Informal Learning Opportunities Research Articles

Moments of Discomfort and Conflict: Holocaust Museums as Agents of Change

Museums serve as a place of memory, where heritage is conserved, collections cared for, and the best possible conditions are created for visitors to experience exhibits and the meanings and events they represent. These cultural institutions are increasingly defined by the ability to act as disseminators of culture and history as well as conveyors of controversial issues and have the ability to provide a vast range of informal and purposeful learning opportunities for adults. Programming that addresses a range of issues centering on social and environmental consciousness and human rights allows cultural institutions to draw upon resources and expertise to provide chances for individuals to change professional practice, gain new perspectives on societal norms, and challenge existing mental models. The events of the Holocaust and its representation in museums serve as an agent of change to improve the social and environmental situations for individuals and the organizations and communities in which they live and work. Using transformational learning theory as a conceptual frame, this article presents two cases for exploring museums’ role in supporting HRD and offers suggestions for partnerships between organizations and museums. Looking to museums and historic sites as sources of human resource development has far-reaching implications for cultural, organizational, and individual practices and is an innovative approach to initiating societal and institutional change.

Professional development across the teaching career: Teachers’ uptake of formal and informal learning opportunities

This study examined teachers’ uptake of formal and informal learning opportunities across the career cycle. Analyses were based on data from 1939 German secondary teachers in 198 schools. Results showed that formal learning opportunities (in-service training) were used most frequently by mid-career teachers, whereas informal learning opportunities showed distinct patterns across the teaching career. Specifically, use of professional literature increased with teacher age, but teacher collaboration decreased. Teachers’ work engagement and professional responsibilities were hypothesised to predict changes over the career. However, although these variables partly predicted uptake of learning opportunities, they did not fully explain the age-related differences observed.

Influence of the Interests of Children with Autism on Everyday Learning Opportunities

Findings from a pilot study investigating the influence of the interests of young children with autism on parents' provision of everyday informal child learning opportunities are described. 17 children (13 boys, 4 girls) were divided into two groups that received everyday learning opportunities of Low interest and High interest, based on parents' bi-weekly ratings of the interestingness of the opportunities to the children, using an investigator-developed measure. A brief intervention of 12 to 14 weeks showed that the children in the High interest-based group were provided more learning opportunities than were the Low interest-based group, and that the parents indicated that their children benefited more from the learning opportunities. Implications for future research are described.

INFLUENCE OF THE INTERESTS OF CHILDREN WITH AUTISM ON EVERYDAY LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES1,2

Findings from a pilot study investigating the influence of the interests of young children with autism on parents' provision of everyday informal child learning opportunities are described. 17 children (13 boys, 4 girls) were divided into two groups that received everyday learning opportunities of Low interest and High interest, based on parents' bi-weekly ratings of the interestingness of the opportunities to the children, using an investigator-developed measure. A brief intervention of 12 to 14 weeks showed that the children in the High interest-based group were provided more learning opportunities than were the Low interest-based group, and that the parents indicated that their children benefited more from the learning opportunities. Implications for future research are described.

Werkplekleren, energie-uitputting en psychische vermoeidheid

Workplace learning, energy-depletion and psychological fatigue Workplace learning, energy-depletion and psychological fatigue A parsimonious, robust and theoretical elaborated model has been developed to predict psychological fatigue; it also discriminates between an energy-depleting and a workplace learning process. It was tested both on three heterogeneous sub-samples taken out of the Flemish Workability Monitor 2007, and on homogeneous samples representing respondents out of three sectors of employment. Work pressure, autonomy, learning opportunities and – foremost – work-to-home interference (WHI) were significantly related to fatigue, explaining more than half of the total variance. Emotional load had an indirect relation with fatigue through WHI, and task variety through learning opportunities. Both WHI and learning opportunities acted as potent mediators. From a policy point of view, more effort was recommended in reducing energy-depleting work conditions such as work pressure and emotional load because of its lowering effects on both WHI and fatigue. At the same time, a practice of job redesign promoting informal learning opportunities and workplace learning should be re-valued.

