From CREATING INTELLECTUAL COMMUNITIES, Volume 1, Number 2, 2007
This broader definition of an educational institution is the premise behind the Institute for Learning Innovation (ILI), which was established in 1986 as a not-for-profit learning research and development organization. Located in Annapolis, Maryland, ILI’s mission is to change the world of education and learning by understanding, facilitating, advocating, and communicating about “free-choice learning” across a person’s life span. According to the professionals and educators at ILI, “The most common type of lifelong learning is free-choice learning — learning that is self-motivated and guided by the needs and interests of the learner.”
“In the twenty-first century, we recognize that there is a huge educational infrastructure, and colleges and universities are the foundation,” explains John H. Falk, Ph.D., internationally known author and president of ILI. “But even college and university students learn from a myriad of educational resources. As human beings, we are on a lifelong trajectory of learning. Colleges and universities play a vital role in this learning journey – now we are beginning to recognize the importance and value of free-choice learning institutions and centers as well.”
According to ILI’s website, “Our society is just beginning to recognize and support the vast, important, and successful learning enterprise that takes place outside of schools and the workplace. Collectively, these experiences encompass what is known as the free-choice learning sector.”
