Informal Learning Environments Research Articles

Leveraging Interactive Evolutionary Computation to Induce Serendipity in Informal Learning

Serendipitous learning, characterized by the discovery of new insights and unexpected connections, is recognized as a valuable educational experience that stimulates critical thinking and self-regulated learning. While there have been limited efforts to develop serendipity-oriented recommender systems in education, these systems often fall short in supporting learners’ agency, that is, the sense of ownership and control over their learning journey. In this paper, we introduce an Interactive Evolutionary Computation (IEC)-driven recommender system designed to empower learners by granting them control over their learning experiences while offering recommendations that are both novel and unexpected yet aligned with their interests. Our proposed system leverages an Interactive Genetic Algorithm in conjunction with Knowledge Graphs to dynamically recommend learning content, with a focus on the history of scientific discoveries. We conducted both numerical simulations and experimental evaluations to assess the effectiveness of our content optimization algorithm and the impact of our approach on inducing serendipity in informal learning environments. The results indicate that a significant number of participants found certain recommended learning materials to be engaging and surprising, providing evidence that our system has the potential to facilitate serendipitous learning experiences within informal learning contexts.

Mining teacher informal online learning networks: Community commitment in unstructured learning environments

AbstractBackgroundSocial media provides new opportunities for teachers to learn, communicate and develop professional relationships. It has been proved to be a valid and helpful resource for teachers' professional learning purposes.ObjectivesWhile previous studies pursued questions like how participants feel, how to support interaction and why participants remain committed, we asked a more fundamental question: what is the structure of a massive informal online professional learning network and what dynamics can we expect regarding participants' commitment?MethodsThis work presents an empirical study of massive informal online professional networks to investigate the dynamics of learning communities and participants' commitment over time. We employed social network analysis and data mining techniques on a longitudinal data set of more than 400,000 tweets published with the hashtag “#edchat.”Results and ConclusionsWe found that around 30% of participants remained committed to the informal learning community over time. Meanwhile, as more and more people committed to the online learning community, participants tended to form smaller communities where the internal connection was stronger.TakeawaysIn informal online learning environments, participants can form stable connections. The 30% threshold can be used to measure massive informal online learning networks in terms of commitment or persistence.

“I can be the weird STEM kid who is also gay”: Queer rightful presence in STEM making

ABSTRACT Background STEM participation is often associated with the disenfranchisement of historically marginalized individuals. Disrupting these standing injustices to establish rightful presence with equitable opportunity, access, and cultural standing to shape and pursue STEM endeavors in ways that are inclusive of individuals’ identities is a critical objective. However, research to understand and facilitate STEM experiences of queer youth what are also navigating their own relationships with gender- and heteronormativity is limited. Making—employing STEM to design artifacts in an informal learning environment—can disrupt conventional approaches to STEM activity in ways that support inclusive STEM engagement through crafting and personalized design. Method This social design experiment examines the ways in which the design of maker activities and spaces can support queer rightful presence within STEM spaces. Findings We found that maker communities can frame and collectively engage issues of identity formulation that are both dynamic and fluid in nature as part of bolstering STEM affinity. As participants’ multifaceted identities unfolded through making projects that deliberately invited identity into design, they established rightful presence for intertwined queer and STEM identities. Contribution This study extends the rightful presence framework to engage fluid, queer identities and illustrates making rightful presence practices that deliberately engage multifaceted identities.

Building capacity for inclusive informal STEM learning opportunities for autistic learners

