Explicit student knowledge in the lifelong learning equation?

Lifelong learning is a key priority for the European Higher Education Area. It is enshrined in A Framework for Qualifications of the European Higher Education Area, the Charter on Lifelong Learning and the Dublin Descriptors. A challenge facing universities in Europe is how best to implement this priority.
This paper proposes one option universities can take up to implement the lifelong learning priority. It describes a sequence of subjects at the University of Melbourne that teaches systematically the foundations for lifelong learning. It discusses how the design and teaching of the sequence has also provided a valuable professional learning opportunity for staff.
The outcomes of the sequence are linked to the Charter on Lifelong Learning, the Framework for Qualifications and the Dublin Descriptors. In particular, the subject sequence shows how the lifelong learning strategies can be mapped on to student and staff learning activities.