Informal Learning Research Articles

Girls leading the conversation: harnessing the potential of podcasting for informal and project-based learning

This study aimed to explore the implementation of project-based learning (PBL) principles in informal STEM education, focusing on the experiences of Underrepresented Racially Minoritized (UUREM) girls during a week-long residential STEM summer camp. Utilizing a single case study design, the researchers investigated how PBL facilitates engagement and understanding of STEM concepts through podcasting activities. Participants engaged in immersive exploration, integrating their research on podcasting and interviewing women in STEM fields. Data were collected from participants’ podcast recordings, scripts, and collaborative chat logs. The study revealed insights into collaboration, creativity, scriptwriting, recording, and editing among student groups. Overall, the findings underscore the importance of fostering teamwork and enhancing students’ creative and technical capabilities in project-based learning environments. Integrating PBL within informal learning environments is crucial for supporting UUREM girls in STEM education. This approach not only fosters engagement but also promotes an inclusive atmosphere where diverse perspectives are valued. The study advocates for the expansion of PBL initiatives in informal learning contexts, emphasizing the importance of diversity and inclusion. By empowering UUREM girls through targeted STEM programs, educators can cultivate a generation of confident and capable learners prepared to thrive in STEM fields.

Youth-Initiated Moments: Making Visible Youth Bids for Rightful Presence in Informal STEM Learning

Although informal science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) learning (ISL) has served as a catalyst for inclusive lifelong STEM engagement, research indicates that participation in ISL can still remain inequitable, especially for youths from minoritized communities. To address the continued inequities, youths’ rightful presence should be placed at the core of informal STEM education knowledge and practice. Rightful presence refers to youths legitimately belonging in learning spaces by calling out the limits of equity as inclusion. Our study explores the insights youths offered to inform pedagogical practices in support of equitable learning in ISL spaces. We seek such insights, particularly attending to the moments we call ‘youth-initiated,’ the instances in which youths made visible their bids for rightful presence by seeking shifts in and through their ISL experiences. Drawing on a research practice partnership project in which we co-generated and analyzed data with youths and educator partners, we identify three forms of youths’ bids for rightful presence: reorganizing physical and social representations within learning space, mattering beyond educator imagination, and foregrounding the sociopolitical dimension of learning. We illustrate these findings with three focal youth-initiated moments that emerged in the context of three respective ISL programs. We also elaborate on how educators and peers responded to the bids in ways that brought immediate and consequential shifts in ISL opportunities. We discuss our findings and implications regarding research and practice of justice-oriented pedagogies in and beyond ISL spaces.

The Mediating Roles of Resilience and Flow in Linking Basic Psychological Needs to Tertiary EFL Learners' Engagement in the Informal Digital Learning of English: A Mixed-Methods Study.

Resilience and flow are crucial in language education, yet most research focuses on formal learning environments, with limited studies on their impact in informal settings. This study explores the relationship between basic psychological needs and engagement in the context of informal digital English learning (IDLE). Using a mixed-methods design, data were collected from 512 Chinese EFL learners. Structural equation modeling and NVivo analysis were applied to quantitative and qualitative data, respectively. The findings reveal that resilience fully mediates the relationship between basic psychological needs and engagement, serving as an adaptability enhancer, persistence promoter, stress buffer, self-efficacy builder, and emotional regulation facilitator. Conversely, flow partially mediates this relationship, though perceived competence does not significantly predict flow in this context. Building on this, flow contributes as an intrinsic motivation driver, positive cycle creator, external pressure mitigator, and efficiency enhancer. This research underscores the important role of resilience and flow in IDLE among Chinese university EFL students. By highlighting these mediating roles, the study provides valuable insights for enhancing the effectiveness of IDLE experiences, contributing to the broader discourse on language education in the digital age.

