Reforming Learning in the Asia-Pacific Region: An Introduction

Education in the Asia-Pacific region has undergone considerable reform in the past decade. While such reforms can be discussed from various perspectives, in this book we focus on learning as the core activity of educational institutions. Research on learning in the region has expanded rapidly as countries have developed economically and have sought to participate more fully in the globalising market for knowledge-workers. Politicians, business executives, community leaders, as well as peak academic and professional bodies have positioned learning as a key to the future prosperity of the region and as vital for sustaining social harmony within and between the nations of the region (Renshaw, 2002). Engagement in learning activities is required to identify solutions to both the technical challenges of sustainability, and to the challenges of developing social institutions that are inclusive and equitable for the diversity of peoples in this region. We need to learn — to survive, to live together in diversity, and to provide a sense of hope for our children and for the generations that follow.

Workplaces are increasingly represented as dynamic learning organisations (Senge, 1990) with distinctive cultures and communities of practice (Wenger, McDermott & Synder, 2002). Used in this context ‘learning’ conveys the sense that organisations and employees should be flexible, adaptive, and capable of responding to rapidly changing environments. Employees need to be problem-solvers, multi-skilled to enable them to work across portfolios, team players, and capable of learning new skills and strategies as required. The anticipated length of employment in any organisation is possibly no longer than 5 years or so, before employees can anticipate entering other learning organisations where new skills, knowledge, and dispositions may need to be acquired (Abernathy, 1999). So adaptability and capacities for ongoing learning are essential. James Gee (2000) captured this sense of ongoing learning when he dubbed the generation of the new millennium the ‘portfolio generation’, because from early childhood everyone is expected to engage in learning activities.