence devel-
opment intended for the teachers. This situation corresponds to the idiom “Cobblers’ children are
worst shod” which means that universities are working hard to please the students’ needs but may be
neglecting their own needs. The universities’ most important assets are the teachers, since without
knowledgeable teachers, the universities cannot fulfil their commitments. Almost every university of-
fers competence development for their staff. However, this competence development is usually
about pedagogical issues related to teaching and learning and not about the core subject itself. Yang
et al. (2015) state that the role of Higher Education Institutions in promoting lifelong learning is not
limited to what they offer students; they should also make a vital contribution through initial and
continuous training of teachers, and research into lifelong learning.
Cronholm
37
Moreover, another challenge relates to the inclusion of companies in the development process con-
cerning new education. Dealtry (2009, p.157) state that there is a need for a novel dynamic and crea-
tive way of thinking and of process innovation that will shatter “… the mould on traditional aca-
demic process thinking”. Strategically including companies in the development process is a way of
ensuring that the education will be relevant to the companies (e.g., Agerbæk & Houmøller, 2018).
This, however, does not mean neglecting academic perspectives. Instead, a joint academy-company
effort will strengthen the possibilities of collecting empirical evidence for the development of rele-
vant course content and to apply scientific approaches to the studies. The challenge consists in man-
aging the collaboration between the academy and companies, successfully.
Lifelong learning means that universities need to target a variety of age groups. Traditionally, univer-
sities are focusing on recruitment of students aged 18-25 years. Lifelong learning means that universi-
ties have to expand their recruitment strategies so as to include other age groups as well. O’Grady
(2013) states that lifelong learning focuses on adults who are returning to organised learning. To en-
sure that new target groups can be identified, universities need to analyse whether existing marketing
channels can be reused or if new ones need to be created.
Together, these challenges form an integrated whole that universities need to pay attention to in or-
der to offer attractive types of education that support lifelong learning and are founded on real com-
petence needs. Based on our literature review, we have identified a vast number of articles discussing
lifelong learning from different aspects such as conceptual and phenomenological discussions (Aspin
& Chapman, 2000), motivation for lifelong learning (Collins, 2009), societal impact (Jarvis, 2007),
self-direction (Shum, 2009) and social capital (Field, 2005). Our conclusion is that there is a lack of
principles for how to design education that supports lifelong learning with regard to the challenges
described above.
The purpose of this study was to create design knowledge concerning the development of an educa-
tion program supporting lifelong learning by identifying and analysing challenges and b) based on the
challenges, suggesting design principles that can guide the development of education programs. This
means that the theoretical contribution consists of design knowledge that is often presented in terms
of design principles which can be reused in new situations (Chandra et al., 2015; Cronholm & Göbel,
2019). Baskerville and Pries-Heje (2010) add that design principles constitute the basis for action.
The design principles are generalised, which means that they should be able to guide the develop-
ment of other education programs facing similar challenges. Our study was conducted as design sci-
ence research (DSR), a research paradigm which has gained a lot of interest within the discipline of
Information Systems (IS) (e.g., Baskerville, 2018; Gregor & Hevner, 2013; Vaishnavi & Kuechler,
2015). A common objective of DSR is to develop and theorise about artefacts such as models, meth-
ods or digital tools. Moreover, DSR is often carried out as joint study including both researchers and
practitioner, which means that results are developed and evaluated in close collaboration with practi-
tioners (Sein et al., 2011; Cronholm & Göbel, 2019). In DSR, there is a broad consensus that re-
search must respond to a dual mission: “… make theoretical contributions and assist in solving the
current and anticipated problems of practitioners” (Sein et al., 2011, p.38). The knowledge created in
research project is based on theoretical insights, and experiences from an education project concern-
ing the development of a master program, which involved seven academics and 20 companies. The
artefact developed consisted of a proposal concerning a curriculum (including courses) for a master
program in Information Systems. The master program is entitled “Data-Driven Service Innovation”,
and is intended as the contribution to practice.
Our study is concerned with formal lifelong learning. This means that the design principles suggested
address a situation where learning can be assessed. However, we recognise that lifelong learning can
also be non-formal or informal. This means that learning can be based on life experience and also on
activities that have not been designated as learning (e.g., Colardyn & Bjornavold, 2004; Marsick &
Watkins, 2001). The following section describes the concept of lifelong learning. After that, a litera-
ture review dealing with support for the development of education programs concerning lifelong
Lifelong Learning
38
learning will be introduced. Then, the research method will be presented, followed by a description
of the project characteristics. After that, the identified challenges and the suggested design principles
will be elaborated on. Next, a discussion concerning the findings will be presented. Finally, this will
lead to conclusions being drawn.
LIFELONG LEARNING
The concept of lifelong learning has been discussed for a long time. Vidmar (2014) states that the
concept was discussed already in ancient Greece in terms of “… the personal, moral development of
the individual … and as preparation for a career or practical work” (p.93). Furthermore, lifelong
learning involves increasing employability, which implies professional development and active citi-
zenship (Dede, 2020; Vidmar, 2014). Illeris (2003, p.13) states that lifelong learning “… has become
more integrated into the labour market and employment policies of governments and international
organisations such as the EU and OECD”. Chitiba (2012, p.1944) reports that lifelong learning “…
offers the prospect of a radical new approach especially for the higher educational process focused
on the opening up traditional universities for those who want to learn lifelong”. There are several
definitions of lifelong learning with similar meanings, and there are also several synonyms. The Com-
mission of the European Communities defines lifelong learning as ‘‘all learning activity taken
throughout life’’ (Committee of the Regions, 2002, p.9). Chitiba (2013, p.1945) defines lifelong learn-
ing as the continuous development and improvement of the knowledge and skills needed for em-
ployment and personal fulfilment through formal and informal learning opportunities. Moreover,
lifelong learning can exist at all times and in all places.
The concept of lifelong learning shares meanings with other similar concepts such as adult education,
training, continuing education, and permanent education. Filipe et al. (2014) prefer to use the con-
cept of continuing professional development. They expand the definition of lifelong learning into in-
cluding, not only personal learning related to the core business, but also in interpersonal competen-
cies such as team building, teaching and communication. Moreover, they state that continued profes-
sional development should be integrated into the framework of professional life. Watson (2003)
states that lifelong learning is the lifelong, voluntary, and self-motivated search that can improve per-
sonal or professional knowledge. Furthermore, she emphasises that lifelong learning enhances social
inclusion, active citizenship and personal development as well as competitiveness and employability.
Chitiba (2013) states the lifelong is a process that is pursued throughout life and is based on the fol-
lowing pillars:
• Learning to know: mastering learning tools rather than the acquisition of structured
knowledge.
• Learning to do: equipping people for the types of work needed now and, in the future, in-
cluding innovation and adaptation of learning to future work environments.
• Learning to live together, and with others: peacefully resolving conflict, discovering other
people and their cultures, fostering community capability, individual competence and capac-
ity, economic resilience, and social inclusion.
• Learning to be: education contributing to a person’s complete development of mind and
body, intelligence, sensitivity, aesthetic appreciation and spirituality.
As mentioned above, this study is interested in formal lifelong learning that is offered by universities.
Formal lifelong learning brings structure to learning and provides a systematic view because the point
of departure is to understand the needs of the learner (Chitiba, 2013). Colardyn and Bjornavold
(2004) add that formal learning occurs within an organised and structured context (formal education,
in-company training), and that is designed as learning. It may lead to formal recognition (diplomas,
certificates). Formal learning is intentional from the learner's perspective. Therefore, lifelong learning
means a shift of attention from knowledge providers such as universities and private training firms,
to the recipients on the demand side.
