Adult Education

Adult education is a practice in which adults engage in systematic and sustained learning activities in order to gain new forms of knowledge skills attitudes or values. Adult education can take place through extension school or school of continuing education e.g. Columbia School of Continuing Education. Adult education frequently occurs at schools, colleges and universities, libraries and lifelong learning centers. The practice is at times referred to as andragogy to distinguish it from pedagogy



Characteristics of Adults Education:.
Educating adults differs from education children in several ways. One of the most important differences is that adults have accumulated knowledge and work experience which   an add to the learning experience. Another difference is that most adult education is voluntary, therefore, the participants are generally self motivated. Adults frequently apply their knowledge in a practical fashion to learn effectively.They must have a reasonable expectation that the knowledge they gain will help them further their goals. For example, during the 1990s, many adults including mostly office workers, enrolled in computer training courses. These courses would teach basic use of the operating system or specific application software. Due to the facet that the abstractions governing the users interactions with a PC were so new many people who had been working white collar jobs for ten years or more eventually took such training courses, either at their own whim  or at the behest of their managers.

In the United States a more general example is when adults who  dropped out of high school return to school to complete general education requirements. Most upwardly mobile positions require at the very least a high school diploma or equivalent. A working adult is unlikely to have the freedom to simply quit his or her 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. Furthermore adults with poor reading skills can obtain help from volunteer literacy programs. These national organizations provide training tutor certification and accreditation fro local volunteer programs. States often have organizations which provide field services for volunteer literacy programs.
Purposes of adult education may vary. One of its goals may be to help adult learners satisfy their personal needs and achiever their professional goals. Therefore its ultimate goal might be to achieve human fulfillment. The goal might also be to achieve an institution's needs. For example, this might include improving its operational effectiveness and productivity. A larger scale goal of adult education may be the growth of society by enabling its citizens to keep up with societal change and maintain good social order.
The purpose of adult education in the form of college or university is distinct. In these institution, the aim is typically related to personal growth and development as well as occupation and career preparedness. Another goal might be to not only sustain the democratic society, but to even challenge and  development as well as occupation and career preparedness. Another goal might be to not only sustain the democratic society but to even challenge and improve its social structure.
Another fast growing sector of adult education is English for Speaker of Other Languages also referred to as English as a Second Language or English Language Learners. 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.
A common problem in adult education in the US is the lack of professional development opportunities for adult educators. Most adult educators come from other professions and are not well trained to deal with adult learning issues. Most of the positions available in this field are only part time without any benefits or stability since they are usually funded by government grants that might last for only a couple of years.