Formalizing Informal Learning

Lately the wires are abuzz with the importance of informal learning. Attention is now turning to how to formalize informal learning. The right way to formalize informal learning is to create an environment that supports, and therefore recognizes, informal learning. Here is what I have done to support informal learning:

• Build a system for aggregating informal content. Much easier to find valuable content when it is in one place.
• Provide tools and training so SMEs can create better informal content.
• Provide minimal support. Some folk just need a bit of help capturing or editing the content. But they control the content that is posted. Think of this as “ID lite.”
• Allow a discussion to take place around the informal content. This can be done by linking a discussion forum to the aggregation system mentioned above (see first item in this list). A good comment system can also suffice.
• Allow content to be voted on. This allows the best informal content to be noticed and the worse to be demoted or hidden once thresholds are met.
• To track informal content, I created quizzes that were in the LMS that when passed, recorded the learning event. After all in the spirit of knowledge acquisition, it does not matter if knowledge was gained via formal or informal means.
• Lastly, create a culture of giveback–so that others learn to share as well.