Over the last few years the term informal learning has become a buzz phrase in adult education and the training industry, and for good reason! Informal learning provides a contrast to training because it delivers a larger context where learning can happen, which is usually in the workplace. The significance of learning from others in the workplace introduces a wider diversity of settings than training can offer. Research on workplace learning of professionals, technicians, and managers has revealed that learning in the workplace is primarily informal and involves a combination of observing others, mentoring, and learning from personal experiences[i]. Formal learning is an organized activity that is highly structured and consists of learner and program outcomes. Whereas informal learning occurs outside of a classroom, it is typically less structured and mostly opportunistic. Although some organizations offer informal learning mechanisms such as coaching and mentoring, there are also an array of other informal or experiential learning methods to consider.
You may be thinking, so what? Why is informal learning important? Globalization is impacting the way organizations are sharing knowledge and competing in today’s international market economy. Continual and constant changes within organizations, persistent pressure of competing client interests, changing demographics of the labour market are situations which have become the norm in today’s marketplace. You may have heard of the term adaptability quotient, also known as AQ. The adaptability quotient is the ability to perform and excel in a constant changing environment. According to Talent Economy, adaptability could eventually become as important for hiring as emotional intelligence (EQ).
In such fast-moving workplace environments that leave limited time to think and reflect, skills and competencies need to be continuously developed for global competitiveness. Methods for exploring learning both inside and outside of the workplace have to expand to include various processes and systems that can enhance employee performance. The majority of learning that occurs in the workplace does not come from training opportunities, but are embedded as a part of normal workplace practice. Support from colleagues and confidence in one’s abilities to take on challenging tasks are key factors that impact learning in the workplace. These factors are in turn influenced by how we value our contributions to the organization and the quality of our relationships at work. Organizations can profit from informal learning by leading discussions on how they can enhance opportunities for their employees to learn more efficiently and effectively in their day-to-day work.
Experience and its Role in Informal Learning
John Dewey’s work in experiential learning has had a significant influence on the education system in the United States. Dewey’s main principle was that experience is the best teacher. Learning is an active process of dealing with dynamic conditions and problems in the world through testing solutions and interacting with others. Of course, not all experience lends itself to learning. In fact, some experience can impede learning. But what constitutes experience and how does experience contribute to learning?
First, learning is a process not an outcome. Performance is the outcome. Therefore, to enhance learning in the workplace feedback on an employee’s performance is critical. Second, learning is not solely based on cognitive processes. It is a holistic process that involves thinking, feeling, and doing. Knowledge is developed, communicated, and interpreted within a social context. Learning cannot exist independent of the social context, or in other words the workplace. Workplace learning is significantly shaped by social, organizational, and cultural factors. Third, learning occurs through the balance of assimilating new experiences into existing beliefs and accommodating or transforming existing beliefs into to new mindsets. Sometimes learning involves relearning an existing skillset or attitude. To grow and develop, an individual must be able to question her assumptions and values so that they can be examined, tested, and integrated with new ideas.
People learn using different strategies that are developed according to the environment rather than it being the result of a personality trait. I have lost count of how many personality inventories and tests I have taken that have done little to improve my performance. Discovering I am more people than process oriented, which in all honesty I knew all along, does me little good if my workload is more than one person can handle and as a result I am missing critical deadlines. An experience may never become an experiential learning moment if learning is not the intended outcome or if there is not enough time to reflect on our actions. Individuals are involved in a continuous flow of experience throughout their lives. Experiences become meaningful and contribute to learning when they are given attention and reflected upon. By simply paying attention to an experience it brings that experience into conscious thought so that it can be comprehended and acted upon rather than remaining on an unconscious level.
If an employee’s on-the-job learning constitutes mostly of “sink or swim” occurrences, she will never have time to reflect on what worked and what didn’t. This may result in selecting a certain course of action that has worked in the past, because there is little to no time to search for an alternative solution that may be better. Eventually the knowledge gained from sink or swim occurrences becomes built into people’s habits, procedures, decision-making, and ways of thinking. This commonly occurs in workplaces that are fast-paced where people become overworked with multiple and competing priorities. It is influenced through social processes on the conscious and semi-conscious level, such as norms, values, perspectives, and interpretations of events.
One risk that experiential learning can pose is the creation of a personal bias. Unusual and noticeable occurrences tend to be remembered more than everyday behaviour, which can be problematic. For example, a manager is more likely to remember and reflect on a direct report’s behaviour that is atypical than typical. Biases can influence a manager’s informal learning in the sense that her judgment, confidence, decision making, and relationship building will be swayed by those experiences. A way to mitigate the bias issue is by becoming aware of assumptions and collecting more evidence in an effort to control prejudice. I can’t stress enough that self-awareness is important in being aware of one’s strengths and limitations so that continual growth and development can occur. Some of the managers and colleagues I have had the displeasure of working with lack self-awareness. They usually have no clue how their behaviour is contributing to a toxic work environment. Most of the time, they are the actual cause of that toxicity.
What Can Organizations Do?
For starters, work can be allocated in incrementally challenging duties and tasks. This is referred to as the zone of proximal development. Vygotsky used this concept to explain how learning shapes the course of development. The zone of proximal development is defined as the distance between the actual developmental level of the individual and the level of potential development as determined through decision making under the guidance and/or collaboration with mentors and peers. Therefore, the zone of proximal development becomes the vehicle in which an employee’s learning is enhanced through moments of self-reflection and debriefs with their supervisors, colleagues, and mentors. This also enhances self-confidence. Being open to taking on new challenges requires confidence. Confidence is dependent on the relationships at work and the type of feedback and support one receives from others regarding their performance (e.g. regular one-on-one meetings, performance reviews, etc.). Possessing confidence is critical in seeking new learning opportunities and taking risks, but confidence is dependent on the extent to which someone feels supported by their colleagues. It is hard to develop self-confidence and connect with others when you are closed off in your office, drowning in paperwork, and struggling to complete your tasks.
Time to Reflect:
List existing informal learning mechanisms available in your organization that support an employee in developing their knowledge, skills, and confidence.
List two things you can do to create a workplace environment that supports learning in the workplace?
Sources
Eraut, M. (2007). Learning from other people in the workplace. Oxford Review of Education, 33(4), 403-422.
Eraut, M. (2004). Informal learning in the workplace. Studies in Continuing Education, 26(2), 247–273.
Davenport, T.O. & Harding, S. D. (2010). Manager redefined. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Dewey, J. (1938). Experience and education. New York: The Macmillan Co.
Kolb, D. A. (2015). Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learning and development (2nd ed.).New Jersey: Pearson Education Inc.
Kolb, A., & Kolb, D. A. (2005). Experiential learning theory bibliography. Cleveland, OH: Experience Based Learning Systems, Inc.
Marsick, V. J., & Watkins, K. E. (1990). Informal and incidental learning in the workplace. New York: Routledge.
