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Need for the new approach to learning in Globalisation.

Theoretical Education vs Practical Education

Cultural, economic, and societal change creates a need for different approaches to education. Globalization i.e. increasing international interdependence requires restructuring the existing theoretical style of education to practical education.

Let’s evaluate both approaches to learning.

Theoretical Education 

Theoretical Education focuses on in-depth knowledge of any subject or topic without any practical experience. It makes the student a verbal expert on the topic. Any knowledge gained theoretically can be remembered for a limited time – a few days or months. In this type of education, the focus is not on learning or understanding the topic but to secure marks in the exams. It’s the easiest way to pass the exam and to top them. Students study just before the exam and do not gain in-depth knowledge of the subject. This type of education is responsible for unemployment and a lack of skilled labor. When it comes to professional life – practical experience and knowledge together are necessary. In competitive exams also, more than theoretical knowledge, logical reasoning & cognitive skills are evaluated. Hence, minimal pass percentage despite exponential applications made.

Practical Education 

Practical-Learning means knowledge gained by implementing theory in real-life activities. This way of learning helps students to remember the topic for a long time and also master it. Practical-learning makes the study more fun and engaging for students. Practical-learning based exams show the actual intellect of students, unlike the marks obtained by mugging up a night before. That’s why Math, which is a practical subject, is compulsory for most of the competitive exams. It is a myth that Practical-learning is only useful for technical or management students. Like, History students can visit a museum (even virtual museum) or location of the topic to gain more knowledge than textbooks and will also remember longer. They can also identify if History is of interest to them and may pursue a career in History related professions. The same applies to Geography, international languages, and other subjects. Practical-Learning assists students in identifying their real interests and choose a career accordingly. Students are more likely to succeed in the career of their choice. This style of teaching creates more skilled labor and entrepreneurs. 

Practical Education is gaining popularity nowadays and has below advantages –

• Do not require mugging up
• Knowledge gained retains for longer
• A better understanding of the topic
• Imparts life skills
• Deals with the real-life situation
• Motivates teamwork
• Career planning
• Emotional Intelligence

Theoretical Education is ‘I KNOW’ while Practical Education is ‘I CAN DO’. Knowing the recipe of samosa is different from actually cooking a samosa. The intellect, skills, and knowledge of students’ world over acquiring practical learning are more or less consistent that makes it comfortable for them to go anywhere in the world and easily adapt to the new environment whether at University for higher education or at work. 

– Sunaina Sharma

DISCLAIMER: The author is solely responsible for the views expressed in this article. The author carries the responsibility for citing and/or licensing of images utilized within the text.

Ghazwa-e-Hind: Inevitable Result of Linguistic Sub-Nationalism

The economics on the web and web solutions.

Introspection and Mind

Thanks for writing this amazing article, I want my child to sit on the cycle & ride it while she understands the mechanics of the cycling process. I still remember those few lessons which my school thought us practically. Practical education stays in mind forever. After some research, I found that Queen Mira Internation School in Madurai has everything I was looking for my son.

If anyone is looking for the best CBSE school in Madurai city that gives practical education – You must check Queen Mira International School.

Queen Mira International School is the best CBSE school in Madurai, Tamil Nadu. As it is the first-ever CBSE school in the world with CIS accreditation. For high-quality learning, global citizenship & international safety standards you must choose Queen Mira in Madurai. Children studying here get a perfect canvas to explore their inner capabilities.

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The importance of practical learning

The Novi Sad Business School is helping students to acquire professional and practical skills as well as academic and theoretical knowledge.

Aleksandra vujko has written about how..

Cultural, economic and societal change creates a need for different approaches to education. Globalisation, which is increasing international interdependence, and the creation of new knowledge, and the obsolescence of older knowledge, means that teachers and students alike must be open to change and new opportunities.

When we think about the word education, we often think of the formal education that happens in primary and secondary schools and in high schools and colleges. However, this is not the only form of education. There are many examples of non-formal education. These might include a variety of courses for different professions, training of new personnel, career development learning for existing personnel, or, more broadly, the education of the populations through public campaigns.

In contrast to explicit knowledge, which helps us ‘know what’, tacit knowledge can be understood as ‘know how’. Tacit knowledge is something that we often can’t learn by reading books; it is acquired by addressing real problems and practice, it relates to experience, ideals, intuition, values, creative thinking, emotions, skills and attitudes. Tacit knowledge in education can be a critical input in the innovation process. 

