Informal Learning - Hype or useful??

[steve case]

I am curious what you opinion is? I have seen some interesting information around large ROI's using Informanl Learning. I have heard Josh Bersin and his strong opinion about the usefulness of Informal Learning. I was wondering what you opinion is. I am anxiously awaiting an upcoming free webinar on the topic, but would like your input and your experinces with informal learning.

[Eric Davidove]

I have been working with BT on a project called dare2share - a social learning platform that has been extracting good value from informal learning. Our experience with informal learning has been extremely beneficial. I attached an article that provides a bit more detail about the business case of social learning.

[Hagop Emrazian]

Informal learning is a developed methodology of custom and formalized learning. The main idea is to introduce the learners into different ways of acquiring knowledge within their own pace and have them seek after what they need to learn. Now there are many factors that will affect the outcome, be it internal organizational, individual or external. Some might get into the trap of mainly "Relying" on informal learning as the easy way around minimizing training expenditure, yet we need to be careful on how we introduce this concept, measure the outcomes and benefits.

Unless you already did, I suggest your read "Informal Learning" by Jay Cross.

[Paul Foreman]

There always has been "informal learning" in our business, culture and day-to-day life. I learned to pheasant hunt from my Dad to start and then with my hunting friends over the years refined and improved my skills - no class here just on the job experiences and informal learning. The same goes for the many, many years of farming here in America and worldwide - knowledge, skills and abilities are developed, polished and grow in an informal learning fashion within the family, village and whole community.

With that said, we use electronic methods of communication today and don't just have one-on-one or face to face methods to exchange information, knowledge and learning. However, while the tools change and we are now trying to capture and track the informal learning within our business areas it is still something that is spontaneous and situational. So once we try to develop and keep records and assess the investment costs/returns on something as sporadic and case by case with unique content it becomes an unrealistic chase. Trying to develop and track the ROI for informal learning may be an interesting activity but I am very doubtful of it’s ultimate value.

Informal learning is a factor to consider in planning and delivery of any formal program but trying to track, measure and somehow quantify it is chasing rainbows and trying to find the mythical pot of gold at it’s end. I for one need to concentrate on the formal curriculum and the targeted and tightly constructed course material it’s my responsibility to see delivered to our personnel. I may be able to use the informal arena to support and help accomplish my business needs and objectives but I’ll still need the formal records from the CPR manikin and the ‘passed’ score on the written test to meet my requirements.

[Paul Jones]

I'm a marketer by profession, but an informal learner by inclination. I blog on the topic at: www.thelearnersguild.com.

Here's my take:

Policy makers, business people, even adult educators always want to somehow formalize informal learning. You know; figure out a way to test your informal learning, charge money to evaluate it, give credits for it, offer credentials.

It never quite works because for people who like to learn informally... and there's tens of millions of us... informal education is like high fiber bread. And those of us who choose high fiber bread don’t want you to grind it up and try to repackage it as low-fat sausage.

[J Coleman]

I find the recordings, outlines, etc. created for informal learning becomes a great resource when it comes time to develop a formal chargeable class. So I lean toward tracking and organizing the material as it is developed, to make for better resource mining later on. I would be interested to hear if others have cracked the code on tracking ROI. There is some measure of value that will be recouped if a formal class is developed, but I don't think that is ever quantified.

[Avneet Jolly]

I'm currently working with a CIO on redesigning his IT Architecture function. When I talk to the Architects (also s/w developers & senior leaders), I find that they have no expectation whatsoever that HR/ L&D will ever provide them with learning specific to their function. Maybe I'm new to this field, but I find that pretty sad. As a result, ~100% of their learning is "informal" (books, networking meetings, online etc). A couple of them (in a group of 30+) may get to attend a conference, but the vast majority won't.

Any decent-sized company has this huge complexity of functions (IT Architects, Facilities people, payroll clerks, networking engineers, customer service reps . . etc) . . . is it even realistic to try to map and meet their learning requirements? Or is it better to just give them some more tools (something better than Google??) to "pull" the kind of learning they need?

Here is an interesting presentation from Zaid Alsagoff on "101 Free Learning Tools". For the most part "free" => "informal"?

Steve - to finally answer your question: informal learning is very real. In fact, you could probably argue that there is more hype in formal learning than in informal.

[Manish Vashist]

I think even informal learning could be categorized into several sub categories

1. Things that I have to learn NOW: This is just in time learning. I hit a road block and I have to learn this new thing before proceeding any further

2. Things that I want to learn: These are the things that I always wanted to know however never get time to learn it. Well, I can spend some time and access youtube or some other source to learn it.

3. Things that I would like to know that might help me in social gathering: there are items that you would like to learn to keep you ahead in time. Reviews, news items, and latest happenings in your interest areas might fall in this area. Another example of this type could be where something cool is happing around you that you probably are not interested in however may be because of social pressure or some other motivation, you pursue it.

I believe, people learn because that are looking for some reward and that reward could be anything. Corporates where these rewards are recognized has a culture for self or informal learning.

[Doug]

As many companies are faced with in some way or another "re-inventing" themselves as a result of acquisition, mergers, and/or economic conditions the sharing of "intellectual capital" is critical. Most of our learning happens informally - we need to harness the knowledge and connect the social networks in our organizations to embrace and support the changes that are occuring. We have for a year now being working on an initiative to create what we are phrasing Informal Learning Communities (ILCs) where specific topics/teams have access to a portal where situations are discussed and resolutions worked out in a collaborative/sharing environment. Unlike a Help Desk - it is an open environment where the solution is worked out in the front office instead of the back office. Employees can see the factors/discussions that played into the resolution so have a stronger trust in the solution and also build a knowledge and network. The challenge is 1) not formalizing the informal learning community and 2) creating a culture of sharing. Without establishing a culture of sharing informal learning communities will never flourish as they should.

I know there is discussion about measuring the ROI on Informal Learning Communities however do we measure the impact of a colleague sharing information with another colleague over lunch or a passing in the hallway? Should we measure informal learning? And if so how do we measure it?

[steve case]

Doug, you should look at Q2's eCampus. Seems o me like they have a lot of that all ready done and ready to use..
steve

[Doug]

Thanks Steve - I will have a look.

Regards,
Doug

[TED VILLELLA]

People are thrown off by use of the word informal. The real question is, Please differentiate between informal and fromal learning? Learning is learning, the more we learn about the nueroscince of it the more we recognize we are learning 24/7 (yes even in our sleep) so the question then becomes what are we learning? Informal learning is really using newer froms of communication and the oldest there is talking on the job or tada OJT which has been around as long a jobs havebeen around. Sure it is less formal than going to an instructor led class.

There is lots of evidence that OJT is really very dangerous to rely on for good learning. See Working Minds by Crandall Klien and Hoffman pages 203 - 206. OJT without structure is often bad BAD BAD. So Josh et al are really telling management what they want to hear - here is a way to say people are learning when what is really happening is they are learning all kinds of incorrect process and procedure (put a penny in the fuse box and the lights come back on cool trick - until it causes a fire .... If we put some structure into informal learning we can get gains - but if no one is watching the hen house the fox is very happy...

[steve case]

Ted good points.. I believe that by current definition Formal is Classroom Based, eLearning and Webinars and OJT/SOJT. And yes structure is the key.. the only platform I know of that structures informal (and social) Learning, and tracks and monitors and reports is Q2's xPERT eCampus. And I agree Ted it needs to be monitored.. and kept track of, and then tweaked to make it more and more accurate. monitoring is the key
Some of the work that CNA, CA and others have done with structured and tracked Informal Learning is quite impressive. good results.