EdTech Group, Mar ’04
Informal Learning Boundaries: How blurred is it?
Giasemi
EdTech, Mar ‘04
What is Informal Learning?
Mocker & Spear (1982), Model of Lifelong Learning
What (objectives)
Institution
Learner
How (means)
Institution Formal Learning
Non-formal Learning
Learner Informal Learning
Self-directed Learning
EdTech, Mar ‘04
What is Informal Learning?
Primary Agency
Teacher(s) Learner(s)
Knowledge
Structure
Pre-Establish
ed
Formal Schooling, Elders' teachings
Non-formal education,
Further education
Situational
Informal Education,Informal Training
Self-directed learning,Collective learning
Livingstone (2001), Basic Types of Learning
“When teachers or mentors take responsibility for
instructing others without sustained reference to an
intentionally-organized body of knowledge in more
incidental and spontaneous learning situations, such as
guiding them in acquiring job skills or in community
development activities, the form of learning is informal
education or informal training”
“…all other forms of intentional or tacit learning in which we engage either individually or
collectively without direct reliance on a teacher or an
externally-organized curriculum can be termed self-directed
or collective informal learning”
EdTech, Mar ‘04
What is Informal Learning?
Primary Agency
Teacher(s) Learner(s)
Knowledge
Structure
Pre-Establish
ed
Formal Schooling, Elders' teachings
Non-formal education,
Further education
Situational
Self-directed learning,Collective learning
Informal Education,Informal Training
Livingstone (2001), Basic Types of Learning
Informal learning is any activity involving the pursuit of understanding, knowledge or skill which occurs without the presence of
externally imposed curricular criteria.
EdTech, Mar ‘04
What is Informal Learning?“Conceptions of both self-directed informal
learning and informal education to date have been quite insensitive to distinctions between intentional and more diffuse forms of learning. Intentional informal learning and intentional informal training can be distinguished from everyday perceptions, general socialization and more tacit informal learning or training by peoples' own conscious identification of the activity as significant learning or training.” (Livingstone 2001)
EdTech, Mar ‘04
What is Informal Learning?Example 1
Day - Time - Place: 2, morning, at workPeople involved: Only me Objects/resources used: BookBackground/objectives: To understand basics of activity theory What happened: I began to read an advanced book on activity
theory and its applications. It became apparent that I needed to understand the central ideas first of all. I used a general HCI textbook and looked up activity theory and found just a short, manageable section explaining the idea that human work activity comprises the activity, actions and operators by which the actions are completed.
Problems encountered:Comments/notes: Often I find that recognising familiar words but in a
less daunting context makes it easier for me to return to the original (more complex) task.
EdTech, Mar ‘04
What is Informal Learning?Example 2
Day - Time - Place: 1, morning, at work People involved: Interflora call centre member of staff Objects/resources used: Post-it note with name + address of relative. Phone number of
interflora. Credit CardBackground/objectives: To send some flowers to a relative for their birthdayWhat happened: I have never sent flowers before and was even more uncertain as to
how to do this over the phone. I expected to have to read out the whole address but was only asked for name and postcode. I had to specify the time and date for delivery which was an easy task but also to say what sort of flowers. This was harder because it wasn't clear what level of specification was required or what terminology to use. But I tried bright colours and scented and this seemed acceptable. I also had to state an amount to pay. This was easier because the lady gave me a range of prices to choose from. I also gave my credit card details and had to give a message to go on the card.
Problems encountered: my credit card was slightly unusual in that there has no title before my name and this baffled the lady for a while. I also have difficulty transcribing numbers when they are read out to me so had to ask her to repeat the reference number for my order.
Comments/notes: I would say that I learned this morning how to order flowers. I know what the important questions and issues are and the order in which they arise. I wouldn't feel nervous about repeating the process and was glad that for the most it was a pain-free, well structured process.
EdTech, Mar ‘04
What is Informal Learning?Example 3
Day - Time - Place: 2, noon, at travel shop People involved: Member of staff in travel shopObjects/resources used: Timetables. Map of Birmingham.Background/objectives: To find out where IKEA was and how to get
there.What happened: Whilst buying my bus pass I asked the man how to
get to IKEA. He described to me where it was and explained how to get there on the bus. It would take 3 buses and take a long time.
Problems encountered: He had to repeat the numbers for the different buses several times as I couldn't keep that many different numbers in my head at once.
Comments/notes: I was amazed that he knew all the different bus numbers and routes.
EdTech, Mar ‘04
What is Informal Learning? ‘Significant learning or training’
How do we define ‘significance’? How can we make sure all have same notion of
‘significance’? What is the timescale for determining
‘significance’? Can we tell immediately after or do we need a set period
after learning before we can decide? When does it stop being information
gathering and becomes learning? If we design learning support, are we entitled
to decide at the time of learning if something will be significant to the learner later?
EdTech, Mar ‘04
What is Informal Learning?
Goal of Learning
Explicitly defined by Unspecifie
dTeacher Learner
Process of
Learning
Explicitly
defined by
Teacher
Intentional, formal learning
LearnerIntentional,
informal learning
Non-prescribedUnintentional,
informal learning
Vavoula (WiP), Typology of Learning
EdTech, Mar ‘04
What is Informal Learning?
Thoughts??