Cronholm
39
Finally, Chitiba (2013) states the main drive for lifelong learning is the need to “… up-skill the popu-
lation to meet the challenge of the information and knowledge society” (p.1946). Furthermore, she
asserts that the most significant barriers are: a) academic staff non-acceptance and non-engagement
in this process and b) lack of funds. This means that successful implementation of lifelong learning at
universities requires “… not only adoption by enthusiastic innovators but also institutional structures
to support the sustainability and mainstreaming of lifelong learning initiatives” (p.1946).
LITERATURE REVIEW
In order to identify relevant articles about design principles that could support lifelong learning con-
cerning education programs within the area of digital technology, we needed to formulate an appro-
priate search strategy. We decided to analyse journals published in the Scopus database, since this is
the largest abstract and citation database of peer-reviewed literature, including the fields of technol-
ogy, medicine, social sciences, and arts and humanities. To find relevant articles, we used the search
criteria: recommendations, principles, guidelines, guides, strategies, advice, education program and
lifelong learning, which were combined in the following search string: TITLE-ABS KEY ((recommen-
dations OR principles OR guidelines OR guides OR strategies OR advice) AND “lifelong learning”
AND “education program”) AND (LIMIT-TO (PUBSTAGE. “final”)) AND (LIMIT-TO (DOCTYPE,
“ar”)) AND (LIMIT-TO (LANGUAGE, “English”)) AND (LIMIT-TO (SRCTYPE, “j”)). In total,
we identified 59 articles that fulfilled the search criteria. We then read the abstracts of every article to
decide their relevance to our study. Out of these 59 articles, 11 articles provided support for the de-
sign of lifelong learning in education programs. We do not claim that our literature review was ex-
haustive since we limited our search to journals in the Scopus database. In addition, we applied back-
ward reference searching by reviewing relevant papers cited in the identified articles in the leading IS
Journals (i.e., snowball sampling) (e.g., Naderifar et al., (2017), and articles suggested by competent
reviewers of this paper.
The purpose of the study conducted by Holland (2019) is to suggest effective principles concerning
informal online learning. Holland has analysed 22 articles to identify what is known about adults in-
formally learning online. The analysis identified 21 principles formulated at a highly general level.
Some examples are that learning objects should be search friendly, provide abundant resources, and
that learners should be interested in the topic. All the 21 identified principles were synthesised into
two effective principles concerning informal online learning, which read: (a) interaction opportunities
support knowledge construction and learner empowerment; and (b) segmented, titled, and tagged
learning objects facilitate personalised learning. Unfortunately, the study provides no empirical evi-
dence concerning the synthesised principles. One important conclusion is that, in many cases, effec-
tively employing these principles will require collaboration among relevant stakeholders.
Bass et al. (2017) present a structured model of holistic reflection. The purpose of this model is to
provide an educational tool to assist midwifery students when building a reflective practice. The de-
velopment of the model is guided by several principles identified in the literature. Several of these
principles highlight the importance of reflexivity, critical thinking and holistic approaches. The model
consists of six integrated phases: self-awareness, description, reflection, influences, evaluation and
learning. So far, the model has not been evaluated in practice.
Bridgstock (2013) states that the practice of entrepreneurship in the arts is significantly different from
the practice of entrepreneurship in business. Consequently, entrepreneurship curricula in arts cannot
be imported from business schools. Moreover, Bridgstock (2013) suggests three iterative phases dur-
ing which entrepreneurial artist identities can be developed through higher education programs.
These are: career identity building, identification of value-congruent opportunities for enterprise and
experiential project-based work. The study is conducted as a literature study. One conclusion is that
the educational context plays an important part in the design of lifelong learning. In this case, it is
emphasised that entrepreneurship is not a subtopic within a business-related curriculum, but is a
complex set of qualities, beliefs, attitudes and skills that underpins all areas of working life.
Lifelong Learning
40
The purpose of the study conducted by Dusenko et al. (2016) has been to examine how innovations
are used within education. More specifically, the authors have investigated the use of e-Learning as
Internet and multimedia-based instruction at universities and its role in university students' acquisi-
tion and reinforcement of knowledge. One conclusion is that e-Learning is unlikely to replace tradi-
tional education completely. It will create new teaching and learning opportunities and additional
conditions for personal development, advanced training and lifelong learning. This conclusion is
based on a theoretical study.
Dzakira et al. (2012) have conducted a case study to analyse factors contributing to successful
blended learning from a student perspective. The case study includes a business communication
course involving 16 students. The identified contributing factors for the attainment of successful
blended learning are an innovative shift from a presentational format to active learning; access to per-
sonalised learning, resources and experts; flexibility and accommodation for learners and teachers of
diverse backgrounds; interaction and sense of community; and cost-effectiveness.
Filipe et al. (2014) have analysed continued professional development (CPD) regarding medical com-
petence. The purpose of their paper is to review best practices to promote effective CPD. Moreover,
Filipe et al. (2014) state that an effective CPD scheme should contain three quality components: a)
professional improvement that ensures personal learning related to the populations’ changing needs
and developing healthcare service, b) effective learning interventions should be designed upon clear,
attainable, and measurable learning outcomes and offer relevant and evidence-based content to the
physician’s clinical practice, and c) it must be accountable, transparent, amenable to regulation, and
useful for assuring quality in the process of re-licensure.
The article presented by Forman et al. (2002) suggests that e-learning contributes to enhanced learn-
ing in education programs. The authors argue for a shift from teaching to learning that focuses more
on the learner than on the institution. Forman et al. (2002, p.82) state that “Institutions, equally, have
to change their mental set and move away from traditional learning modes to more innovative, and
participative ones". The article concludes that only learners who have acquired skills for learning how
to learn will benefit from e-learning. Moreover, Forman et al. (2002) conclude that successful learners
are more likely to have the following abilities: a) organisational skills to manage academic as well as
other social responsibilities, b) sufficient independence for working alone, and c) involvement in life-
long learning and knowledge to identify and quantify the learning required for necessary assessment.
Omrani et al. (2012) report from a study regarding the lifelong learning of physicians, within which a
comparison was conducted between an e-learning method and a traditional learning method. One
conclusion is that instructional and motivational design should be used for more advanced electronic
continuing medical education programs.
Jones et al. (2017) have studied a postgraduate program regarding surgical training. They state that
once surgeons are in practice, they risk experiencing a performance plateau. Moreover, they state that
existing education materials have not been structured into longitudinal pathways for lifelong learning.
The purpose of their study was to develop a master program on the subject of lifelong learning. The
development of the master program was based on discussions with companies, and a survey sent out
to a branch organisation. The authors conclude that the developed master program embraces the
concept of lifelong learning, and that its curriculum evolves from being organised according to basic
principles into harbouring a more complex content. Jones et al. (2017, p.3061) explicitly state that
“lifelong learning should be a better way to teach and learn”.
Van der Vleuten et al. (2010) present lessons learnt from experiences regarding an assessment of pro-
fessional competence, and state that these lessons can also be read as general principles of assessment
programs. Some interesting lessons learnt are: competence is specific, not generic; objectivity is not
the same as reliability; assessment promotes learning; validity lies in the users of the instruments,
more than in the instruments; and formative and summative assessment are typically combined.
Cronholm
41
Yamashita et al. (2015) have studied motivation for learning in relation to age among adults. They
state that mature adults generally have a lower motivation for learning than young adults. In their
study, they have identified factors that will promote learning among the more mature. The factors
have been categorised as either personal or environmental factors. The identified personal factors are
age, gender, race, number of household members, income, years of education, employment, religious
affiliation, social life with friends, and self-rated health. The identified environmental factors are rea-
sons for the program participation, the number of courses taken, and the travel time required when
taking a program.
