Continuing Education Definition, Explained | Why Is It Important Today?

Introduction 

Continuing education is a broad word that encompasses a wide range of post-secondary learning activities and initiatives. The term is mostly used in North America, particularly in the United States and Canada. 

 

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Degree credit courses for non-traditional students, non-degree career training, college remediation, workforce training, and formal personal enrichment courses are all recognised forms of post-secondary learning activities within the domain (both on-campus and online). 

Adult education is comparable to general continuing education in that it is aimed at adults, particularly those who are past the usual undergraduate college or university age. 

Continuing education courses are frequently given through a division or school of continuing education within a college or university, also referred to as the university extension or extension school in the United States and Canada. 

Continuing education, on the other hand, should be “‘fully integrated into institutional life rather than being often regarded as a separate and distinctive operation employing different staff,’ according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, if it is to feed into mainstream programmes and be given the due recognition deserved by this type of provision.” 

History 

The Department for Continuing Education at Oxford University was established in 1878, and the Institute of Continuing Education at Cambridge University was established in 1873. 

The Chautauqua Institution was formed in 1874 as the Chautauqua Lake Sunday School Assembly “as an out-of-school, vacation-learning educational experiment It was a huge success, and it quickly expanded beyond Sunday school teacher training to include academic disciplines, music, art, and physical education.” 

In the 1870s, Cornell University was one of the first higher education institutions to offer university-based continuing education, particularly to teachers, through extension courses. 

According to the Cornell Era of February 16, 1877, the university provided a “Tour of the Great Lakes” programme for “teachers and others” led by Professor Theodore B. Comstock, head of Cornell’s geology department. 

In 1907, the University of Wisconsin–Madison launched its continuing education programme. The New School for Social Research was established in 1919 with the goal of providing adult education. 

Empire State College, a subdivision of the State University of New York, was the first college in the United States to focus solely on adult learners in 1969. 

The University of Florida established its own Division of Continuing Education in 1976, and most courses were given on evenings or weekends to accommodate working students’ schedules. 

Continuing education can be delivered in a variety of ways, including traditional classroom lectures and laboratories. Many continuing education programmes, on the other hand, make extensive use of remote education, which can include filmed content, broadcast programming, or online education, which has recently dominated the distance learning community. 

What Is the Definition of Continuing Education? 

Continuing education is a broad word that encompasses a wide range of formal and informal learning methods and activities. 

On one end of the spectrum, we offer courses and certifications that allow you to expand your abilities and knowledge in specific areas of your career or profession. On the other hand, we have relatively simpler activities such as reading or attending seminars, which you may also use to great success to further your education. 

There is no right or wrong answer in this case. The main goal is to figure out which option is best for you and how to incorporate it into your everyday routine. 

In the end, self-education boils down to your desire to learn new things or improve your skills. 

Keep in mind that continuing education can include everything from obtaining the necessary credentials to taking the next step in your career to learning and conducting research on topics that interest you. 

We begin to believe that we can only learn from authoritative figures, such as those with the right credentials and accolades, or those who are given the title of teacher or professor, as we progress through the educational process. 

This is an out-of-date viewpoint, especially in today’s environment, where the majority of people already have access to a wealth of useful information at their fingertips

Everyone and every encounter you have in life can teach you something. But before you can grasp those lessons, you must first appreciate them. 

Consider the following scenario:  

You’re walking down the street in your hometown when someone approaches you and initiates a brief discussion. However, you avoid them because you believe you are too busy. For many people, this is regrettably a common occurrence. 

You will lose out on many potentially significant lessons if you walk around believing you are superior than other people or that you are too busy to make time for them. 

As a result, cultivating a grateful mindset is becoming increasingly crucial. We will become more responsive to the lessons around us if we can learn to cultivate a grateful mindset. 

This allows us to better respond to the initial question: What is ongoing education? 

It’s being receptive to the opportunities presented by the universe so that we might continue to learn. 

Imagine being able to not just remember but also build on what you were learning every day. Consider the effect this would have on your life. 

What Is the Importance of Continuing Education? 

Now that we have a better idea of the answers to the two previous questions, let’s talk about why they’re all significant. 

After all, if we don’t understand why continuing education is vital, we’re more likely to lose interest, which is something we’d rather avoid. 

Professional Standards Compliance 

The need for continuous education is obvious for professionals and workers who are needed to keep up to date with their knowledge and skillsets.  

They can comply with the regulations, norms, and certifications that allow them to stay licenced and work in their field with this type of schooling. 

They require these opportunities in order to begin a career in their chosen sector. Continuing education allows people to improve their qualifications so that they can advance to higher levels in their profession and earn more money, have more flexibility, or take on more responsibilities. 

Learning More About What You’re Interested In 

Continuing education, on the other hand, has a different meaning for certain people. People can learn more about the subjects they are passionate about through continuing education. 

This impact might manifest itself in a variety of ways. Continuously educating yourself could offer you the confidence boost you need and lay the groundwork for the next step you want to take in a particular field of study. 

People aren’t always entirely conscious of their life’s passions. 

Opportunities to Meet People 

Another benefit of continuing education is that it allows you to interact with new individuals. In a society where having a large social network is valued highly, continued education is quite beneficial.  

Even if it’s only meeting new people in your profession, it can have a huge impact on your educational career. 

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, continuing education allows you to study about topics about which you have an innate interest. It enables you to begin pursuing your interests and directing yourself toward a destiny that you would like realising. 

Develop a Gratitude Attitude for Lifelong Learning 

Let us now move our focus from our original question of “what is continuing education?” to “how do we cultivate gratitude attitudes?” for a time. 

We’ll look at why this is a crucial part of our solution to the first question in the next section. 

There are a few different strategies to start cultivating a grateful attitude, and you may pick and choose which ones appeal to you the most. 

Here are a few ideas to get you started: 

1. Spend Time Meditating 

Meditation is one technique for people to start cultivating gratitude in their own hearts. At first, this may appear to be counterintuitive. But how do you cultivate a grateful mindset by doing nothing? You’re correct; it doesn’t. 

It does, however, put us in a terrific frame of mind, encouraging us to be more conscious in our regular activities and more responsive to thankfulness. 

2. Verbally express your gratitude 

Another simple method to start cultivating a thankful mindset is to start talking about it and expressing your thankfulness more. You can show your gratitude to someone for doing something as basic as opening a door for you. Thank you notes go a long way for both you and others. 

By responding gratefully, you will begin to experience these feelings more frequently, and they will eventually become ingrained in your daily activities. 

3. Create a Gratitude Journal on a Daily Basis

Keeping a gratitude notebook is another option. This transfers your appreciation from your mind to your surroundings, allowing you to more clearly see what you are grateful for. 

For instance, let’s assume you’re grateful for your family. Read your journal the next time one of them irritates you so that you are reminded of how grateful you are for them, even if they irritate you. 

Overall, these activities instill the mindset of being sensitive to the lessons that surround you, allowing you to properly absorb them and grow as a person. 

Conclusion 

After reading this essay, you should now have a greater understanding of the importance of continuing education. 

You should now understand not just what gratitude is, but also how you might start cultivating it in your own life.  

Hopefully, by putting up these efforts, you will prepare yourself to be more responsive to new learning opportunities in your daily life, and you will never miss another opportunity to develop as a person. 

Finally, you should understand the significance of continuing education, both professionally and personally. You can actually take your life wherever you want it to go and become whatever type of person you want to be as a result of this. 

It’s up to you to decide how you want to spend the rest of your life. 

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