The Learning Economy

There is an increasing consumer value on personal growth that is driving a diverse market for educational and learning products ranging from food, toys, and games to housing and travel. Think about it. We eat specific kinds of food or take supplements that will help sharpen our minds. We buy toys for new-borns that enhance their developmental and cognitive skills and games to enhance learning for children and even adults. More often than in the past, many of us book travel and social opportunities that expand our learning, whether it's about food, history, literature, wine, or any niche interest. Because we live in the knowledge is the crucial resource. pervasive use of technology, the Internet, and social networking makes it cost-effective to serve niche markets with learning opportunities. number of informal learning opportunities that will be available for an adult, yet less those for school-aged children, will be enormous. This will easily translate into a formalized system of production and exchange of multiple learning resources that will make up a learning economy. As a result, individuals and organizations from inside and outside of the formal public education system will be part of a diverse market of personalized, diverse, and niche learning opportunities for students. Organizations that once weren't considered part of the public education market now offer concrete benefits that are evaluated alongside the formal school system. In the learning economy, school, particularly the brick and mortar version, owns only one part of the learning economy. This isn't hard to imagine. Parents are already exploring alternative educational and learning opportunities for their children. For instance, homeschooling has been one of the fastest growing education trends in the United States. Homeschooling provides an alternative form of education that allows parents to bypass the public school system by teaching their children at home. Online learning, or virtual schools, is another growing trend and is even being used by homeschoolers. According to T.H.E. Journal, more than 2 million preK-12 students take some form of schooling online right now--whether attending a virtual school for all their classes or just taking one or more courses through the Internet. The number of students taking courses online will jump to more than 10 million by 2014, claims this article (Nagel 2009). Online schools provide enormous flexibility in scheduling and the type of courses offered--core curriculum classes, credit recovery classes, accelerated learning opportunities, and more rigorous classes or enrichment courses (Nagel 2009). Parents who want a public school option also are enrolling their children in charter schools. While more than 4,900 charter schools serve more than 1.5 million students (www.chartergrowthfund.org), this is still a small sector of public schools. Consider the array of enrichment services being offered directly to consumers--parents and students. Some were designed for enhanced or cultural learning and others for students with learning challenges. Numerous supplemental education services, such as Sylvan Learning Services, originally used to help students with learning challenges, are now being marketed as entities that can accelerate learning. Some product developers have suggested that has been outsourced as a result of the increase in tutoring companies across India that are helping American children complete their homework and prepare for tests (Rai 2005). Open source courseware, shared curriculum repositories, home-school community networks, and many other bottom-up activities are unbundling education from the traditional system and providing children and families with new ways to experience learning. A growing system of free and easily accessible online learning resources is supporting students, educators, and parents. Education companies, with over $80 billion in annual revenues, already constitute a large sector in the education arena. …

Geolearners: Location-Based Informal Learning with Mobile and Social Technologies

This paper looks at how mobile and social technologies are influencing informal learning in the context of online community membership. The development of mobile technologies that use Global Positioning System (GPS) data to pinpoint geographical location together with the rapidly evolving Web 2.0 technologies supporting the creation and consumption of content suggest a potential for collaborative informal learning linked to location. The research described in this paper asks whether these technologies can provide an effective focus for community activities and, if so, whether this combination of location-awareness, mobile, and Web 2.0 technology results in the creation of novel informal learning opportunities. The community selected for study was the Geocaching community, a geographically dispersed group who use mobile and Web 2.0 technologies to link the virtual social spaces of the Internet with the physical spaces that surround them.

Mapping the digital divide in Britain: implications for learning and education

The internet presents many potential opportunities for people to learn for both formal and informal purposes. However, not everyone is able to make the most of the internet for learning. This paper utilises quantitative nationally representative survey data of internet use in Britain in order to explore the digital divide in relation to learning activities online. The results from this analysis give a detailed picture of the digital divide in Britain; illustrating those who are non‐users and users of the internet and the reasons that are important in explaining the diversity in non‐use and use of the internet for learning (e.g., age, educational background, skills, attitudes and experience). The findings may assist in the development of policies that seek to support under‐served groups to make the most effective use of the internet for formal and informal learning opportunities.

