I will begin by defining autodidact, according to the online Merriam-Webster dictionary is “a self-taught person” (link below). It is my understanding that Lifelong Learning is exactly this, a person who will self-initiate their learning process to continue in a field they are already in or to learn something new.

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/autodidact

An example of someone working in Digital Marketing, the ability to learn anytime and anywhere gives the person the ability to continually learn and adapt new technology to an ever-changing field. Digital changes fast and in a field where you need to stay relevant and up-to-date on new modalities, it is necessary. Unavoidably they will be Lifelong learners.

But more so than ever, the ability to have access to information in remote places has given communities around the world the ability to become self-taught and lifelong learners. This is not new, as there are many self-taught learners but the ability to engage more people to allow them to develop and master one skill or passion due to access to information gives at least those with the drive a chance to become life long learners.

I saw this first hand in a remote town on the Carribean sea of Guatemala, with access to limited internet and phones many had self-taught through video tutorials on how to build a house, a boat and how to install solar panels. As I spoke with one of the villagers he knew he would have to continue learning because everything was changing so fast. He spoke of this as he explained his process of learning to install three different types of solar panels within the last couple of years.

Lifelong learning is a part of our every day, as we are fed with information, whether it be by speaking to a person or navigating the internet. If there is an interest, a skill we want to master, a curiosity, we will want to learn about it, inform ourselves and if there is a passion it will drive a self-taught ubiquitous learning modality that will last a lifetime.