Shum (2009) presents a model entitled: “A Learning Model Emphasizing Experience and Practice”,
which aims to empower the process of lifelong learning. The model includes some specific actions:
formation of student unions, promoting the participation of adult students in classroom teaching,
and learning for capacity building and empowerment. One suggested guideline is “Participation in
Curriculum Development”. This guideline emphasises the importance of involving learners in mak-
ing various decisions relating to curriculum development. The authors have collected empirical evi-
dence by conducting a survey and interviews. Shum (2009, p24) concludes that “… empowerment of
the elderly in the learning process also enhances their participation at both the courses and activities
organization level as well as the classroom teaching and learning level”.
Buhl and Andreasen (2018) have analysed massive open online courses (MOOCs). They state that
the MOOC phenomenon has created optimism as well as scepticism. The optimism is based on the
potential due to the “massiveness” and “openness” which can provide expanded space in terms of
self-directed learning for more people. However, self-directed learning “… may lead to misunder-
standings of the ways in which “massiveness” and “openness” work for users” (p.160). One im-
portant conclusion is that MOOCs may not be the ultimate solution. The authors emphasise that it is
vital to analyse the implications of MOOC implementations further.
Dunlap and Lowenthal (2013) have studied how postsecondary educators can use the Web 2.0 tech-
nologies (e.g., blogging, social networking, document co-creation, and resource sharing) to create
learning opportunities that can support students when developing the skills needed for lifelong learn-
ing. The authors state that these technologies have the potential to support lifelong learning endeav-
ours. The article concludes that a) it is time to evaluate the efficacy these technologies, and b) there is
need for experimenting with different ways of using these tools to meet educational goals with vary-
ing audiences of learning.
Wilson et al. (2007) state that current education systems cannot really support lifelong learning. The
purpose of their article is to suggest an alternative system that emphasizes symmetric connections
with a range of services both in formal and informal learning. Moreover, they argue that virtual learn-
ing environments (VLEs) offer the dominant design alternatives in educational technology today.
The authors are challenging this dominance and claim that models concerning personal learning envi-
ronment “… will develop in sophistication, making the VLE a less attractive option, particularly as
we move into a world of lifelong, lifewide, informal and work-based learning” (p.37).
Koper (2004) has analysed requirements for the development of a learner-centred and learner-con-
trolled approach concerning distributed lifelong learning in Europe. The article presents a few chal-
lenges, and actions that could be taken, to address the challenges. Koper (2004) states that a) Euro-
pean institutes should set up serious collaborations with other national and international institutes to
establish learning networks for lifelong learning, b) the management style should allow some sort of
openness and self-organisation in the collaboration between the institutes, and c) the most significant
challenge from a pedagogical perspective is to implement a learner-centred approach.
Talmage et al. (2018, p.109) state that “The literature regarding lifelong learning is robust, while the
literature on lifelong learning institutions, centers, and programs remain under-researched in compar-
ison”. The authors adopt an institutional perspective in order to elaborate on directions (themes) that
post-secondary education should consider with respect to lifelong learning. One purpose of the
Lifelong Learning
42
themes and directions is to guide future research and practice. The directions are: What are effective
lifelong learning strategies to help older adults reach their highest potential(s) for physical and cogni-
tive health?, How does lifelong learning transform the lives of older adults?, How might lifelong
learning institutes continue to serve their current populations while also working to reach and serve
other older adult populations?, How do we design and structure lifelong learning programs and insti-
tutes that will sustain or thrive for the long-term and have long-term impact for lifelong learners?,
How can lifelong learning institutes effectively utilize current and emergent technologies for learning
in their programs?, How might lifelong learning institutes effectively encourage creative expression?,
How must lifelong learning institutes adapt to effectively reach older adults, especially diverse popu-
lations not currently engaged with lifelong learning?, What are effective strategies and pedagogies for
older adults?, What is the place for and benefits of intergenerational learning in lifelong learning pro-
grams?, What are effective ways to evaluate lifelong learning institutes and their programs/program-
ming?, What role does community-building play in lifelong learning?, and Which roles do community
partnerships play in lifelong learning?
Finally, Zitter (2010), has applied a design perspective on learning. The research question reads: “how
we can design and improve project-based, ICT-supported learning environments in higher profes-
sional education?” (p.18). The author has used a specific logic called CIMO (context, intervention,
mechanisms, outcomes) (Denyer et al., 2008). The purpose of CIMO is to support the creation of a
problem structure and the formulation of a solution. Zitter (2010) concludes that CIMO-logic helped
to structure the scientific knowledge generated in a way that makes it applicable in practice. Another
conclusion is that “… the selected professional objects and technology played across the dimensions
of acquisition-participation and simulation-reality, throughout the project-based, technology en-
hanced learning environment” (p.101).
In summary, all the reviewed articles provided insights that are valuable to our study. However, some
remarks need to be mentioned:
• The first remark is that none of the studies reviewed have specifically developed support for
lifelong learning concerning education programs that have taken into consideration the rapid
development of digital technology. We recognise that lifelong learning is essential to all fields
of education. However, we concede that due to the rapid development of digital technology,
education programs in this field require continuous adjustments concerning lifelong learning.
• The second remark is that most of the reviewed articles lack empirical evidence based on pri-
mary data (one exception is Shum et al. (2009)). This means that the suggested models, prin-
ciples or strategies have not been evaluated in practice.
• The third remark is that several of the articles discuss lifelong learning as an outcome of par-
ticipation in courses, and not as a collaborative effort concerning design, participation and evalu-
ation of courses.
• The fourth remark is that several of the articles are focused on lifelong learning concerning
individuals, and not on lifelong learning for organisations.
• The fifth remark is that the support (strategies, recommendations, guidelines, advice) for the
design of lifelong learning suggested in the reviewed articles are normative and not prescrip-
tive. Gregor (2006) states that support informing about what to do is normative, while support
informing about how to do something is prescriptive.
• The sixth remark is that the articles that included interaction with stakeholders outside the
university have mentioned the collaboration aspect as a positive factor.
THE RESEARCH METHOD
As mentioned in the “Introduction”, this study was conducted as design science research (DSR). The
specific DSR method we have used is Action Design Research (ADR) (Sein et al., 2011). There are
several reasons for choosing the ADR method. One reason is that an ADR project should include
Cronholm
43
both researchers and practitioners to embrace theoretical, technical, and practical perspectives (Sein
et al., 2011). This means that the ADR method caters for both researchers’ and practitioners’ inter-
ests. Another reason is that the ADR method is the most-cited DSR method, thereby increasing the
likelihood of our findings attracting some interest. A third reason is that the ADR method explicitly
encourage an ADR project to develop design principles.
The ADR method consists of four stages which are: Problem Formulation (identifying and conceptu-
alising a research opportunity based on existing theories and technologies); Building, Intervention
and Evaluation (realising the design of the artefact and articulating the design principles); Reflection
and Learning (moves conceptually from building a solution for a particular instance to applying that
learning to a broader class of problems); and Formalising of Learning (the situated learning from an
ADR project should be further developed into general solution concepts) (see Sein et al., 2011, for a
detailed description). Each stage includes principles that guide the method user (see Figure 1).
Figure 1: The ADR method: Stages and Principles (Sein et al., 2011)
In the first ADR stage, Problem Formulation, relevant literature was reviewed to learn what is known
about existing challenges and support concerning the design of lifelong learning in education pro-
grams for the study of digital technology. Interviews were conducted with the participating compa-
nies to identify their competence need and the flexible education forms they preferred. In total, were
50 interviews conducted with managers and IT consultants.
