Today, the buzz is about informal learning. You hear it at conferences, on blogs, even on twitter. Are your programs informal? Are they as informal as you want them to be? Are you moving forward to bring informal learning to your organization?
We have different questions for you. Are you certain that you know what informal learning is, how it differs from the formal? And most important of all, have you thought long and hard on what is most suitable for your organization and goals?
We have tried to be useful to you as you think about these matters. Come online to our YinYang tool and answer questions about your circumstances. First you will be asked to declare your intentions about becoming more informal, formal or possessing no inclination at all. Then, with your situation in mind, you will be invited to answer the 15 questions at the heart of the tool. The tool then works its magic and offers up a list of suitable approaches typically associated with formal or informal learning. In many cases, your recommendation nudges you to rely on both formal and informal strategies.
ASTD published our article about formal and informal learning in the January issue of T&D. If you want a longer discussion of this topic and three expanded examples, please visit our article at T&D online.
Allison Rossett & Frank Nguyen