BackgroundResearch is needed to better understand the specific challenges for autistic learners in informal STEM learning settings. This study aimed to increase inclusion in STEM museums, with a larger goal of increasing the impact (i.e., learning and application of knowledge during and after visits) of informal STEM learning settings for autistic youth. We conducted an online parent attitudes survey with 93 parents of autistic adolescents and 53 parents of adolescents in the general population to better understand the experiences of autistic adolescents when visiting STEM-related museums. Parent responses informed professional development training for museum staff at four partner museums, which taught strategies to better support autistic learners. Then, autistic adolescents (n = 20) and their parents were randomly assigned to visit one partner and one control museum. They were asked to report their experiences through an online survey and semi-structured interviews.ResultsParticipants who completed the parent attitudes survey indicated significantly lower inclusion, engagement, and general impact of STEM museum visits among autistic adolescents compared to the general population comparison group. Parents of adolescents who visited partner and control museums reported higher STEM impact during visits to partner museums; however, parent-reported inclusion, engagement, and general impact did not differ significantly between partner and control museums. Qualitative analysis identified four themes (Spectrum of Museum Impact; Adolescent-Environment Fit; Barriers to Engagement, and Barrier Breakers), providing context for quantitative findings.ConclusionsFindings underscore the need for increased inclusion for autistic individuals in informal STEM learning environments like museums. This project demonstrated feasibility of professional development training of forward-facing staff and identified several themes that should inform future efforts to improve inclusion in informal STEM learning settings.

Integrating formal and informal subsystems: A case study of Promise City’s early care and education model

This case study explores effective practices within a district’s early care and education model. Interviews were conducted with eight parents of high-performing students and seven district ECE partners from Promise City. The results of this case study lead to the development of a model that comprises best practices within the (a) informal ECE subsystem, (b) formal ECE subsystem, and (c) intersection of the informal and formal subsystems. The model incorporates the best practices identified by Ma et al’s. (2016) meta-analysis, as well as unique best practices found within Promise City. The findings highlight the importance of both informal and formal learning environments and actively working to bridge these environments.

A causal model for acoustic assessment of informal learning environments

Irrelevant and intelligible speeches are the most effective distractive noise sources in open-plan environments. They are inevitable in informal learning environments as group assignments are very common. Informal learning can be defined as any additional learning activity that takes place outside the classroom and is conducted individually and collaboratively on campus. This study will examine the impact of sound-absorbing materials on students' attention in informal learning environments in a causal manner. To examine the effect of materials, 3D models will be designed by changing the sound-absorbing materials, using reverberation time as a reference metric by applying the auralization process. The control and treatment models will be provided. The statistical significance of the impacts will be investigated using pairwise correlations, ANOVA, and multivariate regression methods.

AI in informal digital English learning: A meta-analysis of its effectiveness on proficiency, motivation, and self-regulation

This meta-analysis examines the efficacy of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) in second language acquisition within self-directed, out-of-classroom informal contexts. A total of 15 studies meeting the inclusion criteria were identified that examined the impact of GenAI on second-language proficiency, motivation, and self-regulation. GenAI was shown to have significant effects on English proficiency and self-regulation, demonstrating its versatility in enhancing language learning outcomes. However, GenAI failed to show significant effects on learning motivation, and based on this finding we highlight the need to develop measures of motivation that are suitable for GenAI in education. Possible ways to apply GenAI in the informal language learning environment are also discussed based on the included literature.

Language learning technologies: A review of trends in the USA and globally

This review provides a succinct overview of the comprehensive review on language learning technologies, exploring key trends in both the United States and global contexts. The review delves into the transformative impact of technology on language education, examining emerging trends that shape the landscape of language learning methodologies. In recent years, language learning technologies have witnessed a remarkable evolution, revolutionizing traditional approaches to language education. This review critically analyzes trends in language learning technologies, focusing on their applications, effectiveness, and implications for language learners, with a specific emphasis on both the United States and global perspectives. The exploration of language learning technologies in the United States reveals a dynamic landscape characterized by innovative tools, platforms, and methodologies. From interactive language apps to virtual reality language immersion experiences, the USA has been at the forefront of adopting cutting-edge technologies to enhance language acquisition. The review assesses the success and challenges of these technologies in diverse educational settings, shedding light on their integration into formal education systems and informal learning environments. On a global scale, the review provides insights into how language learning technologies are shaping language education practices across different countries and regions. It examines the adoption of technology in diverse cultural and linguistic contexts, exploring the effectiveness of digital language learning resources in overcoming linguistic barriers and promoting multilingualism. Key trends identified in the review include the rise of artificial intelligence-driven language tutors, the gamification of language learning, and the increasing emphasis on personalized, adaptive learning experiences. Additionally, the review explores the impact of technology on fostering cultural competence and global communication skills, essential components of language proficiency in the interconnected world. The findings of this review contribute to a deeper understanding of the current state of language learning technologies, offering valuable insights for educators, policymakers, and researchers. By examining trends in the USA and globally, the review provides a comprehensive perspective on the role of technology in shaping the future of language education, paving the way for informed decisions and advancements in language learning methodologies.

