{"id":4350,"date":"2015-11-25T18:15:42","date_gmt":"2015-11-25T15:15:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.talentlms.com\/blog\/?p=4350"},"modified":"2024-01-24T12:47:49","modified_gmt":"2024-01-24T10:47:49","slug":"informal-learning-in-the-workplace","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.talentlms.com\/blog\/informal-learning-in-the-workplace\/","title":{"rendered":"Why and how to use informal learning in the workplace"},"content":{"rendered":"

Learning and employee development are key concerns in any organization. You want to give your employees all the resources they need to succeed in their jobs. But you\u2019re not limited to formal training. Or, at least, you shouldn’t. Informal learning helps employees strengthen their skills and continue learning<\/strong> outside the traditional setting of a meeting room or online workshop.<\/p>\n

In this article, we\u2019ll discuss when<\/em> and why<\/em> you should use informal learning in the workplace. We\u2019ll also offer some best practices. But first, let\u2019s define exactly what informal learning is.<\/p>\n

What is informal learning?<\/h2>\n

Informal learning definition:<\/strong> Informal learning is education that occurs outside a structured learning environment. It happens when learners are driven by their own interests. When they learn through experiences and content available outside of predefined, formal training.<\/p>\n

Informal learning examples:<\/strong> This kind of learning can take many forms. Some common ones include educational videos and articles, self-study, social media interaction, on-the-job mentoring, or even team activities and games.<\/p>\n

Informal education is generally self-directed<\/strong>. But that doesn\u2019t mean you can\u2019t engage employees in it intentionally. You can design informal training that supports your organization\u2019s learning strategy (more on that later).<\/p>\n

Even when it\u2019s intentional, however, informal learning is different from formal training.<\/p>\n

Formal vs. informal learning<\/h2>\n

Formal learning is structured and often mandated. It has very clear objectives and tends to favor a trainer-centered<\/strong> approach where the goal is getting specific content across to students. It includes specific progress schedules and testing to ensure knowledge transfer.<\/p>\n

Informal learning, on the other hand, is learner-centered<\/strong>. It\u2019s based on the idea that the learner can self-motivate, self-correct, and self-evaluate in the learning process.<\/p>\n

When to use formal learning<\/h3>\n

Formal learning is at the heart of most learning strategies, and for good reasons. Employees need to have the technical skills and knowledge to do their jobs. They also need the soft skills<\/strong><\/a> required to work with colleagues and clients.<\/p>\n

In addition, some training is mandated, either by the organization, by the industry regulations, or by the government. Compliance training<\/strong><\/a>, for example, ensures that organizations operate in an ethical, fair, and accountable manner.<\/p>\n

In these cases, formal training will communicate what learners need to know and ensure that they learn it in a reasonable timeframe.<\/p>\n

When to use informal learning<\/h3>\n

Informal education is a great outlet for reflective practice or hands-on learning. It can be especially beneficial when you want L&D to be an ongoing process<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Often learning is more complete when it happens over time. Skills or knowledge gained through formal training can be reinforced<\/strong> through outside activities and resources.<\/p>\n

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The benefits of informal learning<\/h2>\n

Fostering a culture of informal learning can offer your organization many benefits. For example:<\/p>\n