Continuing education; lifelong learning

The term of lifelong learning stands for a consistency in learning over one's life in and beyond formal educational settings that means there are many common ways in which learning takes place. Like children and adolescences that have developmental needs as learning needs, adults do too. Today, there is an increasingly important need to continue education and acquire necessary skills to adapt to the ever-changing world. It is the purpose of this paper to enable one to realize the concept of the term, and understand deeply the importance of gaining knowledge and being updated through presenting its potential benefits. The paper describes the three types of: formal, non-formal and informal learning. Continuing education leads to skills; academic and personal developments, which are discussed in the article. (C) 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.