Onderzoeksnotitie: Te laag opgeleiden en hun (on)welzijn in werk

Under qualified and their job-related well-being Under qualified and their job-related well-being Almost 10% of the Flemish working population indicates to be under qualified with respect to the job they occupy. In this explorative study, the work situation of the under qualified is compared to those who perceive themselves of being over qualified or in a situation of fit between educational and job level. As expected on the basis of P-E fit theory and the JD-R model, under qualified experience significantly higher levels of work pressure and work-home interference, and as a consequence, significantly higher levels of fatigue. Contrary to our expectations, the availability of informal learning opportunities for under qualified did not significantly buffer the health impairing effects of high work pressure.

School cultures as contexts for informal teacher learning

This study profiles and compares international social contexts for teacher workplace informal learning from the teachers' perspectives. Set in elementary schools in the U.S. and Lithuania, the study illustrates how teachers make sense of and engage in professional learning within their historical, political and administrative contexts. A socio-cultural framework brings into view different opportunities for teacher informal learning. These evolve from comparing teacher interviews about their learning to ethnographic case studies of the school's cultures that include schools' missions, building structures, classroom environments, organizational arrangements, traditions, and professional relationships. The study illustrates key interrelated cultural qualities of schools that support and hinder informal learning; argues for the importance of acknowledging teacher informal learning as a method of career-long professional development, and suggests further research about how to build and sustain the school infrastructure necessary to maintain such development.

Employability enhancement through formal and informal learning: an empirical study among Dutch non‐academic university staff members

Although learning is generally perceived as a way to improve employees' current job performance, so far, no research has been conducted to explore the possible relationships between formal and informal learning, on the one hand, and employability, on the other. Though contemporary views stress the importance of the job as a powerful learning site, considerable research evidence underpinning these views is lacking. This paper goes into the impact of formal and informal learning upon employability. The influence of employee characteristics and organizational factors is also taken into account. An e‐questionnaire was used to collect data among 215 Dutch non‐academic university staff members. Our findings emphasize the necessity of Human Resource Development strategies that encompass a mix of formal and informal learning opportunities. In particular, participation in networks appears to be an important predictor for employability. With the outcomes of this study, we aim to contribute to the further development of theoretical insights regarding employability enhancement through learning possibilities embedded in the workplace. It seems that strategies that focus exclusively on enhancing informal on‐the‐job learning should not be encouraged. Our study is limited to one context and further research is required to investigate the generalizability of the findings to other occupations and/or countries.

“It was all ‘smile for Dunedin!”’: Event Volunteer Experiences at the 2006 New Zealand Masters Games

The increasing reliance on volunteers by sport events has led to interest in this aspect of volunteering. The purpose of this research was to develop and utilise a conceptual framework based on the critical paradigm to examine multiple meanings associated one aspect of the sport event volunteer experience, volunteer training and associated learning. Using the critical tools of de-naturalisation, anti-performativity, and reflexivity, the study considered this aspect of volunteering from both volunteer and co-ordinator standpoints. Qualitative research methods were undertaken to examine training and learning experiences of volunteers at the ACC ThinkSafe. Sixteen volunteers were interviewed in four focus groups. The volunteer co-ordination team were interviewed in a fifth focus group. Co-ordinators’ and volunteers experiences of generic training, the need for role related training, and informal learning opportunities were analysed. It was found that, in order for learning to be an integral part of the volunteer experience, training needs to be re-conceptualised to explicitly include learning. Future research is discussed, calling for further utilisation of this framework to ascertain its usefulness in examining sport event volunteers’ experiences.

