Dear Jesus,

I uploaded yesterday to RG paper about some form of informal learning, grounded in the family facing situation of very-late-onset of schizophrenia, diagnosed in female after her age of 76. Take a look. 

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/265684351_International_Research_Journal_for_Quality_in_Education_A_Case_Study_of_Informal_Learning_in_the_Family_associated_with_Very-Late-Onset_of_Schizophrenia_in_Female

Article A Case Study of Informal Learning in the Family associated w...

This is a very good question, indeed! I think that as a first step one should give as clear definition of the informal learning. The informal learning can be in the family. However, I think that informal learning also exist in majority of the Universities. I mean that in any group there are some people who are not formally a teacher, but really have much more experience of the topic, And they serve as "non-formal" teacher for the other less-experienced colleagues.

"This interest in informal learning has run alongside developments in thinking around informal education (although, significantly, there is no reference to this in any of the above studies). It also links to explorations of learning through participation in the life of a group or association – la vie associative. Within social anthropology there has also been a long-standing concern with ‘informal learning’"!

http://infed.org/mobi/informal-learning-theory-practice-and-experience/

http://infed.org/mobi/what-is-informal-education/

There are millions of people in the world who have no access to formal education. Non-formal schools are found in areas where formal schools are not available. Government and community provide school requirements. There is no regular curriculum and at the same time there is no formal certification.

“Formal education is classroom-based, accompanied by trained teachers. Informal education happens outside the classroom, in after-school programs, community-based organizations, museums, libraries, or at home. Both formal and informal education settings offer different strengths to educational outreach project. After-school programs offer a different kind of environment, where ones activities don't need to be as formal and once can easily reach the audience. While both schools and after-school programs serve students, at school blossom in after-school settings. Real learning can happen in a setting where kids feel less intimidated or more comfortable than they do in a formal classroom”.

More information, you may consult the following link:

http://www.answers.com/Q/Difference_between_formal_and_non_formal_education

One should also consider one important point with non-formal education learning. All program for the formal ("class-room") education are based on "average" student. However, there is no average students, and one of the most important advantage of the non-formal education is that teacher consider character of each student individually.Of course, this may take much more time and efforts, but, finally, will give much better results.

As per Jay Cross "People acquire the skills they use at work informally — talking, observing others, trial-and-error, and simply working with people in the know. Formal training and workshops account for only 5% to 20% of what people learn from experience and interactions."

I think that is what happens with most of us as we acquire important skills required in our profession by observing others and not necessarily through formal procedures. Here is an interesting illustration about informal learning from DePaul University.

http://www.informl.com/the-informal-learning-page/

http://caeacommcon.ning.com/group/intentional-mentoring-advising-and-informal-learni/forum/topics/fostering-cultures-of-intentional-informal-learning-mentoring

By and large, the most important, crucial and vital things we learn are informal. Both in science as in life.

Formal learning is too close to indoctrination, techniques and mechanisms, whence at the end of the day is strongly supported by memory. Memory, however, is a weak force. On the contrary, vital, experiential and other similar ways of learning have deeper and lasting impact on someone' s life.

The most important things in life cannot be taught, only learned. The example is the Archimedean point in the learning process.

Informal learning is, by default, any learning that is not formal learning or non-formal learning. Informal learning is organized differently than formal and non-formal learning because it has no set objective in terms of learning outcomes and is never intentional from the learner’s standpoint. Often it is referred to as learning by experience or just as experience.

Benefits of Informal Learning:

• Creating informal learning situations can be less costly and more time efficient given all of the social media technologies and electronic devices we have today.
• Learning informally can be more personal and less intimidating for some people.
• Subject-matter experts may be more willing to share their knowledge with others this way.
• Since learning this way happens more naturally during the flow of someone’s work day, employees may be less likely to resist learning new things.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Informal_learning

http://www.langevin.com/blog/2012/05/10/8-benefits-of-formal-and-informal-learning/

Informal learning in classroom model aims to enhance student motivation, enjoyment and skill-acquisition in lessons by tapping into the real-life learning, designed particularly of certain age group. It is more collaborative experience facilitated by technology.

As I understand, informal learning is to acquire new knowledge and skills by the school and / or college. Results informal learning does not have to be (and usually are) not confirmed with a diploma or any other document. Nowadays, most people can not afford formal lifelong learning, and therefore informal learning is very desirable. The problem of informal learning that remains can be expressed by the question: how to confirm the attainment of knowledge / skills? It seems that the answer lies in the development of standards for testing knowledge / skills, the standards which could be used for checking the aquired knowledge / skills, in both formal and informal learning.

