Adult learning has benefited from the visibility and profile of lifelong learning across a range of European policy areas. The overall profile of adult learning benefited enormously from the European Commission's decision to group all its education and training programmes together under the brand of the "Lifelong Learning Programme." The…

The Internet enables new models. In the commercial world, for example, we have eBay, Amazon.com, and Netflix. These new models operate with a different set of rules than do traditional models. New models are emerging in higher education as well--for example, competency-based programs. In addition, courses that are being provided from outside the…

During the affluent noughties it was sometimes said of government that it had "more visions than Mystic Meg and more pilots than British Airways". In 2011, the pilots, the pathfinders, the new initiatives are largely gone--implementation is the name of the game--but the visions remain. The latest one, as it affects adult learners, is in…

As Chief Executive of the National Youth Agency, the author was asked to give her perspective on the lifelong learning prospects for young people. She believes that one's capacity to be a learner and to learn, at whatever stage of life, is directly influenced by every other aspect of one's life, from one's attitudes to one's income. As a young…

Tony Bates is a world-known expert on distance education. He has published extensively on both traditional and contemporary distance learning practices. Besides teaching courses and delivering seminars in the area of distance education, he has also provided consultancy with a number of institutions around the world. These include both formal and…

This article presents an interview with Sir John Daniel outgoing President and CEO of the Commonwealth of Learning. Sir John Daniel's term as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Commonwealth of Learning (COL) ended on May 31, 2012. Readers of "Distance Education" will know of Sir John's work at the Tele-universite (Directeur des…

Non-formal education (NFE) is now considered as playing a critical role in the achievement of the objective of Education for All, by reaching the learning needs of youth and adults who do not have access to formal education, increasing their employment opportunities and therefore contributing to poverty alleviation. Yet there is still insufficient…

The purpose of this brief note is to compare non-formal education in Poland and Canada in terms of accessibility, and it is motivated by the fact that learning is a lifelong process because of rapid advances in technology. The theoretical framework for this commentary is supplied by the general idea that non-formal learning provides a social…

The editorial by Bull et al. (2008) on connections between informal and formal learning made explicit one element of solving what Koehler and Mishra (2008) termed a "wicked problem." This wicked (complex, ill-structured) problem involves working with teachers for effective integration of technology in support of student learning. The…

Discusses the problem of dissemination of misinformation--either intentionally or innocently--while attempting to change environmental attitudes. Warns about unwillingness to engage in self-examination in ways that other professional fields do, and states that interpreters, in exchanging accuracy of information for persuasive power, risk losing…

Experiences of developing nations are used to formulate three types of nonformal education: as complement, satisfying needs unfulfilled by the school system; as alternative, using traditional or indigenous learning; and as supplement to the formal system. Nonformal education is analyzed across nations as system, setting, or process. (SK)

The authors argue that incidental learning--learning that is picked up through social interaction--is an important learning resource, though it is often not recognized as such by learners. Emphasis is on education for the unemployed. (Author/CH)

Presents a conceptual framework for understanding the interrelationships among formal, nonformal, and informal education. (MP)

Argues that learning can be divided into three sectors (informal, formal, and nonformal education), asserting that through the harmonious combination of these sectors the principles of a global and integrated lifelong education can be implemented. (Author/MP)

This working paper from the annual conference of the Indian Adult Education Association briefly describes the current state of adult education in India and outlines important steps that should be taken to make adult education an integral part of national development. (SK)