Reflections on informal learning ...

The further I go in my formal education... the more I begin to see how I am learning informally. The best kind of learning encourages and facilitates reflection, which is why I love the concept of informal learning.

According to Livingstone (1999), informal learning is "any activity involving the pursuit of understanding, knowledge or skill which occurs outside the curricula of educational institutions, or the courses or workshops offered by educational or social agencies." Isn't this synonymous with life? Our lives are full of informal learning, whether it be of any of the three forms mentioned; self-directed, incidental or socialization.

The class exercise about whether there could be a fourth type of learning where 'intention' was present but 'awareness' was not reminded me of a particular instance of learning I had recently. I was involved in making a podcast for a workplace initiative, and although I am somewhat web proficient, I had never used Mac based programs for creating video and audio files... I was a Mac newbie, suddenly being exposed to the shiny, new & vibrant world of the Apple computer!! (I can be overdramatic sometimes ;) )

In the process of creating these projects (intention: to create podcasts), I was unaware that I was becoming a more proficient Mac user; learning Mac shortcuts and in general, feeling more comfortable as a Mac user. Furthermore, I was learning more and more about Web 2.0 technologies and web platforms that supported what i was doing. I felt like I was being exposed to... well, a whole new world! (...cue in the Aladdin music!)

Now that I've read some our class readings, I can see that the principles of Andragogy were definitely facilitating my learning. According to Merriam (2001) the five assumptions underlying andragogy describe the adult learner as someone who:

(1) has an independent self-concept and who can direct his or her own learning
(2) has accumulated a reservoir of life experiences that is a rich resource for learning
(3) has learning needs closely related to changing social roles
(4) is problem-centered and interested in immediate application of knowledge
(5) is motivated to learn by internal rather than external factors

All these things were going on during my Mac exploration, but (4) was probably the one I was focused on in this situation.

Looking back on my podcasts & vodcasts (video podcasts), I now see a million things I can improve, and I am definitely more critical of them .. but it's a learning process right? Here's a link to a few of the vodcasts done by UofT students.

Ciao,
Suzanne