Empowering Novice Programmers: Redesigning Documentation for Effective Informal Learning

Although programming is often learned through formal instruction or self-paced tutorials, informal learning, for example, through publicly available online documentation, is also a significant resource for skill development among novices. However, many novices struggle to extract useful information from documentation. This work aims to answer two key questions: (1) What specific elements of documentation make it difficult for novice learners? (2) What are some design features that could enhance the effectiveness of documentation for novices? Study 1 aims to qualitatively explore the impact of three hypothesized design changes on novice programmers’ learning experience: moving examples to the top of the documentation, ordering examples in increasing argument complexity, and displaying example outputs next to example codes. We propose these design changes should facilitate novices’ learning from the documentation, enhancing its accessibility and effectiveness. Studies 2 and 3 evaluate the effectiveness of the redesigned documentation on novices’ learning outcomes through a quantitative method. Our results demonstrate that these design changes help novices navigate and apply documentation more effectively.

Enhancing Japanese Language Learning: The Role of Technological Tools and Supplementary Materials Among JFL Learners

This study explores the technological tools and supplementary materials used by Japanese as a Foreign Language (JFL) learners to enhance their language learning. Interviews were conducted with 24 Malaysian undergraduate students enrolled in JFL courses, focusing on their resource preferences and learning strategies. The findings highlight significant challenges in memorizing vocabulary and Japanese characters, attributed to the high volume of required content. To address these challenges, many learners supplement traditional textbooks with digital tools such as Japanese Study, Obenkyo, and Busuu. Additionally, platforms like Google Translate and YouTube are leveraged for vocabulary practice, pronunciation guidance, and cultural immersion. Recreational digital content, such as anime and language-optioned computer games, supports informal learning by reinforcing listening and contextual understanding. Insights from this study underline the importance of integrating diverse technological tools with traditional study methods to overcome language-learning challenges.Keywords: Technological tools, supplementary materials, JFL learners, mobile applications, digital resources

What is informal workplace learning: a qualitative meta-synthesis

Purpose The purpose of this study was to provide a model for informal workplace learning. Despite the prevalence and recognized importance of informal learning in the workplace, scattered literature and different perspectives have caused a lack of shared understanding about its nature, and little research effort has been made in this direction so far. Design/methodology/approach This paper identified the most significant components of informal workplace learning using the qualitative meta-synthesis method. For this purpose, after searching sources from different databases and screening them, 17 sources were selected due to compatibility with the research criteria. The texts extracted from the sources were analyzed using a thematic analysis method and synthesized using an aggregation approach. Finally, a themes network was created as a model with 8 main components and 11 sub-components. Findings The results indicated that eight components were considered significant to informal workplace learning, including learning stimulus, awareness and intent to learn, action or experience, critical reflection on action, facilitators, collective learning, self-directed and context. Originality/value This meta-synthesis contributes to the coherence and integration of the informal workplace learning literature. The obtained conceptual model, in addition to the general components of informal workplace learning, provides an explanation of the characteristics of each and the relationships between its components to achieve a complete understanding of the nature of informal workplace learning. Since no study has been done so far to comprehensively identify the most significant components of informal workplace learning, it is not possible to refer to their results in comparison with the results of this study.

Is Informal Digital Learning of English Significantly Correlated with Online Motivation for Learning, Online Foreign Language Enjoyment, and Telecollaborative Foreign Language Anxiety? Evidence from Higher Education

Previous studies have linked Informal Digital Learning of English (IDLE) with affective factors like willingness to communicate, language learning boredom, and self-efficacy. However, the connection between IDLE and Online Motivation for Learning (OML), Online Foreign Language Enjoyment (OFLE), and Telecollaborative Foreign Language Anxiety (TFLA) has not been thoroughly explored within the context of English as a Foreign Language (EFL). This study, thus, investigates the potential relationships between IDLE and OML, OFLE, and TFLA among EFL learners in Iran. A group of 532 university students, comprising 243 males and 321 females, was randomly selected to participate. They completed scales measuring IDLE, OML, OFLE, and TFLA. The results, analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling, revealed significant correlations between IDLE and OML, OFLE, and TFLA. Notably, the EFL learners frequently engaged in IDLE reported higher OML and OFLE, along with lower TFLA. These findings provide new insights and practical implications for different stakeholders in EFL education.

