As our workforce has changed over the last decade (and especially in the last year), modern L&D professionals have begun abandoning the one-and-done training model and have instead moved on to blended learning, learning journeys, and what we call, learning clusters. Even with these new, modern approaches to learning, many L&D professionals hold on tightly to creating and developing learning assets they deem most trackable, typically formal, and shy away from an important part of the modern learning journey – non-formal learning.
Non-formal learning is different from informal learning. Whereas informal learning tends to happen as learners engage in activities done with a purpose other than for learning, such as talking with others or browsing online, non-formal learning (sometimes referred to as informal intentional learning) takes place with guidance, but outside the formal learning environment and without being governed by assessments. Examples of non-formal learning are book clubs, guided self-learning programs and job shadowing.
Non-formal learning assets can help us deliver more for the business and employees by impacting on-the-job behaviors in ways that formal and informal learning cannot. But how can we measure its success?
In her most recent Chief Learning Officer article, Can non-formal learning be measured?, Learning Cluster Design model co-creator Lisa M.D Owens highlights
- The benefits of non-formal learning
- How to measure non-formal learning
- When to design formal, informal or non-formal learning
What type of non-formal learning do you currently utilize in your organization? How do you measure it currently? We’d love to know, so please join the conversation on LinkedIn.
