Instructional Methodologies for Lifelong Learning Applied to a Sage Pastel First-Year Module

Lifelong learning is a useful and beneficial skill to learn. In this paper, students from a university in South Africa are taught Sage Pastel in their first-year of study using the Instructional Methodologies Framework for Lifelong Learning. This framework includes problem-based learning, e-learning, reciprocal teaching, professional portfolios, reflections, and knowledge maps. The students were asked how they experienced the module and their responses were mapped to the framework to demonstrate their journey. It is concluded that the majority of the students found the approach useful as a lifelong learning skill, with an 85% positivity indicator. The teaching environment used for this paper is unique, as the data was gathered in 2021 when the university was teaching only online because of Covid-19 restrictions, but the benefits of following a lifelong learning approach are evident. Future research will include comparing this module to other first-year modules that follow a similar approach to determine if students do become life-long learners.