Libraries are useful resources for adult learners.

Adult education is the practice of teaching and educating adults. This often happens in the workplace, through 'extension' or 'continuing education' courses at secondary schools, at a college or university. Continuing education is an all encompassing term within a broad spectrum of post-secondary learning activities and programs Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational Institution where the final stage of compulsory schooling known as Secondary education, takes College ( Latin collegium) is a term most often used today to denote an Educational Institution. A university is an institution of Higher education and Research, which grants Academic degrees in a variety of subjects Other learning places include folk high schools, community colleges, and lifelong learning centers. Folk High Schools Folk high schools ( Danish: Folkehøjskole Finnish: kansanopisto and työväenopisto or kansalaisopisto The practice is also often referred to as 'Training and Development'. It has also been referred to as andragogy (to distinguish it from pedagogy). Andragogy is the process of engaging adult learners in the structure of the learning experience Pedagogy (ˈpɛdəgɒdʒi or paedagogy is the Art or Science of being a Teacher. A difference is made between vocational education, mostly undertaken in workplaces and frequently related to upskilling, and non-formal adult education including learning skills or learning for personal development.

Educating adults differs from educating children in several ways. One of the most important differences is that adults have accumulated knowledge and experience that can add or hinder the learning experience.

Adults frequently apply their knowledge in a practical fashion to learn effectively. They must have a reasonable expectation that the knowledge recently gained will help them further their goals. One example, common in the 1990s, was the proliferation of computer training courses in which adults (not children or adolescents), most of whom were office workers, could enroll. The 1990s collectively refers to the years between and including 1990 and 1999 These courses would teach basic use of the operating system or specific application software. Because the abstractions governing the user's interactions with a PC were so new, many people who had been working white-collar jobs for 10 years or more eventually took such training courses, either at their own whim (to gain computer skills and thus earn higher pay) or at the behest of their managers. A personal computer ( PC) is any Computer whose original sales price size and capabilities make it useful for individuals and which is intended to be operated

In the United States, a more general example is that of the high-school dropout who returns to school to complete general education requirements. Most upwardly-mobile positions require at the very least a high school diploma or equivalent. High school is the name used in some parts of the world (in particular Scotland, North America and Australia) to describe an institution A working adult is unlikely to have the freedom to simply quit their job and go "back to school" full time. Public school systems and community colleges usually offer evening or weekend classes for this reason. In Europe this is often referred to as "second-chance", and many schools offer tailor-made courses and learning programs for these returning learners.

Those adults who read at the very lowest level get help from volunteer literacy programs. These programs provide one to one tutoring and small group sessions for adults at the 6th grade level or below. Public libraries, nonprofit organizations and school systems administer these programs across the country. ProLiteracy Worldwide is the national organization which provides training, tutor certification and accreditation for local volunteer programs. ProLiteracy Worldwide, a Nonprofit organization based in Syracuse N States often have state organizations such as Literacy Florida!Inc. which provide field services for volunteer literacy programs.

In the U. S. A. , the equivalent of the high school diploma earned by an adult through these programs is to pass the General Education Development (GED) test. General Educational Development (or GED) tests are a group of five tests which (when passed certifies that the taker has American or Canadian High

Another fast-growing sector of adult education is English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), also referred to as English as a Second Language (ESL)or English Language Learners (ELL). These courses are key in assisting immigrants with not only the acquisition of the English language, but the acclimation process to the culture of the United States.

See also

• Adult high school
• Community college in Canada and the United States
• Community Education in Scotland
• Continuing education
• Distance learning
• E-learning
• Folk high school in Scandinavia and Germany
• Folkbildning community education through learning circles in Scandinavia
• Lifelong learning
• International Society for Comparative Adult Education
• Post-secondary education for Aboriginal Canadians
• Part-Time Learner

Historical adult education

• Lyceum movement
• Mechanics' Institutes

External links

• Adult Literacy Education - Wiki devoted entirely to adult education
• Education for Adults - A directory of programs for those planning to attend college for the first time, or looking to complete a degree. An adult high school or adult school is a High school facility designed for Adult education. A community college is a type of Educational institution. The term has different meanings in different countries Community Education, also known as Community-based education or Community learning, is education through formal and informal methods for individuals and groups Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. Continuing education is an all encompassing term within a broad spectrum of post-secondary learning activities and programs Distance education, or distance learning, is a field of education that focuses on the Pedagogy and Andragogy, technology and instructional systems design Electronic learning (or e-Learning or eLearning) is a type of education where the medium of instruction is computer technology Folk High Schools Folk high schools ( Danish: Folkehøjskole Finnish: kansanopisto and työväenopisto or kansalaisopisto Folkbildning is a name given to an approach to Community Education in Scandinavia, particularly in Sweden. Lifelong learning is the concept that "It's never too soon or too late for learning" a philosophy that has taken root in a whole host of different organisations The International Society for Comparative Adult Education (or ISCAE) is a network of individuals and organizations with members in more than thirty countries Who are part-time learners? Part-Time Adult Learners are a group of the Higher education students The lyceum movement in the United States was a trend in architecture inspired by (or at least named for Aristotle 's Lyceum in ancient Greece Historically Mechanics' Institutes were educational establishments formed to provide Adult education, particularly in technical subjects to working men
• Continuing Education - A program for adults planning on finishing high school.
• International Council for Adult Education (ICAE)
• European Association for the Education of Adults (EAEA)
• Lifelong Learning Laboratory
• Nightcourses.com Ireland's leading resource for information about adult education, further learning, and evening classes
• The National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (NIACE, UK)
• The National Research and Development Centre for Adult Literacy and Numeracy (NRDC, UK)
• The American School of Classical Feng Shui
• Working with Adult Learners in the Library Classroom: A Personal Reflection
• The Council for Adult and Experiential Learning
• National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy (NCSALL U. S. )
• Nova Scotia School for Adult Learning