Enjoyment and Grit as mediators between informal digital learning English, basic psychology needs, and willingness to communicate among English as a foreign language university students

Enjoyment and Grit as mediators between informal digital learning English, basic psychology needs, and willingness to communicate among English as a foreign language university students

Informal learning of ICU new graduate registered nurses: An interpretive phenomenological analysis

Informal learning of ICU new graduate registered nurses: An interpretive phenomenological analysis

Revealing Interaction Dynamics: Multi-Level Visual Exploration of User Strategies with an Interactive Digital Environment.

We present a visual analytics approach for multi-level visual exploration of users' interaction strategies in an interactive digital environment. The use of interactive touchscreen exhibits in informal learning environments, such as museums and science centers, often incorporate frameworks that classify learning processes, such as Bloom's taxonomy, to achieve better user engagement and knowledge transfer. To analyze user behavior within these digital environments, interaction logs are recorded to capture diverse exploration strategies. However, analysis of such logs is challenging, especially in terms of coupling interactions and cognitive learning processes, and existing work within learning and educational contexts remains limited. To address these gaps, we develop a visual analytics approach for analyzing interaction logs that supports exploration at the individual user level and multi-user comparison. The approach utilizes algorithmic methods to identify similarities in users' interactions and reveal their exploration strategies. We motivate and illustrate our approach through an application scenario, using event sequences derived from interaction log data in an experimental study conducted with science center visitors from diverse backgrounds and demographics. The study involves 14 users completing tasks of increasing complexity, designed to stimulate different levels of cognitive learning processes. We implement our approach in an interactive visual analytics prototype system, named VISID, and together with domain experts, discover a set of task-solving exploration strategies, such as "cascading" and "nested-loop', which reflect different levels of learning processes from Bloom's taxonomy. Finally, we discuss the generalizability and scalability of the presented system and the need for further research with data acquired in the wild.

Adaptable Biophilic Design for Informal Learning Spaces: Cultivating Comfort and Inspiration for Marginalized Communities

Adaptable Biophilic Design for Informal Learning Spaces: Cultivating Comfort and Inspiration for Marginalized Communities

Teachers’ Learning in the Workplace – (Un)Recognized Research Fields of Teachers Education

Introduction: Researchers' interest in workplace learning has increased over the past two decades. The range and diversity of research published in English inspired me to conduct a review of the Polish-language literature on teacher learning in the workplace. The analytical tool used in the research was Tanjälä's (2013) adapted holistic 3P model by John B. Biggs (1999) describing the interrelated elements of learning. Research Aim: The aim of this systematic review was the preliminary assessment of the scope of research addressing the issue of learning to become a teacher and to identify (un)recognized research fields concerning the individual and social dimensions of teachers’ learning in their professional environment. Evidence-based Facts: The conducted literature overview proves that the scope of the research issues addressed is generally extensive, but the issues of the social dimension of learning about the teaching profession at various stages of teachers’ professional careers as well as informal, extraformal and incidental learning in the work environment still remain underexplored. Summary: The research directions map can be used as a tool to locate relevant research areas and new research projects.

The moderating effect of informal learning on the relationship between job stress and organizational commitment: a focus on generational differences

The moderating effect of informal learning on the relationship between job stress and organizational commitment: a focus on generational differences

Writing worlds: Exploring mentorship approaches supporting adolescents' authentic writing across a Canadian youth centre's programmes

