Organizations are increasingly recognizing the value of informal learning as a means to foster a positive learning environment and enhance employee engagement. Key strategies include promoting collaboration, allowing time for study, providing accessible resources, and encouraging leadership to model learning behaviors. Managers play a crucial role in supporting informal learning and helping employees identify their learning needs and goals.

1. The Organization
sets the Foundation
to Informal Learning
Stan Skrabut
@uwcesedtech
#uwces
http://www.slideshare.net/skrabut

2. Organizations are realizing the importance of
informal learning.

3. You are part of an organization where learning
is a key function.

4. You realize that it is challenging to institute a
learning culture.

5. You want to see a strong learning culture in
your organization.

6. Let me show you the four key cornerstones to
the organizational foundation.

7. At every level of
the organization,
efforts must be
made to make a
positive learning
environment.

8. Organizations are looking for alternative methods for
instruction such as informal learning.

9. Because of information overload, organizations
believe informal learning is a solution.

10. Organizations need better methods for
providing immediate access to information.

11. Organizations are also desiring learners to take
charge of their own learning.

12. Look for ways to integrate informal learning
into day-to-day operations.

13. Make informal learning a part of an individual's
learning plan.

14. Organizations should allow time for quiet study
during the work day.

15. Organizations should set aside learning spaces.

16. Leaders should continuously encourage learning
and publicize success stories.

17. Organizations should provide resources that are
accessible and easy to use.

18. Collaboration and discussion is a key
component to a positive learning environment.

19. Allow opportunities for employees to get up and talk
with others about work as a way of learning.

20. Create opportunities to get people together for
learning.

21. Do not try to formalize chats and networking, it
will yield diminished results.

22. Everyone must
understand their
role in learning to
include employees,
leaders, and
supervisors.

23. Top management must have buy-in to the
learning process.

24. Supervisors and managers are the key to informal
learning in the workplace; they must lead by example.

25. Supervisors and managers will need to devote
more time to coaching and mentoring.

26. Organization leaders should also lead training in
the organization.

27. Supervisors and organizations can support
learning by providing opportunities for learning.

28. Organizations should help provide tuition
assistance.

29. Organizations should provide support for conferences
and Internet learning opportunities.

30. Organizations should provide access to
organizational and university libraries.

31. Organizations should recognize learning
champions and achievements.

32. Organizations should provide opportunities for
employees to mingle and share ideas.

33. Leaders should share books and articles they
are reading.

34. Most importantly, leaders should remove
policies that impede learning.

35. Managers are key to learning; they know what
needs to be done.

36. Managers also need to help employees understand
their organizational role and how they can advance.

37. Managers and supervisors must help employees
identify learning needs, goals, and resources.

38. Managers and supervisors must also help
employees determine how to measure success.

39. Employees must
have easy access to
learning resources.

40. There are three key elements necessary for informal
learning resources:
Accessibility
Timeliness Quality

41. It is important to chunk information for easy retrieval
and use, especially in a mobile environment.

42. Technology can be a force multiplier in a
learning environment.

43. The learning system must be easy to use.

44. Learning resources can be supported with
technology or not.

45. Time should be allocated at staff meetings to
learn new things.

46. Organizations should encourage membership
and participation in professional organizations.

47. Employees should be encouraged to create video
clips, write book reviews, and write articles.

48. Organizations should use technologies such as wikis,
blogs, and discussion boards to share knowledge.

49. Employees should be encouraged to teach a class for
the benefit of the rest of the organization.

50. Supervisors and managers need to be
converted into mentors and facilitators.

51. Organizations need
knowledge
networks where
employees can
continuously grow
and learn.

52. Knowledge networks should be continuously
growing and adapting to changing conditions.

53. By recording essential organization information, it is
possible to identify knowledge weaknesses or gaps.

54. Providing
learning
tools
Providing
Managing Knowledge
Learning
content network
resources
Managing
connections

55. CoPs
discussion forums
Key
Blogs, wikis,
knowledge-sharing
web conferencing
tools
Social
networking

56. Knowledge networks need to be easy to use
and open to all participants.

57. When creating a learning system keep the formality
down, and let the workers easily add content.

58. Knowledge networks should be editable by all
members of the organization.

59. It is important to help others learn how to use
the tools and when is the best situation.

60. Knowledge base systems help provide current
answers in a just-in-time manner.

61. Teams are more inclined to collaborate while
using tools such as wikis, blogs, and email.

62. Blogs and wikis can be used to consolidate
information spread over many sites.

63. Information should be accessible through an aggregator
rather than requiring a learner to always check back.

64. We have completed this series. Thanks for
participating.

Individual
Strategies

Organizational
Strategies

Collection
Strategies

Creation
Strategies

Interpersonal
Strategies

65. Questions?