Informal Education in Practice

The different ways that informal education is practiced in different contexts, such as community development programs, workplace training, and adult education.

Definition and Principles of Informal Education: This topic covers the definition of informal education, its principles, and features. It helps learners to understand the concept and approach to informal education.

The Role of Informal Education in Society: This topic analyzes the importance of informal education in society, how it impacts the individuals and communities, and its contribution to social change.

Learning Theories and Informal Education: This topic considers the theoretical frameworks that underpin informal education, including experiential learning, social learning, cognitive learning, and constructivism.

Types of Informal Education: This topic explores the various forms of informal education, such as personal development, community service, life skills, and non-formal learning.

Facilitating Informal Learning: This topic teaches how to facilitate informal learning, create learning environments, design learning activities, and measure learning outcomes.

Ethics and Values in Informal Education: This topic looks at the ethical considerations in informal education, including values and attitudes, equality, inclusivity, and social responsibility.

The Role of Communication in Informal Education: This topic examines the importance of communication in informal education, how to use effective communication skills, and how it enhances learning.

Informal Education and Technology: This topic evaluates the role of technology in informal education, its impact on learning, and how to incorporate technology in informal learning environments.

Assessment and Evaluation in Informal Education: This topic discusses the methods of assessing and evaluating learning in informal education, including feedback mechanisms, self-reflection, and peer feedback.

Professional Development in Informal Education: This topic discusses how to develop and enhance the professional skills required to work in informal education, including volunteer management, program development, and strategic planning.

Self-directed learning: This type of informal education involves an individual taking the initiative to learn without the guidance of a formal instructor, such as reading a book, watching a video tutorial, or researching a topic online.

Mentoring: A mentor is an informal educator who shares their knowledge and experience with a mentee, helping them develop both professionally and personally.

Community-based education: This form of informal education takes place within a community setting, such as a local library, community center, or after-school program. It may include activities such as workshops, tutoring, discussion groups, or community service projects.

Nature-based education: This type of informal education relies on natural settings to teach individuals about the environment, sustainability, and other related topics. Activities may include hiking, camping, bird-watching, or gardening.

Apprenticeships: Informal education through apprenticeships involves an individual learning from a skilled professional through hands-on experience, such as a carpenter or chef teaching a novice their craft.

Online learning: Informal education through online platforms such as YouTube, Coursera or LinkedIn Learning are ways through which individuals can learn new skills or acquire knowledge on various topics from the comfort of their homes.

Cultural immersion: This type of informal education allows individuals to learn about different cultures through experiencing them firsthand, such as traveling to foreign countries, trying different cuisines, or attending cultural events like festivals or celebrations.

Hobby-based education: Informal education through hobbies, such as painting, woodworking, or playing a musical instrument, allows for learning through experimentation, creativity, and personal interest.

Workplace learning: Informal education in the workplace occurs through on-the-job training, shadowing a supervisor or mentor, and other informal learning opportunities.

Social learning: Finally, social learning refers to informal education that happens through our interactions with others, such as discussions with friends or peers, problem-solving in groups, or role-playing scenarios.

How is informal learning characterized compared to other types of learning?

"by a low degree of planning and organizing in terms of the learning context, learning support, learning time, and learning objectives"

What differentiates informal learning from formal learning, non-formal learning, and self-regulated learning?

"It has no set objective in terms of learning outcomes, but an intent to act from the learner's standpoint"

What are typical mechanisms of informal learning?

"trial and error or learning-by-doing, modeling, feedback, and reflection"

What are examples of activities that fall under informal learning for learners?

"heuristic language building, socialization, enculturation, and play"

How does informal learning differ from traditional teacher-centered learning?

"It is a pervasive ongoing phenomenon of learning via participation or learning via knowledge creation, in contrast with the traditional view of teacher-centered learning via knowledge acquisition"

What percentage of adult learning is estimated to take place informally and outside educational institutions?

"about 70-90 percent"

With what terms is informal learning often conflated?

"non-formal learning, and self-directed learning"

In what context is the term "informal learning" commonly used in corporate settings?

"corporate training and education in relation to return on investment (ROI), or return on learning (ROL)"

How is the term "informal learning" used in the context of science education?

"in relation to citizen science, or informal science education"

What are examples of learning mechanisms that occur outside traditional instructor-led programs?

"reading self-selected books, participating in self-study programs, navigating performance support materials and systems, incidental skills practice, receptivity of coaching or mentoring, seeking advice from peers, or participation in communities of practice"

What are advantages of informal learning?

"flexibility and adaptation to learning needs, direct transfer of learning into practice, and rapid resolution of (work-related) problems"

What is considered the most important source of learning for improving employees' performance?

"task execution"

How is informal learning distinct from non-formal learning?

"The conflated meaning of informal and non-formal learning explicates mechanisms of learning that organically occur outside the realm of traditional instructor-led programs"

What is the main focus of informal learning?

"intent to act from the learner's standpoint (e.g., to solve a problem)"

What are typical mechanisms used in informal learning?

"trial and error or learning-by-doing, modeling, feedback, and reflection"

What activities are included in informal learning for learners?

"heuristic language building, socialization, enculturation, and play"

What is the estimated percentage of adult learning that occurs informally?

"about 70-90 percent"

In what context is the term "informal learning" commonly used in relation to return on investment?

"corporate training and education"

What term is often conflated with informal learning?

"non-formal learning"

What are some advantages of informal learning?

"flexibility and adaptation to learning needs, direct transfer of learning into practice, and rapid resolution of (work-related) problems"