IN THE HOPE OF PROVIDING THEIR STUDENTS WITH PRACTICAL KNOW HOW, THE NOVI SAD BUSINESS SCHOOL OFFERS AN ALTERNATE TYPE OF WORK INTEGRATED LEARNING EXPERIENCE IN VARIOUS SUCCESSFUL COMPANIES AND ENTERPRISES.

The Novi Sad Business School also invites experts from government, industry, markets, tourism and hotel management to share their valuable experience with students.

It is important to enhance academic-industry partnerships and engagement through the involvement of students in professional work, and encourage teachers to conduct research, publish papers and participate in different projects. The business school adopted this model to help create relationships and interactions between teachers, students, participating organisations and the broader local community. The idea was to prepare students for all aspects of work, and also provide practical knowledge for teachers and professors.

Assessing the quality of education is incredibly important in ensuring that students acquire practical skills. Assessment must not only measure the effects of learning of individual students but also the sum of student experiences defined in a meaningful system of ‘performance indicators’. It can be difficult to measure the consequences of education because many of its outcomes can only be seen much later in the professional and social activities of former students. However, this is only another reason to try to measure the quality of education. 

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Essay on Importance of Education for Students

500 words essay on importance of education.

To say Education is important is an understatement. Education is a weapon to improve one’s life. It is probably the most important tool to change one’s life. Education for a child begins at home. It is a lifelong process that ends with death. Education certainly determines the quality of an individual’s life. Education improves one’s knowledge, skills and develops the personality and attitude. Most noteworthy, Education affects the chances of employment for people. A highly educated individual is probably very likely to get a good job. In this essay on importance of education, we will tell you about the value of education in life and society.

Importance of Education in Life

First of all, Education teaches the ability to read and write. Reading and writing is the first step in Education. Most information is done by writing. Hence, the lack of writing skill means missing out on a lot of information. Consequently, Education makes people literate.

Above all, Education is extremely important for employment. It certainly is a great opportunity to make a decent living. This is due to the skills of a high paying job that Education provides. Uneducated people are probably at a huge disadvantage when it comes to jobs. It seems like many poor people improve their lives with the help of Education.

Better Communication is yet another role in Education. Education improves and refines the speech of a person. Furthermore, individuals also improve other means of communication with Education.

Education makes an individual a better user of technology. Education certainly provides the technical skills necessary for using technology . Hence, without Education, it would probably be difficult to handle modern machines.

People become more mature with the help of Education. Sophistication enters the life of educated people. Above all, Education teaches the value of discipline to individuals. Educated people also realize the value of time much more. To educated people, time is equal to money.

Finally, Educations enables individuals to express their views efficiently. Educated individuals can explain their opinions in a clear manner. Hence, educated people are quite likely to convince people to their point of view.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Importance of Education in Society

First of all, Education helps in spreading knowledge in society. This is perhaps the most noteworthy aspect of Education. There is a quick propagation of knowledge in an educated society. Furthermore, there is a transfer of knowledge from generation to another by Education.

Education helps in the development and innovation of technology. Most noteworthy, the more the education, the more technology will spread. Important developments in war equipment, medicine , computers, take place due to Education.

Education is a ray of light in the darkness. It certainly is a hope for a good life. Education is a basic right of every Human on this Planet. To deny this right is evil. Uneducated youth is the worst thing for Humanity. Above all, the governments of all countries must ensure to spread Education.

FAQs on Essay on Importance of Education

Q.1 How Education helps in Employment?

A.1 Education helps in Employment by providing necessary skills. These skills are important for doing a high paying job.

Q.2 Mention one way in Education helps a society?

A.2 Education helps society by spreading knowledge. This certainly is one excellent contribution to Education.

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Practical Learning: What Is It and Why Is It Beneficial?

Societal, economic, and cultural shifts create a need for diverse education and learning approaches. What’s more, globalization is increasing global interdependency. The creation of new knowledge and the obsoleteness of older knowledge is leading to new opportunities and changes in learning styles.

In today’s time, everyone learns differently, where learning styles differ from one individual to another. There are numerous types, from verbal, logical, aural, visual, to physical techniques, but practical learning is most beneficial for students.

