As adults we all have our own learning styles, motivations to learn and preferred environments for learning.  We do, naturally, learn things everyday because we can’t avoid the learning experience - but we don’t necessarily acknowledge that learning has taken place unless we actively follow some reflective practice which allows the individual to recognise the learning cycle. As we get older we have more constraints on our time, more roles and responsibilities to consider and less opportunity to take advantage of ‘traditional’ learning routes - even if those traditional learning routes matched our style of learning.

Learning should enable us to actualise our potential. It should empower the individual and lead to personal satisfaction, increased self-confidence and self-esteem. Most importantly learning should accommodate individual needs as well as being enjoyable.

There are now many opportunities, routes and systems, to learn through ICT.  Some of those require independent packages of self-study, some are on-line interactive programmes, some require a combination of paper and computer interactivity.  But not all are designed to meet individual needs.

Learn Net has been involved with the development, design, delivery and evaluation of collaborative eLearning programmes for people with disabilities and from disadvantaged groups, for people running small Social Firms/Enterprises, for business mentors, teachers / mentors and, most importantly, for teachers /tutors/lecturers who wish to deliver through this new methodology.