Mobile blogs in language learning: making the most of informal and situated learning opportunities

AbstractThe application of mobile technologies to learning has the potential to facilitate the active participation of learners in the creation and delivery of content. Mobile technologies can also provide a powerful connection between a variety of formal and informal learning contexts and can help to build a community of learners. However these versatile tools present challenges to educators and learners alike. The paper discusses the pedagogical challenges that result from the introduction of mobile technologies in language learning in the context of an intensive week of study abroad. We describe and evaluate a pilot project that uses mobile blogging to promote a constructivist, situated and informal learning experience of the foreign language and culture based on theories of active learning. We aim to encourage interaction and a sense of community among learners outside formal educational environments and in different locations as we ask them to engage with the foreign culture by capturing, sharing and reflecting on their experiences for their peers.

Self-regulation and the income-achievement gap

The pervasive income-related achievement gap among children has been partially explained by parental investments. Wealthier parents provide more cognitively enriched environments (e.g., books, informal learning opportunities such as music lessons) and converse more with their children relative to low-income parents. However parental investment only partially accounts for the income-achievement gap. On average, low-income children have more difficulty regulating their emotions and behavior in comparison to their wealthier counterparts. Academic achievement is a function not only of cognitive competencies but also encompasses emotional and behavioral components that could also contribute to the income-achievement gap. In Study 1, family income among rural, White 9-year-olds is positively related to delay of gratification skill. This, in turn, accounts for subsequent, middle school grades at age 13. In Study 2, family income during early childhood (age 2 to Grade 3) in an ethnically diverse, national sample predicts cognitive development in 5th graders, controlling for prior levels of cognitive development at 15 months. This prospective, longitudinal relation is again mediated by delay of gratification skills. Evidence is also presented in Study 2 that the income → self-regulation → achievement path operates independently of parental investment. Analyses of both sets of data also include multiple indices of familial characteristics (e.g., maternal education, ethnicity, single-parent status). Early childhood poverty matters for later academic achievement but reasons encompass both cognitive and socioemotional processes.

Re/Claiming Agency: Learning, Liminality and Immigrant Service Organizations

To facilitate the settlement of new immigrants, immigrant service organizations provide a range of services and opportunities for both formal and informal learning. These organizations, however, also act as liminal spaces in which the women who access their services may renegotiate identities, create new knowledge and forge new conceptions of community. The purpose of this article is to present an analysis of the data from two organizations which were sites for a larger research project designed to explore the formal and informal learning processes in immigrant service organizations. The data for this study was collected through client interviews and participant observation of formal and informal learning activities at two immigrant service organization that provide settlement, educational and support programs and services for immigrant women.

BEHAVIORAL IMPACTS OF UNIVERSITY COMMON PLACE

University campuses provide both formal and informal learning opportunities to students. Dining facilities from the view point of common place are considered to be one of the places where most informal interactions would occur in a campus. The previous role highly depends on the place making qualities of the dining facility including the physical and social components. This study focuses on studying the actual patterns of use giving meaning to common place within the dining facilities. Data from five dining facilities of three universities campuses was collected and analyzed to understand the needs of users and the patterns of behaviors in relation to the physical features of the setting in general. The study concludes with providing recommendations to the planning and design of successful dining facilities as common place.

