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The ability to be a lifelong learner is a quality that the University of South Australia seeks to develop in its graduates. Its only regional campus also contributes to the lifelong learning of community groups outside the university through a range of initiatives providing expanded educational and networking opportunities.

In this article the author expresses her wish to fight the mediocrity she sees in the Australian education sector, and move our nation closer to being a learning society. The benefits of learning are outlined, particularly the positive social and economic impacts that can occur as a result of learning. Learning communities are discussed as a possible means of attracting and re-engaging those people who think that learning no longer applies to them. All three tiers in Australian government are encouraged to contribute funding and support to possible learning communities, with a recent situation in Germany noted as a positive example. Before Australia can hope to follow their example, though, there needs to be a major change in attitudes towards education and training, recognising that: it is an integral part of life; it need not always result in a piece of paper and measurable outcomes; and that so-called 'soft options' are effective strategies for reluctant learners. The Australian government should not be completely responsible for the support of learning communities, however, with the educational sector also playing an important role. It is suggested that organisations make greater efforts to collaborate and communicate rather than compete, with universities and TAFE institutes particularly needing to establish more trust in each other.

Information-literate people may perform their lifelong learning better because they have the abilities to recognize, locate, evaluate, and use information effectively. We have developed an online learning environment to help people to become information literate. The learners may set their topics for inquiry, create information by presenting their thoughts, and manage the learning process by themselves within the online environment. Three graduate students of the university gave us their responses regarding this environment.

The Faculty of Business and Law at Central Queensland University (CQU) is carrying out a re-evaluation of its programs. The questions under investigation are as follows: (1) What are the principles of lifelong learning?; (2) What mixes of academic studies, professional competencies, and industry-base learning (IBL) are available and may be used in the Faculty of Business and Law to provide useful, valid outcomes for graduates; (3) How are the defined principles of lifelong learning being implemented from first-year in marketing?

There is an increasing rhetoric surrounding the concepts of lifelong learning and the knowledge economy (Peters, 2001); specifically e-learning and web-based learning environments. This paper seeks to explore the journeys of two professionals from two separate disciplines and work environments located in one higher-education institution where there is an increasing push to develop learning materials using online and other e-learning technologies.