What is Non-Formal Education and Why It May be of Interest to You? | WowEssay Research

Maybe you have heard about non-formal education, but do you know it? It is undoubtedly a topic that may interest you, so I wanted to talk a little about it this time. If you want to know more about it, I invite you to continue reading this wowessays research:

What is non-regulated education?

These are not regulated by the Ministry of Education or by professional training. They are not contemplated in the current positive educational, legal system, which is why these, in turn, lack official academic validity.

However, this type of study is vital since they give the quality of obtaining certification and accreditation of training hours, contributing to personal growth. These can be positively valued as long as the requirement deserves it. Example: employers in the selection process

Likewise, some non-formal education studies may have the recognition of an official public body, by which we mean when these qualifications are approved and have professional validity. The duration, contents, and schedules vary depending on the course you have chosen and according to the training center.

This one has training modalities in these teachings since they are diverse, from the classroom or blended learning to online or distance learning.

Functionality

It is adapted to society, which will train and qualify people for work and serve as support for updating knowledge and skills throughout the professional’s life.

And, as we have mentioned, the fact that it does not formally or officially qualify does not imply that it does not serve for the specificities of both labor and personal requirements.

Most common non-regulated higher education

Composed by courses, postgraduate or masters, you can locate this type of study in private, public centers, and even in business schools. Some of these more common higher studies are:

• Studies related to the business field.
• Communication studies and those related to creativity include graphic design, video, photography, television, corporate image, etc.
• Civil action studies, such as being an aviation pilot or flight attendant.
• Studies related to hospitality services include cooking, mixology, etc.
• Studies related to experimental sciences, such as, for example, studies related to the environment.

Types of non-regulated education.

The main types of non-regulated training are those mentioned below:

• Vocational training for employment: those with which the student has an overall functioning for personal labor development.
• Technical specialization courses: carried out in professional schools or private centers.
• Postgraduate and master’s degrees: taught in both public and private universities.
• Improvement and specialization courses: those given by certain universities.
• Courses on different subjects: these are given by private centers, these are associated with languages, dance, cooking, sports, photography.
• Massive online courses are free online courses given by universities or very prestigious academic institutions.
• Extracurricular activities: for the interest of those who have not yet reached the age of majority, these are offered in centers of early childhood education, primary or high school.

What do I need to obtain non-regulated training?

At this point, the requirements or stipulations to access an institution or platform that offers non-regulated training to those who require it will depend, in principle, on the training center that will provide such training, in consequence to personal requirements and others for admission.

The type, of course, you are going to take is also subject to the need to have vital instruments that give greater efficiency to the development of the system. For example, for a non-regulated photography course, whether online or not, you must have a camera to achieve the expected final results.

Where should I study? Which center should I choose? Which one is more convenient for me?

Indeed, there is a colossal plurality of non-regulated study centers. We find in their diversity that some of these can be specialized in a particular subject. On the other hand, many are more generalist.

For you, submitting the type of course you want, you must fundamentally investigate that center, regardless of whether it is online or not; if they teach in person, it is crucial to be close to the center to verify all your requirements.

It is not enough to know about the course, find out more about the studies, the characteristics of the center, what kind of degree they offer and the benefits it could bring you.

Non-regulated education and online training

Technology and the digital world have come into our lives in different areas. Education could not be an exception, which has served as a fundamental tool, together with the invaluable Internet.

It is a formative modality that has established itself as one of the methodologies to study any type of training over the years. Its wide and varied menu of training offer together with its flexible timetable has allowed an increasing number of people to have the possibility of taking a career or course since it can be taken from anywhere.

The primary modalities of online training are e-learning, b-learning, and m-learning, which we will explain very briefly:

E-learning

E-learning is the means of learning through the Internet using electronic devices, also called tele-training, highlighting its obligatory nature to be connected to the Internet, including the variability of its form of study to maximize learning.

Its most important methodologies are forums, chats, virtual connections, reading documents, etc.

B-learning

It is a type of study that could be hybrid or mixed since it comprises blended learning, i.e., it combines online and face-to-face training.

Having a balance, distributing a percentage of classes online and the other face-to-face; it is recommended in the face-to-face hours to develop all the doubts with the teacher, reason of much weight as it is the direct contact with the teacher and the time flexibility in the online method.