An informal and transformative learning environment: The case of ODTÜ Bostan community garden in Turkey

This study explores the role of ODTÜ Bostan (METU Garden), a community garden at the Middle East Technical University in Turkey, in promoting sustainability education, ecology, and food consumption practices. For ten years, ODTÜ Bostan has been a collaborative space where participants—including students, academic and non-academic staff, and their families—grow and share food using ecological agricultural methods. This research examines how this community garden creates a setting for alternative and interdisciplinary learning, supporting practical engagement, critical thinking, and community interaction for community participants. Drawing on the Education for Sustainable Development and transformative learning frameworks, this qualitative study employs autoethnography, thematic analysis of eight semi-structured interviews, and content analysis of archival data. The findings indicate that ODTÜ Bostan not only enhances participants' sustainability competencies but also serves as an educational laboratory, demonstrating the potential of community gardens to address global challenges such as climate change and biodiversity loss. The study highlights the importance of integrating interdisciplinary and learner-centered approaches in higher education leading to collective action for societal change toward sustainability.

Information ecosystems in early academic career building: how do researchers in the social sciences and humanities learn the tricks of the trade?

Early career investigators (ECIs) in the Social Sciences and Humanities need to receive adequate information so that they will be empowered to progress in their academic career and deal with the various evaluation processes that constitute an essential part of their professional development. This article relies on an informational-ecosystemic approach originally developed in the context of resilience studies and crisis communication and uses it as a theoretical framework to analyse and understand the “early academic career building information ecosystems” (EACBIEs), into which ECIs professionally develop. The characteristics of these ecosystems are then refined through the analysis of interviews conducted with ECIs from all around Europe in the framework of the European Network for Research Evaluation in Social Sciences and Humanities (ENRESSH), European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) Action. The analysis reveals the remarkable heterogeneity of the information ecosystems into which early career researchers have to build their career in Europe, articulating a diversity of formal, non-formal and informal learning environments, and several related information channels, as well as showing a geographical spread that covers institutional, national and international levels. Furthermore, although the diverse information channels at hand and geographical levels at which they operate appear in some cases to be complementary, and even mutually reinforcing, they can also, in other cases, be dysfunctional, fragmented and unfair to some extent.

Ascending to Well-Being through Mediated Spaces: An Alternative to Informal Learning and Physical Activity Environments in Vertical Schools

Ascending to Well-Being through Mediated Spaces: An Alternative to Informal Learning and Physical Activity Environments in Vertical Schools

Parent psychological distress and beliefs about nurturing care: Associations with parent investments and early child development in Ethiopia.

Parental engagement in stimulating activities and support in both formal and informal learning environments are important for early childhood development. However, little is known about how parental mental health and beliefs about early childhood development shape such investments. We draw on a sample of young children and their primary caregiver from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (N = 3,000; Mage = 34.1 months; 48.5% girls) and examine how parental distress and beliefs predict investments in learning at home and how these, in turn, predict children's development across multiple domains. We examine these associations separately for infants/toddlers (0-35 months) and preschool-aged children (36-72 months), for whom enrollment in preprimary school is also included as an additional form of parent investment. Results showed different patterns of associations between the two age groups. Specifically, for infants and toddlers, parental distress and beliefs did not predict parent investments or child outcomes, but both access to learning materials and cognitive stimulation at home positively predicted child development in every domain. For preschool-aged children, parental beliefs positively predicted hours in preschool, and parental distress negatively predicted the availability of learning materials and cognitive stimulation at home; these three forms of parent investments each positively predicted children's outcomes across all developmental domains. Collectively, these findings deepen our understanding of parent factors that shape children's formal and informal learning experiences and point to several important areas for future research to more fully understand early childhood development in low-resource contexts. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Encouraging, empowering, and educating: Informal educators, caregivers, and children as partners in computational thinking activities