The purpose of the second ADR stage, Building, Intervention and Evaluation, was to A) Propose ed-
ucation in terms of courses or course modules concerning data-driven service innovation. We ana-
lysed the interviews with the purpose of categorising similar competence needs by using the
Grounded Theory Method (GTM); the analysis included the phases of open coding, axial coding and
selective coding (Strauss & Corbin, 1998). Urquhart et al. (2010) state that “Grounded theory is a
Lifelong Learning
44
qualitative research method that seeks to develop theory that is grounded in data systematically gath-
ered and analysed” (p.357) and that it “… has proved to be extremely useful in developing context-
based, process-oriented descriptions and explanations of information systems phenomena” (p.358);
The character of the evaluation process was naturalistic, which is always empirical and encompasses
all the complexities of social practice in real organisations (Venable et al., 2016). To ensure the rele-
vance of the education, researchers and practitioners from the participating companies jointly com-
pared the suggested courses that would correspond to the companies’ competence needs. The rele-
vance and quality of the courses were also jointly evaluated after the courses had been completed.
The evaluation was conducted through interviews with the teachers and practitioners who partici-
pated in the courses. The practitioners also participated in a survey of the quality of the course. The
results from the evaluation created a base for a redesigning of the courses. This meant that the evalu-
ation involved real users, real problems and real systems, which representing three critical ingredients
in empirical evaluation (Sun & Kantor, 2006). To summaries, the design and evaluation of the
courses were a) guided by both theoretical insights from the literature review and empirical evidence
and b) conducted in close collaboration with the companies. In this way, we could ensure that the
suggested courses were relevant to the companies. Zimmermann et al. (2007, p.562) state that collab-
oration is incredibly valuable when organisations "… share certain characteristics, interact with one
another or have established certain relations between each other." In the ADR project, the organisa-
tions shared an interest in developing an education program supporting lifelong learning based on
existing competence needs.
During the third stage, Reflection and Learning, we identified and analysed challenges experienced in
the ADR project which were related to the design and evaluation of the courses. Furthermore, we
also analysed possible relationships between the challenges. The purpose of this exercise was to iden-
tify possible reasons for the challenges. We used root-cause analysis, which is a systematic tool for
detecting causes and effects (Rooney & Heuvel, 2004). Moreover, at this stage, the design principles
emerged. Baskerville and Pries-Heje (2010) state that design principles are prescriptive in nature and
constitute the basis for action. Cronholm and Göbel (2018) add that one of the purposes of design
principles is to support designers in their tasks by informing them what to do and how to do it. The
formulation of design principles and courses were developed alternately and in close interaction. The
formulation of the design principles was based on how the courses were designed and evaluated in
the ADR project. At the same time, the courses were iteratively shaped and reshaped by the emerging
design principles. This means that the iterative development of the design principles and the develop-
ment of the courses mutually supported each other. The objective of the fourth stage, Formalising of
Learning, is that the situated learning from an ADR project should be further developed into a gen-
eral solution. This meant that we generalised the emergent design principles for them to be reusable
in new situations. To ensure that the design principles were consistently formulated, we have used
the formula suggested by Walls et al. (1992): “If you want to achieve goal X, then make Y happen”.
PROJECT CHARACTERISTICS
The ADR project was carried out through participation with seven academics from the university
and from twenty companies. The academics involved worked both as researchers and as teachers.
Four of them belong to the discipline of information systems, two belongs to the discipline of teach-
ing and learning, and one to the discipline of business and administration. This meant that the project
environment included an interdisciplinary composition of academics. The selection of academics was
based on the project’s need for specific competences. As mentioned in the “Introduction”, the mas-
ter program is entitled “Data-Driven Service Innovation”. The “data-driven” competence was held
by academics from the discipline of information systems, while the academics from the discipline of
business and administration were knowledgeable regarding “service”. The reason for also engaging
academics from the discipline of teaching and learning was to add competences regarding pedagogies
related to distance learning.
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A majority of the participating companies were IT companies, and some of the companies have
other core business than IT such as car production, retail or telecom. The participating representa-
tives from the companies hold positions such as: IT Quality Managers, Head of Architecture and So-
lutions, IT consultants, Manager of Consumer Services, Business Manager, CEO, IT Process Frame-
work Manager, and Manager Consumer Sales. The mix of academics and participating companies
meant that perspectives from different disciplines and practices were applied to the development of
the master program.
The ADR project can be characterised as highly collaborative since there was frequent interaction be-
tween academics and practitioners. The interactions consisted of: a) Arrangements of dyadic aca-
demic-practitioner meetings with all the participating companies. One dyadic meeting meant that 1-2
academics interacted with one organisation (2-3 practitioners) at a time to identify competence needs
or discuss course development, and b) Joint workshops that involved all the academics and all the
companies. Due to this close collaboration between academics and practitioners, the traditional roles
of academics and practitioners to some extent started to overlap. The practitioners acted as “reflec-
tive practitioners” (Schön, 1983) and the academics as “practice-inspired academics” (Goldkuhl et al.,
2017). This expansion of the traditional roles of the academics and practitioners facilitated collabora-
tion and mutual learning.
One consequence of the dyadic academic-practitioner meetings was that they resulted in mutual
learning among academics and practitioners. The academics learned about the practitioners’ compe-
tence need and the practitioners learned about the university as a partner for knowledge develop-
ment. However, we realised that the learning from the dyadic meetings was highly contextual. We re-
alised that we could use the workshops, that involved all the companies and academics, as a tool for
generalisation. A consequence of the workshops was that they enriched the course design. The in-
volvement of all the companies in the workshops also meant that they learned from each other by
sharing business knowledge.
The development of the courses was based on real competence needs expressed by the practitioners.
The courses were jointly developed, several of the practitioners acted as guest teachers during the re-
alisation of the courses, and both teachers and practitioners participated in the evaluation of the
courses. The ADR project included nine work packages (WP) that were carried for four years. The
involved work packages were: WP 1 Identification of competence needs and resources, WP 2 En-
gagement of the Admission Office and the Communications Office, WP 3 Environmental scanning,
WP 4 Course development, WP 5 Realisation of courses, WP 6 Course evaluation, WP 7 Reflection
and learning, WP8 Competence development of teachers, and WP 9 Implementation of the master
program in the regular course offerings. In total, ten courses were developed. The courses are pre-
sented briefly at the end of the section “Findings”.
FINDINGS
The findings are structured according to the identified challenges in the ADR project concerning life-
long learning regarding the development of an education program. The challenges are based on em-
pirical experiences identified in this project. The challenges identified are: lack of strategy for how to
handle rapid development of digital technology, time-consuming internal bureaucratic processes, lack
of knowledge about validation of prior learning concerning work experience, lack of management of
continuous competence development of teachers and lack of knowledge regarding how to ensure
practical relevance and retain scientific rigour. For each subsection below, we begin by describing the
challenges and then how they have been dealt with. To illustrate the companies’ views on the chal-
lenges, references to several quotes will be made. After presenting the challenges, we will supply an
analysis of relationships between them to clarify causes and effects.
In the final subsection, we will present the design principles based on experiences of how the chal-
lenges were handled within the ADR project. The fact that the description of the challenges has been
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46
granted more attention than the design principles should not be understood as an imbalance. To gain
a better understanding of the foundation of the development of the design principles, we realised the
necessity of being transparent and of describing the challenges in detail. Therefore, the challenges
and design principles are to be regarded as an integrated whole, since the design principles reflect the
challenges. The relationship between the challenges (problem) and the design principles (solution) is
adequately worded by Reid (1986): "a perfect formulation of the problem is already half the solu-
tion". Moreover, to enhance the reusability of the design principles, it is recommendable to offer rich
contextual descriptions of implementations based on the principles (e.g., Chandra Kruse & Seidel,
2017; Lukyanenko et al., 2017).