M-learning

It is defined as the learning method carried out through a cell phone or tablet. It is not so common, but many universities and training centers include this method.

In this sense, from your cell phone, you can access the school platforms provided by your study center to have contact with teachers and other classmates.

Advantages and difficulties of online training

Online training has certain advantages and disadvantages, among them we can mention:

Advantages:

• Flexible timetable for training.
• Ease of studying from anywhere.
• You are saving time and money in displacements.
• Wide training offer.
• Communication with the teacher and other colleagues through tutorials or discussion spaces. Diversity of multimedia resources.
• Variety of learning activities.

Difficulties:

• A good internet connection is needed to carry out all the necessary activities.
• It is essential to have previous technical knowledge to have fuller development.
• A high degree of involvement is required to complete the course successfully.
• There is no direct contact with other people, and it is more challenging to generate informal learning spaces.
• The informality of the systems that many represent personal growth only without digital and formal certification.

Non-regulated education and distance learning

Unlike the online modality, a learning platform is not used through electronic means so that the studies can be carried out and delivered. Therefore, the study center will provide the subjects with paper guides or multimedia formats, either by mail, correspondence, or telephone.

This modality is one of the most complexes since the student must learn in a self-taught way, although there are teachers at his disposal to make the pertinent consultations through them.

Advantages and difficulties of distance learning

Among the advantages and difficulties of this type of training we have:

Advantages:

• One of the most significant advantages is that you can learn at any time and place.
• You will save time and travel since you will not do it daily or recurrently, but only occasionally.
• You will have as a student a teacher who will serve as a guide for all the doubts you may have regarding the directions provided.
• You will not require technical knowledge to pass the course successfully.

Difficulties:

• There is no interaction with other students.
• Its study tools, a somewhat complex modality, do not have such varied study modalities since less interactive methodologies or devices are used as they are more self-taught.

What type of education is more convenient for me: classroom, online, or distance learning?

At this point, it is essential to emphasize that it does not matter what you want to study and to which branch it belongs because in itself, the modality that suits you will be the one that fits your current needs.

It would help if you kept in mind that although online training brings a host of advantages, as mentioned above, it may be more advisable to study in person or blended learning according to your aspirations.

It is necessary as accurate advice that to study online. You should formulate and adapt study techniques according to your available schedules, subjects used in the course, and learning method.

It is also important to emphasize that the activities can be very diverse so you can establish a way of organizing your time, either online or distance, taking into account the dynamics used by the teacher: extending to group activities, debates, videos, written work, presentation of practical and theoretical activities, among others.

Non-formal education: why should I be interested in it?

In this digital era, you will think if it is possible to study in an unregulated way any career and if it suits you or not, in this case, of course. Even the Internet has facilitated the study options since now you can have an unregulated education in person and online.

Undoubtedly you have many alternatives to start studying the course you want in a specialized way through this non-formal education. For example, if you are a young person who has not yet reached the age of majority or if you have not yet completed your studies, formal online training may be an option for you. It is also one of the closest, most accessible, and even cheaper alternatives.

Now, suppose you intend to start because you are a neophyte in the field but an incalculable passionate that seeks to go through steps to specialize and develop professionally. In that case, you can sign up for courses or workshops that are dictated even by high-level professionals who have to impart all their wisdom.

The point is that depending on your needs, desires, and aspirations. You will opt for the most convenient method for you, remembering the above mentioned: either face-to-face, distance, or online.

Likewise, we cannot tell you which is the best center to choose, because according to the workshops and subjects offered by the place, plus your needs and impression of the study environment, it will determine any comment, so it is your task soak it up.

Despite everything described above, you may ask yourself, is this type of education convenient for me if I do not obtain an official degree? And, usually, you have this concern. Still, as I said initially, the fact that it does not allow you to obtain an official degree does not mean that it is not helpful to specialize and develop professionally.

The main objective of non-formal education is learning, training, and qualifying people to develop the necessary skills that will serve them throughout their professional life and, of course, to obtain a job.

Remember that the most important thing will always be the desire and commitment you put into what you want to study, and any means of training with which you can acquire knowledge will never be a bad investment. It is up to you to decide whether you want to start with non-formal education.