Can you imagine someone teaching you to drive and swim within the walls of a classroom? It’s simply impossible. You have to get into the water to learn swimming and vice versa, get out on the road to learn driving. It’s precisely the same for other fields and domains.

Students must be oriented towards practical knowledge at a young age than relying on bookish understanding. Some subjects are skill-based, while others are practice-oriented. Theoretical knowledge of skill-based courses needs to be supported by practice.

A practical way of learning typically includes study tours, laboratory experiments, assignments, and many others. Undeniably, practical learning contributes towards the holistic development of a student. The advantages of practical learning are unmatched, and attaining theoretical knowledge has no value until students can apply it practically.

Below, we’ll discuss practical learning, its benefits, and the revolutionized educational system. Let’s begin with an overview of the learning landscape and practical knowledge.

Transforming Educational Landscape

A rapidly growing domain that strives to transform and revolutionize the educational landscape is “curriculum and instruction,” focusing on improving curriculum design and teaching practices. The curriculum and instruction specialists work in both schools and the corporate sector to improve learning methods. It ultimately leads to a well-educated population enjoying lucrative returns, higher career goals, and enhanced life outcomes.

Do you seek to set foot in the education sector and create meaningful classroom instruction programs? Do you want to serve in a thriving academic setting? If the answer to these questions is yes, pursuing online degrees will prove worthwhile. Online degrees with a focus on curriculum and instruction strategies will allow you to devise lesson plans that are interactive and engaging.

A curriculum specialist has the power to impact the overall educational system by creating newer and improved learning styles that drive innovation.

Overview of Practical Learning

As the name suggests, it’s a practical way of learning concepts. It is a hands-on learning experience and eliminates dependency on books and theory. For instance, imagine someone teaching you to ride a bicycle or even playing cricket? Now consider all these activities being taught through a textbook but not practically. Do you think you can learn these activities via a book or even a projector?

If you want to learn these activities, the best option is to do them practically. Until and unless one doesn’t perform the action, how can one learn to swim, ride or play cricket?

Practical learning interchangeably refers to experiential learning, which is more important than theoretical education. In simpler words, it is learning through doing things such as experimenting in laboratories or study tours.

Benefits Of Practical Learning

Over the past couple of years, the learning system has undergone an enormous metamorphosis where education has become more inclusive.

Don’t you think that practical learning has a profound impact on students? Certainly, it improves their learning experiences. It’s scientifically proven that practical learning enhances understanding of the theoretical concepts and helps students retain information for an extended period.

Growing research bodies demonstrate the benefits of moving beyond the traditional lecture-driven approaches to learning. The practical learning style puts students in the driver’s seat through interactive technologies designed to engage learners and deepen their understanding. Beyond cognitive and academic benefits, experimental learning also offers socioemotional support.

1.   Practice leads to perfection

Experiential learning allows students to explore and understand theoretical concepts. Academic courses only explain the subject matter. But practical learning style encourages students to understand and work on experiments. Hence, self-learning is one of the best benefits of practical learning, leading to improved skills.

Beyond this, training and experimentation enhance your skills that cannot be acquired through academic books. Theoretical knowledge does impart proficiency and expertise to students. Still, it can never yield the kind of improved results that practical learning has the potential to deliver. For example, reading an engineering chapter won’t help, but experiments will certainly improve engineering skills. Plus, practical learning allows the student to perfect themselves and their skills.

Moreover, practical learning allows students to apply their skills in a non-classroom setting. However, it’s crucial to learn the theory of a subject or topic. But applying that theory to a real-life practical situation builds skills and expertise. It helps you employ your technical knowledge on the job and is also proven to improve critical thinking among students. The AACU states that practical learning enhances critical thinking and applying knowledge in complex situations.

2.   Creating deeper understanding

Practical education is more interactive than theoretical. Theoretical learning commonly employs professors who teach the subject through books that are not engaging and inviting. They also lack interactive exercises, which makes student lose their concentration.

On the contrary, practical learning is what students love as it gives them a chance to explore the concepts learned. The interactive exercises, practical experiments, and engaging sessions are essential features of practical education. They ensure full involvement from students, making them learn and understand more.

Isn’t learning the fundamental purpose of education? Indeed, and what better way to enhance learning than practical education. Beyond this, it strengthens understanding and comprehension of a subject. There is no denying that theoretical learning utilizes textbooks and research papers. In comparison, experiential learning allows students to learn things firsthand.

