Education can be classified into three types: formal, informal, and non-formal.

Formal Education

Formal schooling is institutionalized, where the teacher retains control over the student’s learning experience. The education system is distinguished by a hierarchical educational hierarchy with a graded system. Formal schooling is usually given at the primary, intermediate, and university levels. It also includes a number of specialist programmes and organizations that provide full-time educational and technical instruction. The school system is mostly administrative, with students required to pay a fee in order to receive an education (Kaufman, 2017).

Informal Learning

Informal learning occurs out of school classrooms and involves acquiring skills, knowledge, aptitude, and attitude by a person from daily living interactions. It involves a respectful, wise and spontaneous process of nurturing learning experiences. Through the informal learning process, there is the appropriate development of life skills that are cultivated through spending time with other people, sharing of information, talking and listening (Findsen, 2006).

Informal Education

Informal education connects with people from different aspects of life who have different ideas. Informal education is a life-long process where a person acquires values and the skills from everyday experiences along with the educative influences from the people and the environment surrounding the person. This could emanate from working place, market, and even playgrounds. Typically, this form of education covers interaction with family, friends, and colleagues as opposed to formal which is linked to schools and training institutions (Kaufman, 2017). Informal education comprises of learning activities which are self-directed and self-motivated. Notably, informal type of learning is primarily driven by self-interests, social interactions, curiosity and life exploration.

Non-formal Education

Non-formal education involves any organized educational activity that is established outside the formal system of learning. This can either operate separately or as a significant feature of the broad educational activity. The non-formal education is driven at serving identifiable learning clienteles and objectives (Findsen, 2006). Non-formal education is linked to community groups and other forms of organizational teachings which provide education to people. Non-formal education involves an organization offering education to adult people on factors like community service and work relationships.

Example of Formal, Informal and Non-Formal Education to Adults

An example of formal learning that is beneficial to the older people includes e-learning that consists of distance education. This type of formal education plays a major role in assisting the older adults to be integrated into the society that is constantly changing in the digitized world. Therefore, formal e-learning process is increasingly beneficial to the adults and equips them with the appropriate knowledge required in life. Formal e-learning education encourages adults to works towards realizing their set goals and interaction with the teachers or lecturers. An example of informal education involves learning vital factors of a family which is mainly passed across from one generation to another. This is useful for the adults as it gives them a task of storytelling, describing the history of the family and explaining the culture of a family. This type of informal learning is crucial in enabling the adults to learn the important aspects of the family and understand the historical, cultural values related to a given tribe. On the other hand, an example of informal education involves an organization conducting a seminar concerning career development. Through the seminar, the adults can learn the significant aspects that are required in developing career and enhance the appropriate relationship with the colleagues at work. Additionally, the seminar will comprise of programs directed at personal growth, workplace learning, and participation along with personal development.

References

Findsen, B. (2006). Social institutions as sites of learning for older adults: Differential

opportunities. Journal of Transformative Education, 4(1), 65-81. doi: 10.1177/1541344605282429. Retrieved from http://jtd.sagepub.com.proxy.lib.sfu.ca/content/4/1/65.full.pdf+html

Kaufman, D. (2017). Educational Content. Simon Fraser University,

Surrey, British Columbia.