Time and meaning in later-life learning

With an increase in life expectancy in modern complex communities, there will be a prolonged period, post-retirement, in which older adults will seek meaningful projects. Juxtaposed with the longer period after retirement is the realisation that life is nearing the end. This paper draws on research undertaken from 2003-2010. The purpose of the research was to investigate the lived experiences of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) learners. The participants identified as being in the post-work phase of their lives and their ages ranged from the mid-7os to the early 90s as at 2010. The study used a qualitative methodology and interpretations were elicited from a phenomenological perspective. A significant finding from the study was that the existential concept of time was at the core of the learning experiences and their need to develop and grow.