3.   Powerful memory tool

One of the added benefits of practical learning is its powerful memory retaining capabilities. It’s said and proven that students remember concepts better when they learn through experience. Hence, with good practice and experiments comes great experience and memory.

Let’s take an example of driving a car; when you learn to drive and practice it well, you learn to drive better. Moreover, students reading theoretical courses or lessons tend to remember information for a shorter period. They try hard to memorize long paragraphs, theorems, and formulas but forget them during exams.

In contrast, when students learn through experiments, field trips, assignments, or even projects, they retain information for a longer duration . The reason is that in theoretical learning, our mind focuses on words, whereas, in experiential learning, our focus is on remembering actions, scenarios, and outcomes.

Final Thoughts

For these convincing reasons, practical learning is gaining popularity and transforming the education landscape. Education is significant to gaining new knowledge, and it’s the key to developing a generation of capable and intellectual professionals. Hence, education is a perfect blend of theory-based concepts and practical learning. Nonetheless, knowledge has no value until put into practice.

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Essay on Education: Samples in 100, 250 and 500 Words

• Updated on  
• Sep 13, 2023

Education is crucial to a person’s growth and to his ability to become a well-aware citizen. An individual becomes independent through education, which also aids in stifling social ills and advances society and the nation as a whole. Understanding the enigma of nature is made easier by education. It enables us to comprehend how our society functions and make it better. It makes things possible for a better life. Education develops the skills necessary to combat social injustice. Each person has a right to education.

If you are struggling to write an essay on education, then this blog will help you greatly to get ideas so that you can write an excellent essay. Keep on reading further to know more! 

This Blog Includes:

Essay on education – 100 words , essay on education – 250 words , essay on education – 500 words .

A country can only advance via education. Every citizen of the nation deserves access to education, therefore the government must take all necessary steps. By improving their way of life, people become more responsible to society which further leads to equality in society.

More developed countries have higher literacy rates, and each country’s literacy rate is influenced by its educational system. Legislation and plans have surely been developed by the government, but carrying them out will be difficult. It is the responsibility of the government to improve the quality of life in society and the country as a whole. 

Also Read: Importance of Education 

It would be an understatement to say that education is your key to success. It acts as the key to opening a number of doors leading to achievement. You can then improve your quality of life by doing so. Education is still seen as a luxury rather than a necessity in our nation. To make education accessible, educational awareness needs to be extended across the nation. People won’t consider anything to be necessary for a good existence until they understand the significance of it. 

Education is key to attaining freedom for humans as there are many opportunities available for an educated person. A person with a good education is not forced to do anything they don’t want to do and can select from a choice of options. Education most notably has a favourable effect on our perspective as well. It enables us to make the best decisions and consider issues from a variety of angles rather than just one.

In comparison to an ignorant person, you can increase your productivity and perform a task better with education. But one must always remember that success is not guaranteed by education alone. It’s a doorway to achievement that can only be opened with a lot of effort, commitment, and other qualities. Together, these factors will help you succeed in life.

In summary, education improves your character and teaches you a variety of abilities. Your intelligence and capacity for reasoned decision-making are improved. It helps a person grow more personally.

Must Read: Top Educational Quotes to Keep You Motivated

Education speeds up effective learning and instils values, information, skills, and beliefs. A person’s life becomes better and more serene as a result of education. The teaching of writing and reading is the first stage in education. People become conscious and literate through education. It makes it easier for people to find work and undoubtedly improves their standard of living. Additionally, it enhances and hones a person’s communication abilities. It teaches someone to make practical use of the resources at their disposal. The significance of education in advancing knowledge in society is one of its significant features. When a person is educated, knowledge is transferred from one generation to the next. Not one person, but many people are educated because of one. 

As one’s knowledge base grows and their technical proficiency improves, education strengthens a person intellectually, mentally, and socially. In the business and academic worlds, it aids in improving their position. It serves as a useful tool for all stages of life. In the cutting-edge technological environment, education is crucial. Unlike in the past, when only the wealthy could afford to send their children to school and receive training, education is not as difficult or expensive. In the twenty-first century, there are numerous strategies to raise educational standards. In today’s modernised period, the requirements for receiving an education have altered completely.

