World Cafe on Informal Learning

Inspired by Harold Jarche's unworkshop on informal learning, on September 26, as part of Learn @ Work week, I hosted a world cafe on Informal Learning for the Ottawa Chapter of the Canadian Society for Training and Development. The event was attended by 17 amazing people who work within the training industry in the Ottawa area. At the event, three questions were posed:

• What is informal learning?
• What would make you and your organization more receptive to informal learning?
• How do you measure informal learning?

Here are the notes that were taken at each of the tables during the conversations:
During the debriefing the following themes were discovered:

• Informal learning's value is not always measurable in the same ways as formal learning
• Informal learning can be connected to formal learning events
• Informal learning is adaptable and flexible
• A formal definition of informal learning is unnecessary
• Informal learning represents a shift from "how I got it" to "having it"
• "how I got it" represents degrees / certifications
• "having it" represents demonstrated competencies
  
• Informal learning is life as usual
• No define, no design, no delivery, no assess
• 80% of the budget goes to formal learning, which provides 20% of the actual learning
• Formalization kills informal learning
• Informal needs to stay informal
• Informal learning is about the process
• Employee engagement could be used as a means of measuring informal learning

One of the greatest things about the World Cafe format is the opportunity for people to meet, make connections, and have meaningful conversation. I'd like to invite anyone who attended to share their reflections of the event and possibly insights they have realized since the event, as comments to this blog.

Cheers,
Rebecca

Is it informal learning if ...

What makes informal learning "informal"?

• Is it the lack of a certificate of completion?
  
• Is it the lack of an instructor?
  
• Is it the lack of learner evaluation?
• Is it the lack of a "formal" motivator?

I can think of examples for each of these that would qualify as "informal" learning. I can't think of a single characteristic of learning that could not be informal for one person and formal for another.

For example:

• When I wanted to learn about SCORM (Sharable Content Object Reference Model), I searched the Internet and found a web-based tutorial on SCORM. The tutorial tracked my progress and when I completed the tutorial I was presented with a certificate (on the screen) that I could print. Would this be "formal" learning because I received a certificate? I would not call it such. To me, this was also informal learning. However, if I needed a SCORM certification, then the certificate of completion could be considered formal training. This also serves as an example of learning without an instructor. The course did not even have an associated email address for learner questions. The learners were completely on their own.
  

• Currently, I am auditing a couple of sociology courses at the University of Ottawa. I attend the "formal" lectures, but do not write tests or papers, and I am not graded. From my perspective, this is an informal learning opportunity for me. I am not part of any formal process, I simply attend the lectures I chose to attend and I learn (I think I learn a lot more than those who attend the course formally, since I am not concerned about how I will be graded). But for the majority of folks in the class, this is a formal learning opportunity. Their learning is measured and they received "credit" for the learning that they demonstrate. For the other students, the credit provides an external motivator. My motivation for attending is strictly personal interest.
  

So, is "informal" just a context?