AbstractIn its diverse forms, authentic writing carries the potential to connect literacy practice to an author's ‘real world’. While contemporary approaches to authentic writing instruction—advocating writer‐centred, intertextual and culturally relevant productions—are most often explored in formal learning contexts like classrooms, this paper seeks to amplify the mentorship strategies employed within an informal youth centre learning space in Montreal, Canada. The following research questions have guided this work: (1) How do adult mentors leverage authentic writing principles to support adolescents' participation within two writing‐based programmes developed in a youth centre context? (2) How do the interests, perspectives and backgrounds of adult mentors shape the mentorship strategies they choose to employ? Data collected and analysed through participant‐focused ethnographic approaches assist the author in revealing how adult writing mentors draw from their own cultural, linguistic and embodied experiences to foster interest‐driven, culturally sustaining and community‐based writing opportunities for adolescents. The four key mentorship themes emerging through this research—centring the essential role of writing journeys, identities and communities while acknowledging several barriers to authentic writing—advocate drawing from the rich literacy practices thriving within informal contexts to inform contemporary writing curricula.

Early twentieth-century recordings in higher music education: a preliminary analysis of the students’ views

Abstract This article examines how classical music students understand early twentieth-century recordings in higher music education. A qualitative research method was chosen to investigate the beliefs and self-reported practices of 16 students enrolled in a European conservatoire, whose attitudes were considered through the administration of a semi-structured questionnaire and an interview. Their responses identified seven main themes: (1) beliefs, (2) sources, (3) self-reported practices, (4) repertoires/performers, (5) educational implications, (6) limits and (7) benefits. Results show how much students value early twentieth-century recordings – especially when it comes to analysing the performance practices of the past and developing new interpretations – and how articulate their responses can be with regard to specific stylistic and technical issues. However, possibly due to informal learning strategies and the lack of curricular teaching activities focusing on listening to and analysing recorded interpretations, some responses highlighted a misrepresentation of our recent musical past and the need for a more structured curricular activity. This last should benefit from a vast body of scholarly literature whose relevance is still underestimated among music practitioners.

Instructional Design Models for Pervasive Learning Environment: Bridging Formal and Informal Learning in Collaborative Social Learning

In Indonesia, there is a significant gap between the skills, creativity, innovation abilities, and job awareness of college graduates as well as the demands of the modern workforce. This gap originates from a curriculum and learning design that has not kept pace with the rapidly evolving needs of society. In an era characterized by digitalization and the rapid development of technology, content, infrastructure, human, and environmental resources, it is essential to create an open and pervasive learning environment (PLE). Therefore, this research aimed to describe the design process and determine the feasibility and validity of a PLE model that integrated formal and informal cooperative social learning. Research and Development (R&D) for Education model was adopted in this study following the phases of analysis, design, development, and evaluation (ADDIE). Furthermore, the research procedure included two main stages, namely the development of the PLE model and validation of the product. The product validation process further included 13 experts in material design, 15 experts in learning media, and 95 students from state and private universities across Indonesia. Subsequently, descriptive statistical analysis was used in analyzing the obtained data from the validation process. The results showed that the developed PLE model design has utilized the power of technology, social interaction, and everyday environment, both formally and informally. The developed learning model design was suitable for implementation in educational settings. This learning design model offers a comprehensive, flexible, and inclusive learning ecosystem that is tailored to the needs of the twenty-first century.

Distinct Social Factors Are Linked to Epistemic Curiosity and Digital Information-Seeking Among Adolescents: Generalizability Across 41 Countries.

Curiosity, the intrinsic motivation to sense, know, and experience the unknown, plays important roles in adolescent achievement and well-being. Theoretical considerations and empirical research suggest the contribution of social relationships in fostering curiosity. However, curiosity is expressed in different forms and contexts. Here, we investigated the social predictors of general epistemic curiosity, and of different forms of digital information-seeking in adolescents. Nationally representative cross-sectional data from Programme for International Student Assessment 2022 were used (N = 327,778 from 41 countries, 15.8 years, 49.6% female). Multiple regression was implemented using four different types of social relationships-teacher relationship, school belonging, bullying victimization, family relationship-as predictors of three forms of curiosity and information-seeking-general epistemic curiosity, and digital information-seeking for formal learning and for informal learning purposes. Teacher-student relationship was linked to general epistemic curiosity but less so, or not at all, to digital information-seeking. Instead, family relationship and bullying victimization were more important drivers of digital information-seeking for formal and informal learning purposes respectively. These distinctions were largely generalizable across 41 countries examined. The findings paint a complex picture of how figures in different adolescent social spheres matter for different forms of epistemic curiosity and information-seeking, with practical and theoretical implications.

