Anyone involved in education and training who has completed her/his initial education. Learning policy tends to treat 'adults' as people aged 19 or over. 'Learning' includes formal education or training leading to a qualification and, increasingly, the range of informal learning opportunities, some of which are significant sources of skill or knowledge development.

(Androgogy/Andragogy) Defined by Malcolm Knowles in 1970. *Adults need to know why they're learning something; they must believe it will have a personal benefit. *Adults have lifetime experiences that should be tapped and built upon. *Adults learn best from hands-on, problem-solving approaches to learning. *Adults will expect to apply new knowledge and skills immediately, which will aid retention. Andragogy is derived from combining andr of the Greek word aner (meaning "man") and agogus (meaning "leader") Pedagogy is derived from the Greek word "paid," meaning child plus "agogos," meaning leading.

The inclusion of content that is largely determined by the participants and that is relevant and applicable to their own beliefs and experience. Problem and outcome focused learning where the participants can draw on their own knowledge and experience and control their own learning is also important (McDonald et al, 2000).

how adults learn, and how to plan learning programs for adults

Formal education geared to individuals classified as adults, typically over the age of 18; includes education provided by institutions of higher education but may also include informal training of workers or others in the development of a specific skill set or knowledge.