Scaling informal learning at the workplace: A model and four designs from a large‐scale design‐based research effort

Abstract

Workplace learning happens in the process and context of work, is multi-episodic, often informal, problem based and takes place on a just-in-time basis. While this is a very effective means of delivery, it also does not scale very well beyond the immediate context. We review three types of technologies that have been suggested to scale learning and three connected theoretical discourses around learning and its support. Based on these three strands and an in-depth contextual inquiry into two workplace learning domains, health care and building and construction, four design-based research projects were conducted that have given rise to designs for scaling informal learning with technology. The insights gained from the design and contextual inquiry contributed to a model that provides an integrative view on three informal learning processes at work and how they can be supported with technology: (1) task performance, reflection and sensemaking;(2) help seeking, guidance and support; and (3) emergence and maturing of collective knowledge. The model fosters our understanding of how informal learning can be scaled and how an orchestrated set of technologies can support this process.

Aprendizagem de competências, suporte à transferência de aprendizagem e desempenho docente: evidências de validação de escala e teste de relações

“…Ressaltou ainda que a aprendizagem nesses grupos ocorre de maneira informal, por meio de conversas entre os participantes, e formal, por meio de leituras dirigidas e da participação em eventos científicos. Embora efetivas e frutos de motivações intrínse-cas aos aprendizes, aprendizagens no trabalho -que são multiepisódicas, informais, baseadas em solução de problemas e em tempo real -não ultrapassam, no entanto, necessidades que emergem do trabalho cotidiano (LEY et al, 2014). Aprendizagens informais de docentes, em particular, realizam-se no seio de suas redes pessoais.…”

“…Essas duas conjecturas, no entanto, merecem ser testadas em outras amostras de instituições educacionais de nível superior no país. Em terceiro lugar, artigos internacionais e nacionais revisados indicam que docentes aprendem preferencialmente por mecanismos informais e em suas redes profissionais (ODELIUS et al, 2011;PATARAIA et al, 2014;LEY et al, 2014), o que tende a facilitar seus processos de transferência, quase que indiferenciando os estágios de aquisição e de transferência de competências (COELHO JÚNIOR; MOURÃO, 2011).…”

Social recognition provision patterns in professional Q&A forums in Healthcare and Construction

“…The informal learning practices evolved in professional communities have remained largely an unexplored territory. Lately, in EU 7th Framework project Learning Layers (http://learning-layers.eu) several empirical interview and design-based research studies have revealed some common practices among Healthcare and Construction stakeholders (Ley et al, 2014). In this paper we explore what role the recognition practices have in informal practice communities in the Q&A forums in Healthcare and Construction sectors.…”

“…One of the goals in lifelong learning policies and initiatives is scaling up the incidental and informal learning (Tynjala, 2008;Ley et al, 2014) that can be done by noticing, recording, sharing, and formally and socially recognizing those practices acquired at on the job training (Werquin, 2010), and uniting individual informal learning and organizational learning practices into an evolving knowledge creation and conversing systems (e.g. Nonaka & Takeuchi, 1995;Tammets et al, 2014).…”

“…For example, to support informal learning of individuals at workplaces, and to contribute to the organizational or community learning a self-organized feedback loop can be created using network of patterns (e.g. Ley et al, 2014, Tammets et al, 2014. Establishing the associations between discourse acts in Q&A forums as patterned practices and seeing the interrelations between patterned practices as a network may be possible when addressing the discourse data using the social network analysis (SNA) approach modification (Kelsey, 2008) in which the discourse acts would be considered as nodes and the ties between discourse acts would be calculated from the frequency they are used in the system.…”