Faculty 2.0: Flipping the Novice to Expert Continuum

FOR DECADES, faculty have been responsible for three traditional roles: teaching, research, and service. While the emphasis may vary, there is no doubt that faculty are passionate about their particular areas of expertise, such as, in my case, informatics. But while we come to come to academia to pursue scholarly endeavors and disseminate knowledge through teaching, conducting research, and writing, our stress is evident. In the back-to-school issue of the Educause Review, Hartman, Dziuban, and Brophy-Ellison summarise our dilemma: Most faculty members did not seek careers in the academy because of a strong love of technology or a propensity for adapting to rapid change; yet they now find themselves facing...the inexorable advance of technology into their personal and professional lives (p. 62). As these authors state, each of the traditional faculty roles is impacted by technology, and perhaps the role most significantly impacted is teaching. For years, the lecture method was considered the gold standard for teaching, but faculty are now faced with demands from administrators, colleagues, and students to use other, technology-driven teaching techniques. In this column, I offer a numbers of ways to begin to to the changing higher education landscape. While I do not have a magic pill, I can point to some faculty development opportunities that will help you on your journey from novice to expert in the use of technologies, including new faculty development initiatives funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). What Has Changed Hartman, Dziuban, and Brophy-Ellison point to a number of subtle - and not-so-subtle - changes to which faculty member must adapt (p. 64). Here is a sampling: * Novice-expert flip Faculty are considered experts in their respective fields but confronting new and unfamiliar technologies can quickly turn them into novices (p. 64). This is particularly true when your Net Generation students know more about the technology you are using than you do. * Shift in the teacher-student relationship Students no longer look to traditional sources of knowledge for their learning. Rather, they look to the Internet, usually Google or Wikipedia, and we faculty must remind them that libraries contain knowledge that may be valuable to their learning. The availability and diversity of online information, well opportunities for informal learning, have created an imbalance where opportunities outside the classroom may far exceed those (p. 66). * Faculty time There is a greater demand by students for faculty to be available above and beyond the traditional nine to five time frame. Students live in a 24 x 7 x 365 world and expect faculty to answer emails, course postings, and instant messaging within moments. * View of technology Faculty use technology a means of disseminating knowledge, such using PowerPoint or placing documents on a webpage for students to review. Students see technology as a tool for active learning instead of a tool to facilitate the instructor's presentation of information (p. 66). * Faculty's three Rs (reward, recognition, and risk) Because faculty may spend a lot of time applying technologies, they are at risk for not getting rewards or recognition. In some institutions, spending more time on improving teaching and less time on research and publications jeopardizes promotion and tenure. Perhaps the most profound challenge affecting faculty is how technology impacts the definition and measurement of teaching excellence. The move from a knowledge dissemination model to a more interactive teaching-learning environment makes the concept of teaching excellence more complex. Hartman, Dziuban, and Brophy-Ellison conducted two studies that highlight the changing definition. In the first study, they data-mined almost 700,000 end-of-semester course evaluations to discover what influenced students to rate a course or an instructor excellent. …

Lifelong learning and the social integration of refugees in the UK: the significance of social capital

In response to growing population movements the UK Government has introduced a number of measures designed to facilitate the social inclusion and integration of refugees into UK society. This paper explores some of the lifelong learning issues for refugees and argues that the current discourse of social inclusion and exclusion gives rise to narrow and prescriptive learning opportunities which fail to address the barriers facing refugees in the UK. Using the concept of social capital as an explanatory framework, I will argue that for refugees to become integrated and useful members of society requires a shift away from the present focus on formal, individualised education provision to a greater recognition of informal and social learning opportunities.

Just do it: Literacies, everyday learning and the irrelevance of pedagogy

This paper introduces the significant body of research on everyday literacies that has developed over the last 20 years and links it with the concerns of those working in the field of lifelong learning.1 It starts by briefly introducing debates about adult informal learning. It goes on to discuss ethnographic and interview studies of everyday learning and literacies, using both print and electronic media. It presents some of the new insights and orthodoxies from this research and discusses the challenges it poses to formal pedagogies. The paper goes on to identify some key issues that still need to be resolved, looking at the strengths and limitations of both informal and formal learning opportunities for literacy. For example, everyday networks have both strengths and limitations for learning; local knowledge resources are flexible but unevenly spread. The paper closes by looking at the implications of this work for the organisation of literacy learning opportunities for adults.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES AND THE FUTURE OF SCHOOLING IN THE UNITED STATES

We argue that the inability of schools to embrace new core technologies lies in the nature of schools as social institutions. Thus the catalytic power of information technologies is likely to leave the core practices of schooling untouched, and instead open up a wide range of alternative learning venues to traditional schools. We see the seeds of a technologydriven, alternative system emerging in the recent movements toward home schooling, virtual schools, distance education, learning centers, workplace learning, and informal learning opportunities. As these venues continue to develop, we believe they will begin to converge as a viable alternative to the existing school systems.