AbstractInformal learning environments, such as libraries and museums, are key areas for supporting computational thinking (CT) with young children and their families. Educators in these environments are working to offer CT‐related experiences and activities for families of young children, often incorporating aspects of sociocultural learning such as scaffolding and dialogic practices. Because the parent/caregiver is typically present with their young child in these environments, there is an opportunity to provide them with CT information and support so that they can then actively engage in and encourage their child's CT learning, thereby extending their child's capabilities in a zone of proximal development. Previous research by Ohland et al. offers an initial framework of parental roles in CT experiences that serves as a foundation for this study's analysis of interviews with 18 libraries and museums from across the United States. The goal was to understand informal educators' goals for caregiver participation in CT activities with young children and their strategies for enabling caregivers to embody these different roles. Findings reveal that educators want caregivers to play a variety of roles with their child(ren) in these CT experiences. Furthermore, educators are implementing a variety of methods that explicitly encourage interaction, collaboration, and more. The connections between these goals and methods begin to build a model of caregiver encouragement, empowerment, and education in CT experiences in informal learning environments.

Open is not enough: design considerations for a networked data commons

Recently, researchers within the Networked Learning (NL) community have tried to (re)claim NL’s roots in critical pedagogy and (re)assert its commitment to social justice (Networked Learning Editorial Collective, 2021; 2021a). However, despite these avowed intentions, NL has also been criticised from within for “fail[ing] to take account of emancipatory struggles and political imperatives in society more broadly” (Networked Learning Editorial Collective, 2021a, p. 328). The suggestion is made to put NL “to work … to allow the concept of NL itself to become ‘networked’: to make connections, to interrelate, to transform, mutate, and hybridise in response to the pressing issues of our time” (Networked Learning Editorial Collective, 2021a, p. 359). In this paper, we take concepts from NL and put them “to work” in relation to the design of an informal digital learning environment – that is, a digital environment that lies outside of formal education provision, but that is intended to be a place where knowledge can be shared and circulated and where people encounter knowledge in ways that enable them to think, understand or act differently. The work was carried out in the context of a project aiming to develop design principles for an internet-based platform through people would be able to openly access, learn about and share publicly available data, using Scotland’s waste and re-use data as a case study. In this context, we plug NL into a theoretical and methodological design assemblage that connects concepts of openness, data literacy, (de)coloniality, and participatory design into new formations that we hope will allow these concepts to mutate and hybridise into something closer to the social justice ideals that NL claims.

A research agenda for adult science entertainment events

ABSTRACT There is an international trend towards fun, irreverent, and social events that feature scientific themes and content. We argue that these events – what we call Adult Science Entertainment Events, or ASEEs – are a distinct phenomenon in science education and science communication, deserving of study in their own right. In addition to their anticipated value to hosting organizations, ASEEs offer new opportunities for adults to form, transform, or affirm their science-related identities. They may also exacerbate existing inequities, however. In this article, we discuss the relationship of ASEEs to other informal science learning environments, provide a narrative review of the existing research on ASEEs, and offer a preliminary research agenda focused on describing the emerging field, documenting goals and impacts, and understanding the impact of design decisions.

Exploring provider perspectives of the STEM club landscape: findings from one Australian state

ABSTRACT STEM clubs, often located in extracurricular settings, are designed to promote engagement and enjoyment of STEM-related topics and concepts. Given the current policy landscape, a closer examination of STEM clubs is warranted. This paper explores the opportunities and challenges presented by these programs by drawing on interviews with nine STEM club providers in Queensland, a state in north-eastern Australia. The study aims to elucidate the key elements perceived to contribute to the effectiveness and success of STEM clubs, whether school-based, library-based, or run by private businesses for profit. Through inductive thematic analysis, three prominent themes emerged: visioning, pedagogical design and intent, and facilitation. The analysis reveals that Queensland's STEM club context presents significant opportunities for authentic STEM learning and teaching, however, it also identifies challenges to be addressed, including recruiting facilitators who possess expertise in STEM knowledge and skills, possess the necessary confidence and ability to design and implement STEM activities, while also being able to engage and connect with student participants effectively. The findings have implications for STEM-related activities in other informal learning environments.

