ABSTRACT

The aim of the chapter is to discuss some of the current challenges and trends that higher education is facing in the context of lifelong learning. We discuss the concept of lifelong learning and its implications for higher education, pointing out some modifications in the post-massification period, specifically related to new student profiles from the perspective of equity. We focus our discussion on the issue of recognition of prior learning that emerged in the framework of the European lifelong learning agenda and we will address this new field of practice as a particular educational challenge to higher education institutions. The focus of the research is to identify new dynamics that are occurring in higher education – both at European and national level – concerning lifelong learners, specifically related to the implementation of recognition of prior learning practices, and discuss it from a critical perspective.