Nowadays, anyone, regardless of age, can pursue an education. If a person’s thinking is not constrained, their age will never be a barrier. The possibility of homeschooling has been made available in some curricula. Universities around the globe are starting a variety of distance learning programmes. Following high school, we can pursue both a job and further education through remote learning programmes. To make the courses available to everyone, the academic price has also been made affordable.

Governmental and non-governmental agencies organise a variety of events where teachers visit a community and impart knowledge to students. In order to assist someone become an educated person, parents and instructors play a crucial part in their lives. Through education people’s mindset is improved which leads to the removal of significant social barriers. It advances not just societal and economic progress but also personal advancements.

Any country’s greatest advantage is its educated population. Through them, a nation improves because education breaks down mindset barriers, imparts knowledge and information, and develops people’s listening skills and manners. It gives a person a distinctive standard of living and equips them to deal with issues at the local, state, federal, and worldwide levels. Education promotes self-reliance, mental stability, and financial security. It improves self-assurance and instils confidence in a person, which is one of the best qualities of success.

Also Read: Objectives of Educational Technology 

What is the aim of education?

The aim of education is to help an individual acquire knowledge and skills to realise their full potential and succeed in life. 

Who is the father of education?

Horace Mann is regarded as the father of education. 

What are the 3 types of education?

The three main types of education are formal, informal and non-formal. 

This was everything about the essay on education! Follow our essay topics for more information and keep following Leverage Edu . 

Prachi Gupta

Prachi has 1.5 yrs of experience in Content & Copywriting. Her skills entail SEO, researching, brainstorming marketing campaigns, suggesting content ideas, graphic designing, Keyword research, understanding user intent etc. She thrives on a work culture that helps her unlearn redundant ways of thinking. Besides this, she always has her binoculars on looking for good books and music recommendations, cocktails and world history.

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Liberal and Practical Education in the Twenty-First Century

Continuing education.

This essay was originally published in  Centennial Conversations: Essential Essays in Professional, Continuing, and Online Education   (2015).

As some will recognize, the title of this essay alludes to one of the founding documents for continuing education in the United States, the Morrill Act of 1862 and its famous general statement of purpose, the aim of the act being “to promote the liberal and practical education of the industrial classes in the several pursuits and professions of life.” A broad charter indeed for the future profession of continuing education! And one that, in the more than a century and a half since its articulation, has seen many variations played on both “liberal” and “practical.” Recently, some universities have even begun renaming their continuing education units as centers of “liberal and professional” studies—a somewhat more upscale and contemporary version of “liberal and practical.”

What the relation of liberal to practical is or should be has never been quite clear. Are they opposites? Certainly many seem to think so, especially today when some parents, students, and politicians consider time spent on liberal subjects (often confused with the humanities) to be wasted, at the expense of practical knowledge that would contribute, so the argument goes, more directly and effectively to workforce development and readiness and to national competitiveness. Or are they complements, and if so, of what kind? One historic view is that they are indeed complementary, based on social class: liberal study for the few, the elite, the governors, the professions; practical study for the everyman and everywoman whose prime concern is to make a decent living for themselves and their family. But the Morrill Act language stubbornly couples the two together, intending both kinds of knowledge for the industrial classes and for all the pursuits and professions one can imagine. In what follows I will argue that the Morrill language got it right the first time, and that, going forward, the wisdom of coupling these forms of knowledge will be even more important than ever, both to individuals and to society, and finally, that it should be the aim—and obligation—of continuing educators to advocate for the synergies their interaction produces.

As always, when discussing liberal education, one must begin with what it is not. First, it is not a particular set of subjects—despite the origin of the term in the medieval artes liberalis , which comprehended grammar, rhetoric, and dialectic plus arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, and music. Nor is it owned by humanities departments—rather, it can draw freely upon virtually all subject areas. Second, it is not a particular list of books or set of experiences. Reading the Great Books or the Harvard Classics or whatever may contribute to liberal learning but doesn’t necessarily do so. Any liberal instrument may be used in illiberal ways: as the poet John Milton observed, one may even be “a heretic in the truth” if one has not tested and probed and come to one’s own authentic understanding of a truth claimed by others. Third, whatever politically minded critics may think, liberal education is not intended to turn people into political liberals—indeed, it sometimes has the opposite effect. And fourth, although it was historically the province of an elite, in a democratic society it aims not for the creation of a particular class but to enable and to elevate a community of full cultural and civic participation for all.

