Formal learning involves structured training programs with objectives, while informal learning occurs through everyday experiences and is generally unintentional. Both have benefits, but informal learning is difficult for organizations to facilitate or measure. It is important for learning professionals to help bridge the gap between formal and informal learning by engaging leaders, fostering workplace conversations, and building internal capabilities so employees can learn from each other.

1. Bridging the gap between
formal and informal learning
Jane Hudson
Workplace and Regulatory Learning Consultant
JBass Learning

2. Bridging the gap between formal and
informal learning
‘Don’t worry about what they told you in the training,
now that you’re with the team we’ll show you what the
real world is all about’
Team leader to new recruit
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3. Bridging the gap between formal and
informal learning
If learning were an iceberg, then formal
training and development would only be
its tip.
Most learning is informal in nature and
happens under the waterline—invisible,
and therefore much harder to understand
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4. Informal learning
“Companies already use informal learning in employee
development. It’s an inevitable aspect of human behavior.
Companies just don’t do as good a job of it as they might.
Employees already learn more from one another than they
do from formal programs”
(Cross 2007 as cited in Radakovic & Antonijevic (n.d.))
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5. Informal learning
‘Workplace learning professionals need to understand how
workers are exposed to informal learning, and will be called
upon to judge whether this is good learning—not just the
absorption of bad or out-of-date habits—and whether
people would get more out of their informal learning if they
had some targeted training.’
(Halliday-Wynes & Beddie (n.d.) p.11)
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6. Informal learning
‘Gives employees the opportunity to learn and keep their
skills up-to-date,while being part of the overall workplace
culture rather than just its training regime; a necessar y
element of retaining employees’
(Smith, Ochzowski & Selby Smith 2008)
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7. Bridging the gap…
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8. Formal learning
Organized program or package
Structured
Has learning objectives
Designated teacher or trainer
Leads to a qualification or credit
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From the learners perspective, formal
learning is always intentional

9. Formal learning
Plays an important role when there needs to be a systematic
adoption of a set of knowledge, skills or methodologies to be
used at work
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10. Informal learning
Not organized
No set learning objectives
Not intentional from the learners standpoint, may not even be
recognized as contributing to their knowledge and skills
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11. Informal learning
A natural part of everyday life…
We are wired to learn and we are
constantly exposed to learning
situations – at work, home, during
leisure time…
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12. Informal learning
In supporting the application of competencies in the workplace
informal learning plays an important role in ensuring the acquired
knowledge is sustained
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Used to supplement or reinforce learning from formal programs

13. Major factors that influence informal
learning in organisations….
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The desire to learn on demand
The culture of the organisation
Staff have insufficient time for formal, scheduled learning

14. There is no single definition, however…
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Informal learning is usually considered to include activities like:
• Reading
• Internet eg Google, YouTube,
TED, MOOCs, Social media,
eLearning, Video Learning,
Webinars
• Listening to the radio,
podcasts
• Visiting libraries
• Attending public lectures,
conferences
• Volunteering
• Learning from family &
friends
• Peer to per learning
• Learning by trial & error
• Job-shadowing
• On-the-job training
• Workplace
mentoring/coaching
• Networking

15. Benefits
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16. Benefits – Formal Learning
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• Addressing organisational capability needs for appropriate,
systematic and result oriented learning
• Large numbers of employees will learn the same
information and/or processes at the same time;
• The course content should be accurate, up to date and
reliable (when properly designed)
• Employees learning through formal training programs come
up to speed faster once they start their jobs
•

17. Benefits – Informal Learning
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• Can be less costly and more time efficient with all the social
media technologies and electronic devices we have today
• Can be more personal and less intimidating for some
people
• Subject-matter experts may be more willing to share their
knowledge with others this way
• Employees may be less likely to resist learning new things

18. Challenges of informal
learning
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19. Informal learning
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Happening everyday in the workplace – whether it is
recognised/understood/acknowledged or not – it is embedded in our
day-to-day lives
Increasimgly being recognised as an important element in workforce
development
Powerful - can derail workplaces formal learning efforts

20. Challenges
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Workplace learning & development professionals need to find
ways to facilitate learning that bridges the gap between formal
and informal learning

21. Challenges
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Generally invisible
Outside of the ‘control’ of a formal learning structure
Difficult to plan for
Generally not thought of as being self-sufficient as a form of
workplace learning, but complementary to, and compatible, with,
formal and non-formal learning

22. Challenges
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‘This is also a challenge for the system, which needs to decide
when there is a good reason to recognise informal learning and
how then to assess it. It calls for good judgment about the
learner’s capacity to maximise the benefits from informal
approaches, and whether the student would gain from being
channelled toward more formal training—for their own sake or to
ensure quality of learning. ‘
(Halliday-Wynes & Beddie (n.d.))

23. Bridging the gap between
formal and informal learning
Ways they can be brought together
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24. Ways to bring them together
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We now have an abundance of educational tools to choose from,
including formal classroom instruction, group discussion, online
learning, social media and workplace interactions.
Usually it is a combination of all of these learning tools and
methods that will give us the best learning results.

25. Ways to bring them together
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• 70:20:10
• Just in time
• Blended learning programs
• Organisation’s dialogue/narrative
• Engage the informal leaders
• Provide learning opportunities eg team leaders/Managers
conducting informal and formal team asessions designed in
as part of the formal learning program
• Conversations/dialogue

26. Ways to bring them together
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Clear expectations (management)
Leadership and Culture
Actively foster workplace conversations/dialogue
Teach managers and team leaders about their role / influence
Engage the informal leaders

27. Building internal capability
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28. Building internal capability
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Team leaders, managers, internal content/subject matter
experts:
• Basic coaching skills programs
• Basic training skills programs for ‘to-be’ internal trainers
• Leadership development for team leaders and managers
• Understanding the role of informal learning in a formal
learning program

29. Building internal capability
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Learners:
• Learning to learn/lifelong learning
• Why a formal/informal learning program is designed the
way it is and their role and responsibilities

30. Bridging the gap between formal and
informal learning
Most informal learning will, quite rightly,
remain invisible. Although it would seem
that more of the iceberg of informal
learning is likely to become visible if
adequate resources are devoted to its
recognition, informal learning will
probably, and quite rightly, remain mostly
submerged.
(Halliday-Wynes & Beddie (n.d.) p.11)
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31. Bibliography
ASTD (2008) Tapping the Potential of Informal Learning. An ASTD Research study.
Alexandria, VA: ASTD
Infed (n.d.) Informal Learning – Theory, Practice and Experience
http://infed.org/mobi/informal-learning-theory-practice-and-experience/. Accessed
15/09/16
Halliday-Wynes, S. & Beddie, F. (n.d.) Informal Learning in NCVER At a Glance series
OECD (n.d.) Recognition of non-formal and informal learning,
http://www.oecd.org/edu/skills-beyond-school/recognitionofnon-
formalandinformallearning-home.htm. Accessed 15/09/16
Radakovic, M. & Antonijevic, S (n.d.), Balance between formal and informal learning -
experience and challenges of civil servants training in Serbia
Stockley, D. (n.d.), The role of informal learning in employee and organisation development,
http://www.derekstockley.com.au/articles/informal-learning.html. Accessed 18/09/2016
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Bridging the gap between formal and
informal learning