This research study will be an in-depth exploration of practitioners’ processes to illustrate broader lessons that could be learned for higher education institutions wanting to diversify their curricula to provide lifelong and life-wide learning opportunities. This research project will critically explore three diversely designed curricula at one Adult Continuing Education Department (ACE) of a university in Ireland. The participants and researcher will create a visual artifact (concept map) outlining the individual and subjective curriculum design processes of each of the three participants (Novak, 1998). This collaborative method aims to make explicit the dynamic and complex praxiological endeavour of curriculum design for adult education practitioners in the higher education context. It will also provide a visual representation of the meaning making that was co-constructed between the research participant and the researcher during this case study.

Research Questions:

• What are practitioner/educators’ perceptions of course or curriculum design for lifelong learning?
• What are the critical elements in course or curriculum design in lifelong learning environments?
• What are the important theories, topics, skills and/or activities for lifelong learning design?
• What, according to practitioners, is ‘good practice’ in curriculum design?

Conceptual Framework:

Life-wide learning recognizes that people inhabit a number of different learning spaces, with the lifelong journey providing the learner with a variety of experiences (Jackson, 2011). This learning embraces all forms and types of learning and curriculum is driven by learner interest, needs, and intrinsic values. The exploration of the practitioners and researchers processes and assumptions will be framed within the concept of life-wide learning.

This single qualitative case study will analyze the complex phenomena of life-wide learning curricula development in one adult education and continuing education department that is part of a larger Irish university (the case) (Yin, 2018). Data will be gathered through three semi-structured interviews, the generation of concept maps and evaluative reports of the courses. Data will come from: - The wider social and political environment that has shaped each of the three cases - Critical reflexivity from the collaboration between the researchers and participants - Praxis – the practical application of adult education teaching and learning in a higher education context. Participant created visual data process: 1. Initial data elicitation will be through three semi-structured interviews (in person, 60 mins). These interviews will have a defined concept-mapping component and the participants and the researcher jointly generating a hand-drawn concept map exploring perceptions of the design of the course and exploring their curriculum design processes. The participants will be provided with a list of possible categories (theories, topics, skills, activities, approaches, methods) as a guide but they will decide on the various elements for inclusion, the links between them and their significance to lifelong and life-wide learning. 2. The researcher will digitise the concept map (CANVA) and cross-check with the interview transcripts. 3. Three short (30 mins) semi-structured interviews will aim to refine and validate the concept map (online through MS Teams). Thematic analysis (Guest et. al., 2012) will be conducted by reading through the data (transcripts and concept maps) to identify patterns in meaning across the data to derive themes. Thematic analysis involves an active process of reflexivity with both of the researchers working in together to identity their own judgements, practices, and beliefs. This process requires each of the researchers to understand their positionality in terms of the social and political context of the study. The participants for this research: - Purposefully chosen as researcher felt they will provide the best information for the the case - Are course coordinators at ACE in UCC from different disciplines - social care, community development and third area (TBD) - Instruct on different courses - Professional development/Community development/Course evolved from learner needs (as an off-shoot of another course) - Teach in different learning environments, both online and in the community - Connect with diverse external stakeholders – Professional body (HSE)/Community (Learning Neighbourhoods) - Have different levels of experience, age, education (demographics) - Provide formal (accredited) and informal (cert of completion) content

Expected findings: - These individual stories will provide practical applications on how curriculum is developed in the real-world for learners in a variety of lifelong learning contexts. - Perceptions from the practitioners on how that they identify as both teachers and lifelong learners. - That learning is not formulaic but requires an understanding and respect for the adult learner and the learning process – a holistic process - That lifelong learning is developed in the wider political and societal context of the 21st century in alignment with the individual learner’s needs. - To isolate the elements of what is considered ‘good practice’ in curriculum design for lifelong and life-wide learning in higher education - To provide a case study on life-wide learning that contributes to a greater understanding of the concept that will add to the literature

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