Science teachers’ perspectives and prior practices for science centre visit: strategies development

In ongoing science education, utilising informal learning environments such as science centres has emerged as a crucial strategy to enhance learners’ engagement and understanding of complex scientific concepts. However, despite their evident benefits, out-of-school learning environments often fail to produce lasting improvements in learners’ understanding of scientific concepts, largely due to inadequate integration with classroom teaching and a lack of strategic planning. This qualitative study, grounded in a moderate constructivist framework, investigates the perspectives of high school science teachers regarding the significant influence and strategic optimization of science centre visits. Through interviews and document analysis, informed by thematic analysis methodology, the study examines teachers’ perceptions and their prior practices when visiting the science centre. Teachers articulate a compelling narrative of how science centre visits serve as catalysts for active, experiential learning, and bridging the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application. Furthermore, the study identifies and describes five strategic imperatives aimed at enhancing the effectiveness of science centre visits in science education. These imperatives encompass pre-visit curriculum integration, differentiated learning activities, teacher-led guided exploration, parental involvement, and continuous evaluation and improvement. Grounded in constructivist principles and contemporary educational theories, these strategies offer an inclusive framework to enrich learners’ learning experiences, cultivate their scientific curiosity, and foster a profound and enduring appreciation for the details of science. These findings highlight how crucial it is for teachers to have access to continual professional development opportunities and institutional support to enable them to fully utilise the pedagogical potential of science centre visits in science curricula.

Integrating Multiple Theoretical Perspectives on Informal Field-based Learning: The Self-regulated Informal Learning Cycle (SILC)

Informal field-based learning (IFBL)—a subset of work-related learning that is informal, intentional, and self-directed—is a developmental process in which motivational, behavioral, and cognitive mechanisms interact. Despite the consensus on the role of cognitive processing in learning, research on informal learning is dominated by a behavioral focus on learning activities, while the cognitive perspective remains sidelined. In the Self-regulated Informal Learning Cycle we introduce here, we use metacognitive and memory system lenses to zoom into the (meta-)cognitive IFBL processes, considering intention as a motivational starting point of the learning process. Specifically, we draw on self-determination theory, achievement goal theory, memory concepts, and self-regulated learning models. Our cycle distinguishes five phases—preparation, action, encoding and consolidation, performance, and self-appraisal—and elaborates on IFBL processes at the intentional, behavioral, cognitive, and metacognitive level. Theoretical implications for human resource development, including the often-neglected role of time in IFBL, are discussed.

“Watching video is maybe just like a hobby”: A case study of video streaming for informal, self-directed foreign language learning

Video streaming is a common social practice in modern society, especially among today’s youth. Many people are also using these services as a resource for informal learning. However, few studies have examined the use of video streaming for self-directed foreign language (FL) learning beyond the classroom. The present study addresses this research gap, it explores why language learners use video streaming to view FL content and examines how this digital literacy practice affects FL learning. A case study design was adopted, and data collected from 12 Japanese university students was analysed. Data was gathered from multiple sources including reflective writing reports, photo screenshots, and semi-structured interviews. Reflective thematic analysis of the data indicated that the language learners’ video streamed FL content for two reasons, either to purposefully study the FL or primarily for reasons not directly connected to language learning, i.e., for entertainment or interest-based purposes. Video streaming contributed to the learners’ FL development in three ways: (i) it supported language learner autonomy; (ii) it enhanced learner motivation; and (iii) it increased intercultural awareness. These results bolster the limited research on FL video streaming beyond the classroom and highlight the affordances of this digital resource for self-directed language learning.