“They just forget about the students”: Growing resilient urban farmers with a research practice partnership

A sustainable transdisciplinary research network was established through a research practice partnership (RPP) between an urban farm, faculty and staff from a Historically Black College (HBC), and researchers at a medium-sized private university. We investigate student-worker resilience at this urban farm situated on the HBC campus, drawing on literature that explores tensions between informal learning environments and formal spaces, equitable food systems and farming systems, as well as the resilience of farm work, and which is grounded critical food systems education theory. Utilizing a participatory design approach, we conducted semi-structured interviews and deductively analyzed the data. The research questions guiding this paper are: (1) What topics of discussion are most important to the student-workers and staff working on an urban farm, (2) How do student-workers and college staff members perceive and experience resilience on an urban farm? We found that what participants on an urban farm discuss, relating to their experiences, include (1) how participants were eager to engage with the local community, (2) how participants demonstrated resilience while working on the urban farm, (3) how power dynamics played a pivotal role informing the direction of the urban farm, (4) how participants consider community access to healthy foods an important mission for the farm, (5) how the college acted as a power wielding entity, perpetuating its privilege over the farmers and the farm operations. These findings have the potential to enable community organizing spaces to promote resilience for their volunteers and workers, and for urban farms top partner with their community to promote the mission of increasing access to healthy and affordable food options.

Exploring the Impact of Value Education: A Comprehensive Analysis

Value education plays a pivotal role in shaping individuals' ethical, moral, and social development. This research article provides a comprehensive analysis of the impact of value education on learners' cognitive, affective, and behavioral domains. Drawing on theoretical frameworks, empirical studies, and practical insights, the article explores the significance of integrating value education into formal and informal learning environments. Through a synthesis of literature and case studies, the article examines the effectiveness of various pedagogical approaches, curriculum designs, and implementation strategies in promoting values such as empathy, integrity, and social responsibility. The findings highlight the multifaceted benefits of value education in fostering holistic development, promoting ethical decision-making, and nurturing responsible citizenship. The article concludes with implications for policymakers, educators, and stakeholders in advancing value education initiatives and fostering a culture of integrity, empathy, and respect in society.

Digital environments as sites for informal workplace learning in knowledge work

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to explore how digital technologies at work serve as environments for informal workplace learning in knowledge work.Design/methodology/approachDigital ethnography was used to investigate the digital environments of one public sector workplace. The data included observations, interviews and participant diaries.FindingsThe digital work environment consisted of a complex network of technologies and people connected to them. The ethnographic accounts revealed both expansive and restrictive features of the digital environment. Digital technology extended learning opportunities by providing flexible possibilities for interaction, collaboration and access to a wealth of information. On the contrary, digitally mediated presence could restrict learning if the attendance and learning remained superficial. The complexity and constant change in digital workplace environments presented challenges that could potentially restrict learning. Information overload, constant interruptions and changes were burdens that required employees’ skills to manage these challenges.Originality/valueThe authors take a novel approach to view the workplace as a phygital environment in which social, physical and digital environments are combined. Because digital environments are becoming increasingly essential parts of the workplace, it is important to understand how they can support learning.

Social Media and K–12 Foreign Language Education

This systematic review aims to explore social media integration in K–12 foreign language (FL) classrooms in the past decade and discusses the unique challenges of adopting social media in K–12 FL teaching. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and selection criteria, 12 studies between 2010 and 2019 were selected. Adopting a grounded analytical method, this review provides a synthesis of the affordances and challenges of social media integration in K–12 FL education. Based on the data analysis, an effective approach to integrating social media in K–12 FL education is proposed, to connect formal and informal learning environments. This review concludes with suggestions and directions for future research on the integration of social media in K–12 FL classrooms.