Role Of Informal Learning Research Articles

Researching Men's Sheds in Community Contexts in Australia: What Does it Suggest about Adult Education for Older Men?

This paper reports on research into community-based men's sheds in Australia, focusing on how regular activity in these sheds impacts on the informal learning experiences of the mainly older men who use them. It leads to an exploration and reflection on how men's learning experiences in such sheds might inform adult and vocational education in community contexts for older men in other national and cultural contexts. Shed-based activity in community settings is found to provide a critically important, positive and therapeutic, male-positive context that satisfies a wide range of needs not currently available to older men in more formal education settings or in typical adult learning providers. Men's sheds in community contexts provide an important and voluntary social and community outlet for older retired men, particularly for workin- class men who are less likely than other men and particularly women to participate in adult and community education. The research identifies the likely fruitfulness of more closely examining the role of informal learning in enhancing wellbeing through voluntary participation in community settings in other cultural and national contexts.

The Role Of Informal Learning In Today�s Successful Training Department

The Role Of Informal Learning In Today�s Successful Training Department

The Role of Informal Learning in Today's Successful Training Department

The Role of Informal Learning in Today's Successful Training Department

The impact of a management training program for university administrators

PurposeManagement training is perceived as one of the most effective ways to improve management skill, increase productivity and change corporate culture. To reap these perceived benefits, the University of Ottawa has delivered, since 2001, a Management Leadership Program (MLP) to better hone the core competencies of senior directors of administrative units at the University. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of this program on the participants in terms of learning, behavioural change and achievement of core competencies.Design/methodology/approachSemi‐structured in‐depth interviews.FindingsThe study found that informal learning strategies are the primary means by which University directors develop core competencies. However, the MLP provides a forum for informal learning through greater self‐awareness, the establishment and maintenance of social networks or social capital, for discussion and problem solving by senior managers and for the development and reinforcement of skills.Research limitations/implicationsGiven the time that has passed since the first training modules were completed, it is likely that internal validity will be affected by maturation. Further, because the number of subjects is small, semi‐structured interviews were used to elicit rich, highly informative data. Using multiple coders enhanced reliability.Originality/valueThis article provides insights into the particular development needs of university administrators and emphasizes the role of informal learning in management development and the importance of formal training as a forum for learning to occur. Also, the article highlights the critical role of social capital in management effectiveness

Educationally influential physicians: the need for construct validation.

Educationally influential physicians may be a valuable resource in continuing medical education. Although the idea driving this research--informal learning--converges with research in adult education, organizational learning, marketing, and knowledge diffusion, the results of interventions have proven inconclusive. To actualize the promise of the educationally influential physician (EIP) construct, it is argued that researchers must return to the "classic" studies in this area and resume the process of validating the meaning of the construct. A literature review and the occasion of an educationally influential physician identification survey provided an opportunity to contribute to development of this construct. We compared three identification rules used to study 212 physicians. Each rule may identify different people as EIPs. To improve the use of educational influentials, research must be completed to validate their role in informal learning.

Parents with Intellectual Disability Learning to Parent: the role of experience and informal learning

Parenthood for people with intellectual disability remains controversial. This is so despite current concern about the participation of people with intellectual disability in socially valued roles. Formal parent training is frequently presumed necessary to teach competent parenting. Effective programs require specific skill assessment followed by performance‐based training. Training needs to include modelling, practice, and feedback and to occur in situations where the skill is needed. The role of the informal and naturally occurring context of parenting‐‐the context of everyday family life‐‐has been overlooked. Drawing on an ethnographic study of family life with six parent couples, two central themes on the role of informal learning and experience in parenting are reported. Several ways in which service providers can take account of the experiential nature of learning about parenting are proposed.

Community education and community development: the Northern Ireland experience

This article reports on a research project exploring the relationship between community development and community education in rural areas of Northern Ireland. The author discusses the concept of community development and its role in combating social, economic and political problems and goes on to examine the role of education and training within the wider community development process, in particular the role of informal learning. The body of the article reports on the role and activity of development workers in the project and discusses the resources available for the enhancement of active learning processes inherent in the community.