In my last post, I encouraged everyone to become intentional about pursuing
the 70 percent of our learning that comes from informal interactions
outside of the training room or classroom. But how do you do that, given the
old, informal learning ecosystem that revolved around your manager is on life
support? Part of the answer is to seek out informal learning online.
It might seem that online learning is actually a better replacement for formal, classroom learning. More and more formal learning spaces are making the virtual jump each day, as schools and universities realize that it’s a more cost-effective use of their resources. And studies have shown that online learning is as effective as classroom learning. So how does informal learning, the kind of productive conversations that happen over muffins or around the office water cooler, happen in the online environment?
The power of self-reflection
A 2009 U.S. Department of Education report that rolled up more than 1,000 empirical research studies on online learning over a 12-year period concluded that online learning works better than in-person learning in terms of self-reflection, self-regulation and self-monitoring. That would certainly lend itself to informal learning, where you're in charge and it's up to you to curate your own curriculum and seek out the information you need.
It turns out we do a better job analyzing and critiquing our own behavior and our own learning when we do it online as opposed to in person. We also regulate and evaluate our own work better than we do in a physical environment. We’re more productively driven toward our own learning processes, which leads to more positive outcomes. Self-reflection is critical to any learning experience and such reflection is easier in a virtual environment. We can easily review our work, even the work it takes to form relationships: We can go back over emails, see how recipients responded to them, review comment threads – generally, see where we’ve been and where we are going. This self-reflection, stimulated by interactions with others, improves our learning.
Even teachers handle informal learning better online
A recent study corroborated the power of online informal learning when it studied the professional development of teachers in four different environments: formal online learning; informal online learning; formal professional-development seminars; and informal learning happening in the teachers' lounge. The informal virtual setting was a forum that the teachers used to communicate with each other. The study showed that teachers learned the most from online environments, and they felt the most positive about the informal interactions. They had warmer feelings about their interactions with their peers online than they did about their informal interactions with the very same people in the break room.
Challenging and coaching themselves and their community proved easier online. They formed more explicit coaching relationships, where one person would take it upon him or herself to lead others through a learning process, and where everyone felt comfortable challenging and critiquing each other.
Choosing the right technology is important
Facebook and Twitter can yield positive results. If you have friends, mentors or former teachers or bosses on Twitter, follow them and direct-Tweet them to begin constructive discussions that ignite informal learning and help close soft and hard skills gaps. You can also form a Facebook group of trusted friends, colleagues and mentors. Learning a complex body of knowledge requires a community of learners; online technologies, such as social media, can be used to cultivate and support these communities with emotional and professional guidance and encouragement.
Group forums, where topics are discussed in threads, are also a good way to engage informally online (that’s how the teachers did it). Chatting, or instant messaging online, works as well because talking with others is conducive to deep learning.
Beware of trying to recreate the face-to-face experience precisely. Video chat such as Skype can be frustratingly choppy and is a poor substitute for actual human interaction. Make the most of what online technologies uniquely offer, such as allowing asynchronous conversations and the time to reflect before answering.
And don't engage online anonymously. When people own up to their own identities, it forces them to take the responsibility to be self-reflective.
Keep the differences in mind
To be successful in online informal learning, be cognizant how your approach to professional relationships is different online. Are you reflecting about how you present yourself online? Are you finding yourself rereading and reflecting on online messages? Are you connecting with, and learning from, your peers in the virtual space? If you are, you’ll be well on your way toward becoming a successful informal learner online.
It might seem that online learning is actually a better replacement for formal, classroom learning. More and more formal learning spaces are making the virtual jump each day, as schools and universities realize that it’s a more cost-effective use of their resources. And studies have shown that online learning is as effective as classroom learning. So how does informal learning, the kind of productive conversations that happen over muffins or around the office water cooler, happen in the online environment?
The power of self-reflection
A 2009 U.S. Department of Education report that rolled up more than 1,000 empirical research studies on online learning over a 12-year period concluded that online learning works better than in-person learning in terms of self-reflection, self-regulation and self-monitoring. That would certainly lend itself to informal learning, where you're in charge and it's up to you to curate your own curriculum and seek out the information you need.
It turns out we do a better job analyzing and critiquing our own behavior and our own learning when we do it online as opposed to in person. We also regulate and evaluate our own work better than we do in a physical environment. We’re more productively driven toward our own learning processes, which leads to more positive outcomes. Self-reflection is critical to any learning experience and such reflection is easier in a virtual environment. We can easily review our work, even the work it takes to form relationships: We can go back over emails, see how recipients responded to them, review comment threads – generally, see where we’ve been and where we are going. This self-reflection, stimulated by interactions with others, improves our learning.
Even teachers handle informal learning better online
A recent study corroborated the power of online informal learning when it studied the professional development of teachers in four different environments: formal online learning; informal online learning; formal professional-development seminars; and informal learning happening in the teachers' lounge. The informal virtual setting was a forum that the teachers used to communicate with each other. The study showed that teachers learned the most from online environments, and they felt the most positive about the informal interactions. They had warmer feelings about their interactions with their peers online than they did about their informal interactions with the very same people in the break room.
Challenging and coaching themselves and their community proved easier online. They formed more explicit coaching relationships, where one person would take it upon him or herself to lead others through a learning process, and where everyone felt comfortable challenging and critiquing each other.
Choosing the right technology is important
Facebook and Twitter can yield positive results. If you have friends, mentors or former teachers or bosses on Twitter, follow them and direct-Tweet them to begin constructive discussions that ignite informal learning and help close soft and hard skills gaps. You can also form a Facebook group of trusted friends, colleagues and mentors. Learning a complex body of knowledge requires a community of learners; online technologies, such as social media, can be used to cultivate and support these communities with emotional and professional guidance and encouragement.
Group forums, where topics are discussed in threads, are also a good way to engage informally online (that’s how the teachers did it). Chatting, or instant messaging online, works as well because talking with others is conducive to deep learning.
Beware of trying to recreate the face-to-face experience precisely. Video chat such as Skype can be frustratingly choppy and is a poor substitute for actual human interaction. Make the most of what online technologies uniquely offer, such as allowing asynchronous conversations and the time to reflect before answering.
And don't engage online anonymously. When people own up to their own identities, it forces them to take the responsibility to be self-reflective.
Keep the differences in mind
To be successful in online informal learning, be cognizant how your approach to professional relationships is different online. Are you reflecting about how you present yourself online? Are you finding yourself rereading and reflecting on online messages? Are you connecting with, and learning from, your peers in the virtual space? If you are, you’ll be well on your way toward becoming a successful informal learner online.
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