| Adult education broadly refers to continuing | | | | failure than the reward of a new job, a |
| education later in life. This can include learning in | | | | promotion, the admiration of others, or the |
| direct relation to a new or ongoing career of an | | | | selfsatisfaction of succeeding at the learning task." |
| individual, or studies that are completely unrelated | | | | Acknowledging this however, others have |
| such as languages. With the development of online | | | | expressed that motivation can be an important |
| learning, adult education is becoming increasingly | | | | aspect in regards to the achievement of adult |
| accessible, and although the general process of | | | | learners. Where students have entered into adult |
| teaching and learning is similar between children | | | | education of their own accord, they have typically |
| and adults, there are additional factors that can be | | | | realised exactly what they want to learn, and |
| seen to affect those who continue their studies | | | | why it is important for them to continue at it - |
| into adulthood. | | | | despite their difficulties. Additionally, adult learners |
| One of the most general and logical factors that | | | | are often more aware, and accepting, of the |
| affects adults more than children during education | | | | financial and time implications of enrolling on a |
| is the notion of the knowledge which they have | | | | course later in life. |
| already accumulated. This can be seen to aid the | | | | A student perspective forum on the Adult |
| speed of learning, as they are often likely to have | | | | Literacy Education Wiki (wiki.literacytent.org) |
| a prior knowledge of the subject they are | | | | offers some other information from adult learners |
| studying. Alternatively, habits of bad practice can | | | | themselves. In regards to learning literacy skills |
| also be learned in adulthood, and methods and | | | | during adulthood, many students seem to find the |
| processes that have been learned in a now-dated | | | | most difficult problem to overcome is fear. "I was |
| curriculum can also be difficult to shake off for | | | | a low level reader and I would like you all to know |
| some adult learners. | | | | how afraid we are to come in and get help," one |
| A paper written in 1993 by CHIU Mo Chi, entitled | | | | student writes in 2007. "I think fear is what holds |
| A Study of the factors affecting Attendance at | | | | a lot of us back. We put on this front that all is |
| Adult Education Short Courses, offers further | | | | okay and life is good but we know in our heart |
| insights into the differences between adult and | | | | we are not okay at all." Problems with |
| child education. CHIU found there are a number of | | | | embarrassment among peers, and not being able |
| self esteem issues with adult learners. Those that | | | | to admit difficulties to other students are |
| have had a school background that lacks in | | | | continuing factors that can seem to affect |
| academic achievement are more suited to | | | | learning into adulthood, and this may well be |
| frequent confidence boosts "because the | | | | something that remains to be addressed by adult |
| outcome of effort is more likely to be the pain of | | | | education centres today. |