So if liberal learning is not defined by subject, politics, or class, what is it? What can be positively affirmed? Many have tried their hands at this, usually in the form of a list of some kind. One influential recent example is an article by the historian William Cronon, entitled “Only Connect: The Goals of a Liberal Education” (1998). Cronon’s list of the qualities of a liberally educated mind include the abilities to listen and hear; to read and understand; to talk with anyone; to write clearly, persuasively, and movingly; to solve a wide variety of problems; to respect rigor as a way of seeking truth; and to practice humility, tolerance, and self-criticism—and above all, taking his motto from the novelist E. M. Forster, to connect disparate areas of experience into the richest whole possible. This is a memorable contemporary restatement of the aims of liberal study, but it doesn’t quite replace an older statement, nearly contemporary with the Morrill Act, by the Victorian educator William Cory, of Eton College:

You go to a great school, not for knowledge so much as for arts and habits; for the habit of attention, for the art of expression, for the art of assuming at a moment’s notice a new intellectual posture, for the art of entering quickly into another person’s thoughts, for the habit of submitting to censure and refutation, for the art of indicating assent or dissent in graduated terms, for the habit of regarding minute points of accuracy, for the habit of working out what is possible in a given time, for taste, for discrimination, for mental courage and mental soberness. Above all, you go to a great school for self-knowledge. (Cory 1861, 7)

Better still, consider the first continuing educator, who was also the first practitioner of liberal learning, Socrates. As depicted in Plato’s dialogues, his typical technique, still the best educational practice and the foundation of all liberal learning, was the bait and switch or, more precisely, the bait and add. When young men come to him, in the Gorgias for example, hoping to learn the techniques of an irresistible skill in argument, one so strong that they can gain their way in any political dispute or confrontation, he teases them into thinking about justice and a just society—the ends for which all power, and especially the power of persuasive argument, should be exercised.

And we continuing educators very much continue and adapt this tradition: we bait our students with institutional prestige but surprise them with amiability and unpretentiousness; we often bait them with modest prices but then surprise them with the need for a greater intellectual effort than they’ve made before; we bait them with certificates and degrees but hope to spark lifelong intellectual curiosities and passions; we bait them with the promise of better jobs and incomes but send them away with the skills and sympathies needed by better citizens of a better community.

Continuing educators have always been people of mixed motives—indeed, if we didn’t have mixed motives, would we have any at all?—and the challenge is to keep the mix as rich and productive as possible, which means, in most cases, adding liberal elements to our often practically oriented programs. One example: several years ago my unit devised a new certificate in financial services to serve a strong local banking and investment sector. We did the due diligence: assessed the need, hired as program director a recent PhD in economics from our university who worked at the Federal Reserve Bank, surveyed similar programs elsewhere, and consulted with local practitioners. Once we had a draft of the program, we invited—to breakfast before the markets opened!—a distinguished group of industry representatives. They liked what they saw, with one exception: we had forgotten professional ethics! As they pointed out, anyone in the industry soon masters the financial techniques, but what is never fully mastered is the daily ethical struggle to balance your personal interests, your firm’s interests, and your client’s interests—which may well conflict. The practical elements of this profession had been obvious, and we had provided for them; but we had forgotten the liberal elements that our adult students most needed if they were to live a fully successful life: doing well but also, within their sphere, doing good.

And so it is in all the many pursuits and professions of the twenty-first century. There are no longer any durably square holes for which to produce square pegs. If we are merely practical, we are likely not going to be really practical enough for an economy in which more jobs every day require and reward flexibility and critical thinking. In the knowledge economy and learning society we frequently invoke, both jobs and careers are more often fluid than fixed. Although my own title has not changed, my job as dean is not the same as it was five or ten years ago, and on a given day, my administrative assistant may make a decision regarding, say, an inquiry or a visitor that is more important than any I will make that day. The old distinction between routine and creative work is also outmoded: thanks to word processing, we’re all typists now—and all decision makers as well.

