Categories of Continuing Education
Continuing education can be broken down into three categories.
The value of volunteering
Marie has learned a lot in the 2 years that she's been the volunteer editor of her local community newspaper. She can confidently track down hard-to-find information on the Internet, conduct effective interviews, tighten text, even do photo editing and desktop publishing work. Thanks to this experience, she has the skills necessary to apply for an assistant communication director position that's opened up in her workplace.Formal education
- Structured and organized education, training or professional development that takes place in an educational institution, the workplace or through a professional accrediting body.
- Learning is bound by the rules of the institution and the education must be completed within set time lines.
- Results in a formal certification.
Non-formal education
- Educational, training or professional development activities that are carried out by educational institutions, community organizations and training agencies.
- More flexible about meeting learners' needs.
- Doesn't result in formal certification.
Informal education
- The process of gaining knowledge, skills and values from daily experiences at home, in the community or at work.
- Individuals learn in order to enrich themselves.
- Doesn't result in formal certification.
If you're interested in finding out more about continuing education, you can explore these reports and papers:
- Integrating Lifelong Learning Perspectives - UNESCO Institute for Education, March 2002
- Lifelong learning as an affordable investment - papers from a December 2000 international conference hosted by Canada and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.