IDENTIFIED CHALLENGES
Lack of strategy for how to handle rapid development of digital technology
Universities want to be attractive to students. Hence, it is crucial to offer a rich learning environment
including courses that appeal to a broad spectrum of students. From the perspective of lifelong learn-
ing, it is therefore essential for universities to keep up with the rapid development of modern digital
technology. This means that universities continuously need to revise and improve education pro-
grams.
In the ADR project, we identified a lack of support (e.g., strategies, processes, routines, guidelines) at
the university regarding how to keep up with the rapid development of new technology. Updates of
education programs were usually carried out on an ad-hoc basis and often based on program manag-
ers’ individual preferences. The lack of strategy meant that there were no clear goals or directions for
the development of the education program. It also meant that the direction chosen for the updates of
the education program was not always based on the companies’ competence needs. Based on a com-
parison of the current situation at the university and the result of the interviews with the companies,
the project group learned that the university needs a strategy that clarifies what should be done for
whom, and how value can be offered to the companies.
Furthermore, the project group learned that a strategy includes regularly market analyses concerning:
a) the companies’ need of competence development and b) what other actors on the market are of-
fering. A strategy should guide the university to carry out frequent reality checks that ensure that the
education programs harmonise with the companies’ request for competence development. Hence, a
strategic plan could help the university to develop appropriate goals and help involved actors (e.g.,
program managers, education leaders) to focus on what is essential. Based on the interviews, we have
also experienced the importance of collecting competence needs from different roles (e.g., managers,
IT consultants), since they can contribute with significant perspectives on managerial/leadership as-
pects and hands-on knowledge. It is essential to understand that universities, in most countries, exist
in competitive contexts. If universities fail to be attractive, the companies will turn to private training
firms. Therefore, universities need to map and measure up to the competition.
A strategy should also include guidelines for conducting an environmental scan. In the ADR project,
the environmental scan was seen as a useful tool that could help the shaping of goals and strategies.
The environmental scan included analyses of: a) education offered regionally, nationally, and interna-
tionally by other universities and private training companies, b) the increasingly rapid changes of digi-
tal technology, c) research results, and d) possible changes in governmental regulation. Finally, the
project group learned that the strategy needs to be formally documented, shared and mutually agreed
upon by all involved actors since it affects all levels and positions.
Some quotes from the companies, which are related to the lack of strategy read:
• “The structural transformation is changing rapidly. Companies and individuals need modern
tools to keep up with rapid development of new technology”.
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• “Universities need to be competitive and flexible to retain their position as a market leader
of higher education. Otherwise, there will be a disruption concerning how education will be
organised and by whom”.
Time-consuming internal bureaucratic processes
The challenge faced, due to time-consuming internal bureaucratic processes, is based on the observa-
tion that it can take up to three years to launch a new education program. We also noticed that appli-
cations from students often have to be submitted six months before a freestanding course or an edu-
cation program commences. To learn more about how the processes concerning development and
implementation of new education programs or courses are handled, we analysed regulative docu-
ments and process descriptions. Not surprisingly, we found that the processes are based on existing
laws and statutes. Moreover, these processes are rigorously described, and there is no room for flexi-
bility.
The challenge can be viewed from at least two perspectives, which we call for a university perspective
and as well as a company perspective. From the university perspective, it is of most importance to
follow the regulations decided on by The Swedish Council for Higher Education and local regulative
documents developed at the university. The regulations decided on by The Swedish Council for
Higher Education can be found in the Higher Education Act and Higher Education Ordinance. The
purpose of these regulations is to govern the operations of higher education institutions in Sweden,
and this includes several laws and statutes. The local regulative documents developed at the univer-
sity are based on the Higher Education Act and Higher Education Ordinance. These local docu-
ments prescribe that several internal competent bodies should be involved in different stages of the
development and implementation process concerning new education programs. The function of the
competent bodies is to recommend approval or rejection of new education programs, and the vice-
chancellor’s task is to make the final decision. The analysis of the development and implementation
processes regarding new education programs identified that there are significant lead times between
some of the activities in the processes.
From the perspective of the companies, the processes of developing and implementing new courses
are too time-consuming. Their view is that the university is too inefficient. To be competitive, com-
panies cannot afford to wait for several years. They need competence development here and now. If
the university cannot offer an education that satisfies a competence need, when the companies re-
quire it, the companies will turn to alternative suppliers such as private training firms. This means
that the companies regard existing bureaucratic processes as a barrier for competence development.
Based on the analysis, we can conclude that current processes have not been formulated from a com-
pany perspective. Instead, they have been designed from a one-sided internal university perspective,
prescribing how to adhere to legal and regulatory issues. This one-sided perspective could hamper
lifelong learning, since companies need fast and flexible access to modern courses that are relevant to
their competence need. It also seems that the existing processes can be made more efficient and ef-
fective without tampering with the regulations.
It is evident that there is a conflict between the university perspective and the company perspective.
The university prioritises a process that ensures that laws and statutes are followed as opposed to the
companies' need to speedy acquisitions of new knowledge to help them retain their competitiveness.
Moreover, the university wants to be an attractive academic institution that offers up-to-date educa-
tion programs, while at the same time following time-consuming regulatory documents and pro-
cesses. On the other hand, the companies have a weak understanding of the regulations that the uni-
versities are required to follow. They just want access to education and are primarily not bothered
with legal aspects. Undoubtedly, there seems to be a lack of understanding between the two perspec-
tives. Based on these observations, we state that the university needs to find a better balance and a
pragmatic solution to solve potential conflicts.
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48
Examples of quotes from the companies that are related to this challenge are:
• “Currently, lifelong learning is mostly taking place internally at our company or at private
training firms. To contact universities is not in our mindset”.
• “One problem, in this respect, is that the universities’ financial systems are based on full-
time equivalents [students that are studying full-time] while the companies prefer short
courses comprising 2-3 credits. The current financial systems do not support lifelong learn-
ing. There must be better incentives for the universities to organise freestanding courses".
Lack of knowledge about validation of prior learning concerning work experience
Education programs concerning lifelong learning will attract students of different age groups, which
have different formal prior learning. Traditionally, universities in Sweden target students between 18
and 25 years. Lifelong learning means targeting a new age group. This is a group that sometimes lacks
formal education, but with substantial work experience. In Sweden, universities can admit students
that lack formal degrees. This is only possible if the students have corresponding proof of prior
learning in terms of work experience. To promote lifelong learning, the Swedish Minister for Higher
Education and Research strongly encourage universities to admit students based on work experience.
The Swedish Council for Higher Education (2020) state that the recognition of learning such as work
experience “… facilitates and broadens access to higher education for non-traditional students”. The
challenge lies in that the analysed university had no established procedures for admitting students to
a master program that lack a formal bachelor’ degree. Our environmental scan informed us that the
case is the same for several other universities in Sweden.
Moreover, our analysis identified that there is no national recommendation concerning how Swedish
universities should evaluate work experience. The Swedish Council for Higher Education refers to
the autonomy of the universities, which means that universities can develop its own local procedures.
In the ADR project, we found that approximately 20% of the total number of applicants requested
validation of work experience. In effect, this meant that the lack of established procedures consti-
tuted a massive barrier for lifelong learning. It also meant that ad-hoc procedures were applied to val-
idate prior learning with regard to work experience.
Admitting students on the basis of work experience means establishing a process that allows for prior
learning to be recognised and measured, regardless of where it has been acquired. In the ADR pro-
ject, we developed criteria that were based on a) discussions with the Admission Office at the univer-
sity, b) an analysis of how other universities have met this challenge and c) discussions with the com-
panies involved. The developed criteria were both general and specific, and they were both quantita-
tive and qualitative. The purpose of developing general criteria was to minimise re-validations if stu-
dents applied for several similar courses. The purpose of developing specific criteria was to make
sure that the student had acquired knowledge enough to be able to follow unique course modules.