Indeed, decision and choice in everything we do is the ground note of life in all developed countries and, increasingly, around the world. Where and how we live, what occupations and ambitions we pursue, what personal style and cultural affinities we embrace, what religious belief we practice, if any, what version of family we create or not: all of these and many other choices are ours to make. And beyond the personal, what kinds of societies embodying what sorts of values and aspirations shall we strive for? These are all practical questions. But to make such choices in the best way we need as many liberal and liberating experiences as possible for the arts and habits and self-knowledge that they provide.

Shakespeare was perhaps the first to fully imagine a world, whether tragic or comic, in which one’s choices mattered more than one’s circumstances. This was once, and not so long ago, an existential experience and self-conception available only—outside one of his plays—to the occasional king or queen, hero or heroine. But over several centuries the invention and widespread dissemination of ever more powerful technologies—agricultural, political, medical, educational, informational, and many others—has substantially brought that imagined world into being and made it available, at least in principle, to us all. The resulting long-term social and moral revolution in the democratization of choice was news four hundred years ago, is news today, and will be news for many years to come. Its benefits are of course still very unevenly distributed both in the developed world and across the globe, and too many people still live in the iron grip of circumstances that prevent their full flourishing in a life based on choices and choices well made. But the long arc of this development is both unmistakable and irresistible.

We continuing educators are potentially among the most powerful agents of this revolution. Not the only ones of course: the inventors of the Internet have, for example, played a crucial role in recent years! But as the growing edge of higher education we have a special role to play and one of which we should be conscious and proud and deliberate. Not that spreading a four-centuries-old worldwide democratic revolution in morals and manners is in any of our job descriptions—indeed, most provosts and presidents would be shocked at the opportunity costs involved in even entertaining such a thought. But we have both the opportunity and the obligation, I think, to prepare our students for full participation in it just as we wish for their full participation in the job market and in civic life.

One consequence should be our regularly advocating for the most generous understanding of what sort of education continuing education students—now the most numerous of all students—need, an education both liberal and practical that prepares them to make well the many decisions in their own lives and those of their families and of the many communities—local, national, and international—in which we and they share. Our students too should be satisfied with nothing less than the best.

So yes, let’s help produce a workforce that can adapt to the many challenges that advancing technologies and changes in the nature of work will bring. And let’s help produce the engaged, critically minded citizens who will be needed to control and correct even the best of governments. And finally, let’s prepare our students for the dignity and the deep challenge of making, and then living in, a world largely of their own choosing. For that great enterprise, they’ll need all the knowledge, both liberal and practical, that they can get!

Cory, William. 1861. Eton Reform II . London: Longman, Green, Longman, and Roberts.

Cronon, William. 1998. “Only Connect: The Goals of a Liberal Education.” American Scholar 67(4): 73–80.

What is Practical Writing?

Practical Writing is for students who need to use written English both in their studies and in their personal life. Whether they are writing a descriptive essay for their teacher or sending a message to a friend, Practical Writing helps them structure their message, select the right vocabulary and choose the most appropriate style. Find out more by reading this brochure , and by watching this video .

CEFR level:

Syllabus and demo

News and updates.

• 2023 Apr: New Starting Out video and transcript released
• 2023 Jan: Updated and enhanced content in the following units: Taking notes, Descriptive essays, Textspeak and Official letters
• ELTons Judging Panel describe Practical Writing as "a comprehensive package offering a fuller structured writing programme than anything I've seen before."
• Institutions that use Practical Writing: Abu Dhabi Knowledge Group, University of Hyderabad, King Edward VI College.

Support materials

Ideas to promote Practical Writing on all online platforms.

Social media

Ideas to promote Practical Writing on all social media platforms – text and images included.

e-Newsletter

Ideas to promote Practical Writing in email communication – text and images included.

The poster highlights learning strategies, with a space for your own access instructions.

Program description

The text here highlights the features of Practical Writing, so your students will understand how Practical Writing can help them.

Teacher support

Download an activity sheet to find out how to use the program, and to get an overview of the content.

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Download everything you need with one click. Or you can email us with your requirements: [email protected]

Technical specifications

• Google Chrome
• Mozilla Firefox
• Apple Safari
• Microsoft Edge

Latest upgrades

• 2023 May: New audio updates in Unit 9
• 2022 Dec: Updated and enhanced content in the following units: Essays, Job applications, Emails, Short reports and Plagiarism
• 2022 Oct: Updated and enhanced content and worksheets in the following units: Reviews: hotels and restaurants and Avoiding plagiarism

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