I’d like to present a critical observation on the distinction between formal, non-formal and informal learning. This concerns not so much the distinction itself (which is disputable though), but the tendency to make formalise what is non-formal and informal. 
Sometimes things crumble once you try to formalise and define them. Take for example a moving piece of art, or an inspiring play. More...

The 2012 Council Recommendation calls for Member States to put in place, by no later than 2018, arrangements to enable individuals to have their knowledge, skills and competences acquired via non-formal and informal learning validated, and to be able to obtain ’a full qualification, or, where applicable, part qualification on the basis of validated non-formal and informal learning experiences’. This is certainly a laudable and ambitious aim, and there are those who feel that the drive to formalise all types of learning may well lead to a narrower conception of learning. More...

There is often an assumption that adult learning can be all things to all people, that it can play a role that encompasses skills development for employment, re-skilling to face changing economic contexts, and enhancing social inclusion. More...

The challenge of effectively engaging disadvantaged individuals and groups in adult learning receives considerable attention. This reflects policy priorities around enhancing social inclusion and widening access to learning. For example, promoting equity and inclusion through supporting those facing disadvantage to access learning is an important feature of the European Commission’s new Erasmus + programme. More...

There are a number of ‘carrots and sticks’ one could use as an incentive for adults to start a learning trajectory, but before discussing some of them, first we need to understand what barriers adults face. If you understand the barriers, you can take measures to remove them and then adults will ‘automatically’ walk into the first learning institute they come across. This can sometimes be the line of reasoning applied by policy makers. More...

Whilst all Member States provide incentives to increase adult learning in the workplace, their application and focus varies greatly. The most common financial incentives for individuals are vouchers, loans, and tax incentives. Whilst loans are less popular in adult learning, vouchers are used more widely, reflecting a trend towards building a demand-led approach. More...

The quality of teaching and therefore of teachers is one of the most important factors shaping the quality of adult learning but it may also be one of the most intractable. In the last few years several reports have crystallised the issues at European level. More...

Many people might think that basic skills must be very “basic” to teach, mightn’t they? But actually teaching basic skills to adults is one of the most challenging areas of adult teaching. Those who teach basic skills to adults are often confronted with learners that have a ‘big distance’ to education and learning and are facing big challenges in being re-engaged with any learning processes. The learning progress and achievement of adults who lack basic skills is closely linked to the competences of teachers, who are not only teaching a subject, but also need to stimulate learners to learn, to empathize, to empower them and to increase self-esteem. More...

When thinking about what constitutes a quality learning environment for adults, it is useful to start with asking, what makes adult learning different from the learning of young people? 
Picture yourself as a young pupil in school and compare that with how you would like to be treated as an adult learner: as an adult, most probably you won’t accept the teacher reading from a textbook, or ask you whether you did your homework or follow the same pace as all your fellow pupils. More...

Digital technologies have the potential to have a major impact on curricula, pedagogy and assessment. The most dramatic inroads have arguably been made in higher education but possibilities exist to benefit from their use right across the diverse terrain of adult education. At the same time they raise important issues related to quality which need to be brought to the surface. More...