One example of a quantitative criterion applied was the number of years of work experience. An-
other example of a qualitative criterion concerned whether the applicant had produced a text which
could be regarded as the equivalent of a final thesis. A third criterion was to find out whether the ap-
plicant had participated in relevant courses offered by private training firms. The development of the
criteria was iteratively evaluated and refined during the project.
One lesson learned from the project was that it was significant to involve the Admission Office from
the commencement of the project. From their perspective, the project was regarded as an encourage-
ment to develop general processes for validation of work experience that could be used for other dis-
ciplines at the university. We identified that their expertise concerning rules and regulations was nec-
essary to ensure that laws and statutes were followed. Another lesson learned was that the Admission
Office did not have the required competence to validate subject-related issues. This meant that ex-
pertise from the field of Information Systems also needed to be involved in the validation process.
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The procedure applied was that the expertise from the field of Information Systems assessed the ad-
missions by using the criteria mentioned above. After that, the Admission Office decided on whether
the applicant was admitted or not.
Finally, we realised that the existing digital tool was not designed for handling applications based on
work experience. It was designed to handle applications regarding formal degrees. This meant the ap-
plication process was not easy and that the applicants experienced several barriers before they could
complete their applications. We also realised that some applicants found the application process too
difficult, due to the complexity of the digital tool, and therefore never submitted their applications.
A quote from one of the companies regarding the application procedure reads:
• “The system that handles applications is too complex and not user friendly. I do not have a
bachelor degree which meant that my application was based on prior learning from 10 years'
work experience. The current application system is designed to handle applications concern-
ing formal degrees”.
Lack of management of continuous competence development of teachers
Our literature review uncovered that previous studies concerning lifelong learning have to a large ex-
tent targeted student and not university teachers. As mentioned previously, the teachers are the most
crucial asset to the universities. The rapid development of digital technology entails that teachers are
also in the need of competence development. This demand for competence development must com-
ply with the companies’ need for lifelong learning. In the ADR project, we identified that the univer-
sity allocated 10% of the teachers’ time of full service to competence development. However, we
found that the allocated 10% often were being spent on interaction with students and/or on course
development, and not on competence development measures. We also realised that teachers who were
engaged in research projects had more opportunities of developing their competence compared to
teachers who were mainly involved in undergraduate education.
In addition, we learned that decisions as to how the 10 % should be spent were made by teachers on
an individual basis. We also realised that the university sometimes wanted the teachers to spend their
allocated time for competence development on other issues that were more relevant for the organisa-
tion. At the same time, they did not want to interfere with the teachers’ freedom to spend the allo-
cated time as they preferred. We realised that satisfied teachers were an important goal for the univer-
sity. The different views on competence development meant that there was an inherent conflict be-
tween individual and organisational goals. Based on the analysis, we realized that individual and or-
ganisational goals needed to be balanced.
The previous paragraphs raised the need for competence development with regard to the introduc-
tion of digital advancements connected to the core subject. Another related issue identified is compe-
tence development concerning distance learning, which is becoming increasingly popular among
both teachers and students. Distance learning requires modern sophisticated digital tools that can
support teacher-student communication (e.g., digital platforms, software, video recordings). Un-
doubtedly, the use of modern digital tools in teaching-learning situations requires technical skills. It
also means that traditional pedagogical methods, developed for physical classrooms, need to be mod-
ified and aligned to fit the context of distance-learning. Consequently, the use of modern digital tools
in a distance-learning context is not just a matter of mastering technology; it is a matter of mastering
the combination of pedagogy and technology.
The ADR project organised workshops for teachers regularly to meet with the demand for enhanced
pedagogical and technological competences. The workshops were usually organised in the following
way: A) An initial lecture was given on a specific topic. The lecturers were recruited internally from
the university or externally from other universities or companies that had the required competence.
B) Modern digital tools were demonstrated by a specific department at the university (The Depart-
ment of Educational Research and Development). C) Experiences acquired from testing the tools
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and adaption of pedagogical methods were shared among teachers. The sharing of experiences meant
that, to a greater degree, knowledge individually acquired could be further formalised and institution-
alised.
To illustrate the findings presented above, we refer to the following quotes from the companies:
• “Digital education is more accessible than campus-based education. Thus, it provides better
opportunities for lifelong learning”.
• “We expect employees at the university to have professional knowledge regarding the neces-
sary tools to carry out digital education”.
• “Universities are running a lot of research projects that are resulting in new knowledge. For
us, it is hard to access this knowledge. Teachers need to organise the knowledge in a way that
it becomes easily accessible for us. We also think that research funders should require that
knowledge created in research projects must be distributed to directly to companies or via
education programs”.
Lack of knowledge regarding how to ensure practical relevance and retain scientific
rigour.
When developing the courses, the challenge was to ensure practical relevance and at the same time
maintain scientific rigour. The analysis of the current situation at the university showed that course
development was carried out by program managers and teachers. Usually, the process of course de-
velopment was based on feedback from students. Also, it was sometimes based on interviews with a
handful of companies. This means that the function of the companies was to provide information. They
were not taking part in stages where the information was analysed or were course being planned.
Typically, these stages were carried out by managers and/or teachers. This meant that there was
hardly no collaboration between the university and companies concerning course development. The
exclusion of companies in the development process could entail that the practical relevance of
courses was lost.
Based on the analysis of the interviews with the companies, practical relevance was a recurring re-
quirement. Practical relevance was considered to be essential since it could improve the quality of the
companies’ interactions with customers, and it could also increase competitiveness. In the ADR pro-
ject, practical relevance referred to that the courses developed contained knowledge that could be ap-
plied in practice or put into effect. From the university perspective, maintaining scientific rigour was
essential, since it is one of the universities’ most distinctive credentials. In the ADR project, scientific
rigour was defined as the application of scientific methods to ensure trustworthy and transparent data
collection/generation, data analysis, interpretation and reporting of results.
In order to balance practical relevance and scientific rigour in the ADR project, the companies were
included at all stages of the course development: collection of competence needs, analysis of compe-
tence needs, planning of courses, and evaluation of course. This meant that the role of the companies
changed from passive information providers to active course designers. Strategically including companies in the
whole development process, safeguarded the relevance of education under development. We also
recognised that the involvement of companies resulted in attractive courses on the forefront of the
field of Information Systems. From a lifelong learning perspective, the close collaboration with com-
panies helped us to understand their current competence level, which was used as a point of depar-
ture for the course design. The incentive for the companies to participate in the project was that they
could have an impact on course development, which would correspond to their practical needs, and
result in enhanced competencies that would be regarded as practical and useful. Collaborating with
companies does not, however, mean neglecting scientific rigour. In all the courses, scientific methods
were applied. We could not identify that the requirements for practical relevance contradicted the ap-
plication of scientific methods. Rather, a joint academy-company effort strengthened the access to
real empirical data in the courses, which often is a problem in academic courses. This meant that
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both relevance and rigour were in the foreground during interviews with companies, analysis of in-
formation, course development, course completion and course evaluation. Some quotes uttered by
the companies are:
• "Companies need to be part of the course planning process. To be competitive, we need to
make sure that we can get the competence we need".
• “Trust is a prerequisite for successful collaboration”.
• “Increased collaboration between universities and companies is the future”.
• “Several times universities prefer to collaborate with medium-sized or large companies. This
is good, however, equally important is that universities collaborate with small-sized compa-
nies. Small-sized companies are often sub-contractors to the larger companies, and that
means that they also need to develop their competences and learn new technology. Other-
wise, there be a competence gap between larger and smaller companies that will create barri-
ers in the supply chain”.
• “The courses satisfied a competence need that existed in our company”.
Relationships between identified challenges
The purpose of this section is to present the root cause of the challenges described above. This is
done by using root-cause analysis (RCA). The purpose of RCA is to support the identification of
possible relationships, in terms of cause and effects, between the challenges. Rooney & Heuvel
(2004) add that RCA contributes to “… identify not only what and how an event occurred, but also
why it happened”. This means that effective management of the identified challenges requires more
than merely putting out fires but also finding a way to prevent them. The identified relationships be-
tween the challenges are depicted in Figure 2, showing the identified root cause as a "Lack of strategy
for how to handle rapid development of digital technology".
Figure 2: Analysis of causes and effects
DESIGN PRINCIPLES
The formulation of the design principles is based on experience of how the challenges were dealt
with in the ADR project. First, the design principles were formulated to address the identified chal-
lenges of the specific ADR project. This meant that they were based on learning from one particular
project. However, the ADR method strongly emphasises that design principles should be generalised
in order to be reusable in other similar situations. As a second step, we generalised the design princi-
ples as being applicable in new situations. In this paper, we present these generalised design princi-
ples, since they should attract more interest. As mentioned previously, the formulation of the design
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52
principles is based on the formula suggested by Walls et al. (1992): “If you want to achieve goal X,
then make Y happen”.
Design principle 1
If the university wants to ensure lifelong learning concerning the rapid development of digital tech-
nology, then:
• Develop a formal strategy that supports regularly market analyses concerning: a) the
companies' need for education and b) what are other actors on the market are offering.
• Make sure that the strategy is agreed upon by all staff that are involved or affected by the
strategy.
Design principle 2
If the university wants to balance time-consuming bureaucratic procedures with companies’ demands
for fast access to modern courses, then:
• Analyse existing local documents and processes from a combined university and company
perspective.
• Ask the questions: “Is there an over-regulatory governance described in local documents and
processes? Can time-consuming internal bureaucratic procedures be condensed?
• Find a balance between bureaucratic procedures and being an attractive university without
tampering legal issues.
Design principle 3
If the university wants to admit students based on prior learning concerning work experience, then:
• Develop unambiguous criteria/measurements which support rules of law.
• Include criteria of a different kinds (e.g., general, specific, quantitative, qualitative)
• Involve the administrative department from the commencement of the project.
• Customise existing digital tools so as to support submissions concerning both formal
and work experience.
Design principle 4
If the university wants to ensure attractive lifelong learning that is in the forefront, then:
• Develop formal structures for competence development concerning teachers.
• Formulate a competence development plan that balances organisational and individual
goals.
• Make sure that all teachers are engaged in research.
• Include competence development concerning digital advancements regarding the core
subject, digital tools, and pedagogical methods.
Design principle 5
If the university wants to ensure that courses are based on both rigour and relevance, then:
• Include companies at all stages of the course development process.
• Make sure that companies are not reduced to passive information providers; they should
participate as active course designers.
• Allow both rigour and relevance to be in the foreground at the same time.
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THE COURSES
In this research paper, the central findings have to do with challenges and design principles. The pur-
pose of also presenting the courses is to provide a background for the challenges and design princi-
ples. Consequently, the courses are just briefly presented in terms of their names and a few key
words. All courses correspond to an identified competence need of the companies. In total 11
courses are suggested:
• Digital transformation and disruption (e.g., business models, models for change analysis, dig-
ital institutions, barriers hampering digital transformation).
• Digital leadership (e.g., IT management, best practices, lean, project management, manage-
ment styles, organisational studies, strategical thinking).
• Agile development (e.g., Kanban, rapid prototyping, emergent technologies, test-driven de-
velopment).
• Digital resources (e.g., digital technology, digital data, resource sharing, the artefact concept,
infrastructure for data storing, cloud computing).
• New data sources and methods for data collection (e.g., crowdsourcing, social media, inter-
net of things).
• Elements of artificial intelligence (e.g., machine learning, deep learning, smart data analysis,
automation, data analytics, combinations of artificial and human intelligence, visualisation.
• Data science (e.g., prediction, clustering, detection of anomalies, association rules)
• Digital innovation (e.g., problem-solution pairing, creative idea generation, innovation meth-
ods, open innovation)
• Service development and value realisation (e.g., service-dominant logic, service science, co-
creation of value, customer relationships, service ecosystems)
• Data- and information security (e.g., resilience, best practices, data protection, risks (e.g.,
fishing, whaling), cyber security, integrity, ethics)
DISCUSSION
Talmage et al. (2018) proposed twelve themes for further analysis. One of them reads: “How do we
design and structure lifelong learning programs and institutes that will sustain or thrive for the long-
term and have long-term impact for lifelong learners?”. Our findings can be regarded as a response
to this question.
The purpose of the literature review was to present existing knowledge (what is known), and the pur-
pose of the findings is to present design knowledge (what we need to know) concerning the develop-
ment of an education program supporting lifelong learning which considers the rapid development
of digital technology. The purpose of this section is to discuss “what is known” in relation to “what
we need to know”. In order to discuss the findings, we return to the remarks presented in the litera-
ture review. These remarks can be regarded as arguments for what we need to know more about. Be-
low, we discuss the remarks in relation to the challenges identified, the quotes from the participating
companies and the suggested design principles.
Remark 1: Lack of support for lifelong learning concerning the development of education programs that consider the
rapid development of digital technology.
In order to be attractive, universities need to catch up with the rapid development of digital technol-
ogy and continuously implement new knowledge in education programs (Chitiba, 2012; Inoue-Smith,
2017). One quote from the companies reads: “The structural transformation is changing rapidly”.
This means that companies need knowledge and tools to support the reallocation of labour and other
valuable resources across processes and activities to enhance their digital capabilities. Another strik-
Lifelong Learning
54
ing quote from one company reads: “Universities need to be competitive and flexible in order to re-
tain their position as a market leader of higher education. Otherwise, there will be a disruption con-
cerning how education will be organised and by whom”. The underlying message in this quote is that
companies will not regard universities as their primary education partner in the future if they do not
adjust their curriculums to meet the latest progression in digital technology. The accessibility of new
knowledge is essential for companies to retain competitiveness. The experiences from the ADR pro-
ject provided information about the necessity of implementing a specific strategy that supports the
identification and implementation of advancements in digital technology.
Remark 2: Lack of empirical evidence concerning the suggested support for designing education.
Our literature revealed that only a few articles present empirical evidence (e.g., Shum, 2009) concern-
ing suggested support for designing lifelong learning. These articles have provided valuable
knowledge based on theoretical insights, but are lacking in empirical validation. In the ADR project,
the observations made are grounded in both empirical experiences and theoretical insights. We col-
lected and analysed real primary data from a collaborative project consisting of academics and practi-
tioners. This meant that we utilised the advantages of having access to primary data, which in its turn
meant that we minimised the risk of: over- or under-interpretation of data that someone else col-
lected, not detecting salient features of data, not having control of the data collection and analysis
process, and making inappropriate re-contextualisation.
Remark 3: Lifelong learning is related to more than target groups’ participation in courses.
Based on the literature review, we realised that most articles discussed lifelong from the perspective
that new knowledge was acquired through students’ participation in courses. Our study has identified
that the design of lifelong learning is a process that entails more than just the students’ participation
in courses. In the ADR project, we realised that the process of designing lifelong learning includes
design, participation and evaluation of courses. The target group for the courses consisted of companies;
we involved 20 companies in all these stages in order to ensure valuable input throughout the whole
process. One quote from the companies is: “Companies need to be part of the course planning pro-
cess. To be competitive, we need to make sure that we can get the competence we need". This quote
expresses a need to make an impact on the course design. In the ADR project, the companies real-
ised that it was not sufficient for them to respond to interviews conducted by academics. They
wanted to have a real impact on the course design since the content of the courses was crucial for
their competitiveness. In the ADR project, the possibility to impact on courses was offered by ar-
rangement of collaborative workshops for course design and course evaluations. A second quote
from one the companies reads: “One reason to participate in the project is to interact and learn from
other organisations”. This quote emphasises that learning did not only take place between academics
and practitioners; it also took place between organisations. In the ADR project, workshops involving
all the academics and companies were organised. The topics of these workshops were to discuss the
design and evaluation of courses.
Remark 4: Lifelong learning concerns both individuals and organisations.
This remark is based on the observation that most studies focus on the lifelong learners and the im-
pact of lifelong learning on them (e.g., Bass et al., 2017; Bridgstock, 2013; Dzakira et al., 2012; Hol-
land, 2019), while few studies pay attention to lifelong learning concerning organisations and their
structures (e.g., Dunlap & Lowenthal, 2013; Forman et al., 2002; Shum, 2009; Wilson et al., 2007). In
the ADR project, we have focused on the design of learning for individuals (students, teachers) and
for organisations (universities). The importance of competence development for teachers as individu-
als is recognised by Day (2002) and Scales and Kelly (2012). In the ADR project, the challenge identi-
fied concerns for how to manage competence development with regard to the teachers’ individual
goals, scheduled time for competence development, and possible conflicting organisational goals.
Unambiguously, the universities most valuable resource is the teachers. Hence, it is necessary to cre-
ate and follow-up competence plans for teachers.
Cronholm
55
We also found it essential to identify other aspects of lifelong that concern organisational (university,
company) goals. In the ADR project, we have recognised the university’s need to adapt in order to
meet requirements from companies. For example, we have in particular addressed issues such as
“how to balance time-consuming bureaucratic procedures with companies’ demands for fast access
to modern courses” and “procedures for admission of students based on prior learning concerning
work experience”. This means that the universities’ capability to offer attractive education to compa-
nies to a large extent depends on the teachers’ collective knowledge and competence, and on how the
university can adapt to meet requirements concerning flexibility put forward from companies. We
recognise that equipment such as digital tools, pedagogic material and infrastructure also play an im-
portant role when defining the capabilities of universities.
Remark 5: Lack of prescriptive knowledge.
The review of the literature revealed that almost all the identified support of the design of lifelong
learning (recommendations, principles, guidelines, guides, strategies, advice) consists of normative
prescriptions (e.g., Zitter 2010). As mentioned in the “Literature review”, we differentiate between
normative (what to do) and descriptive knowledge (how to do). Both normative and prescriptive
knowledge are also concerned with justificatory knowledge (why to do). Our interpretation is that
normative and prescriptive knowledge are closely intertwined. In the ADR project, we needed to un-
derstand “what”, “how” and “why”, when designing the courses. Consequently, the suggested design
principles are including elements concerning the “what” and “how”, while the description of the
challenges justifies the design principles.
Remark 6: Lifelong learning as a collaborative effort.
One observation from the literature review is the positive experience from engaging stakeholders
from outside of the university (e.g., Agerbæk & Houmøller 2018; Dealtry 2009). As mentioned
above, the ADR project involved 20 companies from the IT sector that face similar competences
challenges due to the rapid development of digital technology. This meant that the ADR project was
highly collaborative and that there were several interactions between academics and companies which
are described in the “Project Characteristics”. A quote from the companies is “Trust is a prerequisite
for successful collaboration”. Trust is a social process that relies on expected positive value outcome
regarding all involved parties. It is also built on mutual respect for different interests. In the ADR
project, trust was enabled by a) the creation of an agreement between the parties that regulated the
responsibilities, the resources each party should bring to the project, and what activities each party
should carry out. Our experience is that the involvement of companies positively contributed to the
attractiveness of the courses, and their relevance to the companies. A second quote reads: “Increased
collaboration between universities and companies is the future”. The idea of involving companies in
the ADR project was originally expressed by one of the academics. The idea was based on a need
from the discipline of Information Systems. The fact the quote comes from a practitioner implies a
mutual interest to collaborate in the future. Interestingly, both the university and the companies have
recognised the collaborative advantages.
CONCLUSIONS
The purpose of our study has been to create knowledge supporting the development of education
programs concerning lifelong learning and rapid development of digital technology. The main con-
clusion is that the rapid technological development causes universities to face a strategic imperative
to broaden access to lifelong learning. Universities have to change their strategy from only targeting
an exclusive group of younger students to including a mixed student population consisting of both
young and adult students.
To fulfil our purpose, we have presented five challenges and five design principles. The challenges
were: lack of strategy for how to handle rapid development of digital technology, time-consuming
internal bureaucratic processes, lack of knowledge about validation of prior learning concerning work
Lifelong Learning
56
experience, lack of management of continuous competence development of teachers, and lack of
knowledge regarding how to ensure practical relevance and retain scientific rigour. Based on a root-
cause analysis, we can conclude that the root cause of the challenges can be traced to a lack of strat-
egy for how to handle the rapid development of digital technology. This means that the other chal-
lenges can be seen as effects caused by a lack of strategy. We can conclude that the presented chal-
lenges represent an extension of prior work by a) being based on empirical evidence from an ADR
project that involved seven academics and 20 companies, b) providing more detailed descriptions,
and c) being supported by quotes from companies.
The purpose of the design principles is to forefront design knowledge that can be reused in new situ-
ations, which means that the design principles are generalised from their contextual application in the
ADR project. The generalisation offers a possibility for them to be applied within other contexts that
share similar characteristics. We can conclude that the design principles supported the development
of the courses. We can also conclude that the presented design principles extend prior knowledge by:
a) providing both normative and prescriptive knowledge, b) being based on empirical evidence (the
successful actions taken in the ADR project), and c) the formulation of a set of actions for how to
handle different aspects of the challenges. As mentioned in the section “Findings”, the challenges
and design principles form an integrated whole, since the design principles reflect the challenges.
Moreover, we can conclude that the academic-practitioner collaboration in the ADR project sup-
ported the application of both a university and company perspective on design of lifelong learning.
This helped us to uncover, understand, and meet challenges in a way that were acceptable from both
parties. Finally, our study contributes to two practices. Firstly, the developed education program tar-
gets practitioners and addresses a competence need expressed by the companies. Secondly, the iden-
tified challenges and the design principles should be considered by other universities that are plan-
ning to implement education involving digital technology that supports lifelong learning. We also rec-
ommend other companies that are interested in collaboration with universities to consider these.
The challenges and design principles are based on experiences acquired from one project. As future
research, we suggest further validation of both the description of the challenges and the formulation
of the design principles. We also suggest a comparison concerning the structures of the university we
have analysed and how these structures may differ internationally. Furthermore, we suggest a histori-
cal analysis that uncovers how university structures, bureaucracy, regulative documents, and other
characteristics have developed over-time.
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AUTHOR
Stefan Cronholm is a professor in Informatics. He specializes in design
science research, data-driven innovation, requirement specification, de-
sign and evaluation of information systems, service management, and
qualitative research methods. Stefan Cronholm has published more than
100 scientific papers, and is the head of the research group Innova-
tionLab. He has been granted research funding for more than five million
Euro.
Besides doing research, Stefan Cronholm is engaged in the graduate and
undergraduate education programs as a supervisor and lecturer. He has
supervised more than 100 masters and bachelor theses. He has also devel-
oped a vast range of pedagogical material. Currently, he is the leader of an
academic education project concerning lifelong learning for practitioners
in the IT sector.