Formal learning is like riding a bus. The driver decides where the bus is going; the passengers are along for the ride. On the opposite end, informal learning is like riding a bike: the rider chooses the destination, the speed, and the route. The rider can take a detour at a moment’s notice to admire the scenery or go to the bathroom.

Informal learning happens outside of the bus and the classroom. There’s no curriculum and no certificate of completion. It goes on all the time. Informal learning includes things like trying and failing, asking a colleague, reading a book, or watching television. Informal learning is how we learn about life. It’s how we make sense of things.

Formal learning--riding the bus--is great for novices. It’s efficient to have help getting the lay of the land and getting to the destination. Training departments are very talented at setting up bus routes.

Informal learning, like bicycle riding, is most appropriate for people who already know the territory. They want tips on the new short cuts and the essence of a topic. They want what they want, to plug the holes in their knowledge, and they won’t sit still for bus rides to their destinations. Been there, done that. Training departments don’t devote much effort to helping cyclists

http://www.hr.com/SITEFORUM?&t=/Default/gateway&i=1116423256281&application=story&active=no&ParentID=1119278002800&StoryID=1162235321580&xref=https%3A//www.google.com/

I think these days when research becomes more and more multidisciplinary, scientists have to be not only knowledgeable of concepts that are beyond of their formal field of education but successfully run such research projects. Yes, it does require a great deal of self-educating and constant learning. I believe that a good measure or test of such knowledge is actually being able to conduct such research: publish articles, interact with peers and take students with you to the same journey. It's like learning a new language - it opens so many new horizons and lets one to communicate with new people discovering amazing things!  

Implications of Design-Based Informal Learning Experiences in Engineering.

Large portion of engineering students are involved in different informal learning experiences, such as

• Co-curricular design teams,
• Student organizations,
• Research, or
• Studio-based environments.

www.asee.org/public/conferences/32/papers/9018/download

Dear Kamal,

Dear All,

I think there is no man who does not agree with you. However, there are some conditions of the use of critical thinking. Most of students have not even heard about it. Critical thinking as a subject is not taught at many universities and there are not many good teachers of it.

I would say teachers at elementary and high schools should prefer originality and encourage simple thinking and reflecting of pupils. One cannot demand of students thinking at universities when they were brought up in a dictatorial education drill system. I have experienced that students cannot ask and do not ask at classes. I used to supplicate for questions but in most cases in vain. Certainly, without knowledge and preparation for classes it is impossible or difficult to ask.

I think one should wait for a long time when critical thinking becomes an inherent part of curricula.

And to get back to the original question: how can be implemented informal learning without the students’ ability to reflecting independently?

Informal learning mean, Fearless Academic system.

Dear colleagues

I see informal learning as voluntary. An informal learning activity does not have to have clear objectives at the start. In addition, this type of leaning should not be done for the purpose of preparing students for an assessment or exam; and should not be graded. Traditionally many educators and schools would regard this as an alternative type of education. However, more and more, the idea is also being integrated into schools where teachers encourage students to learn on their own and rely less on classroom instruction. As others have pointed out, informal learning can help students develop critical thinking. I think informal learning can also help people develop their social and communication skills. Even when done alone, informal learning can help some people improve or strengthen their literacy skills (including reading and writing). 

Emre 

Dr. E 

I remember this quote from the book of Peters called Peters' Principle.

"The self educated is marked by stubborn peculiarities."

The development of distributed, blended and online learning through the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) and the use of the Internet as a site and resource for learning and its associated network metaphors. It is also facilitated by situations where professionals from different agencies had to work together then boundary-crossing and learning to work in a variety of contexts and critical importance.

http://www.tlrp.org/themes/themes/informal.html

Formal learning is just like learn to read musical notes without hearing a sound! Informal learning is read musical notes and at the same time you hear music!

Let me comment on the notion of "informal". The strict formal way of mathematical logic, is just a syntax play. It is not necessary to understand something. It is a kinf of machine learning. 

On the other hand, "informal learning" is deep learning of "concepts" and not the symbolic representation of them. An excellent example of "informal learning" is Lawvere and Schanuel book: "Conceptual Mathematics: A First Introduction to Categories"

There is a need for a synthetic language, in which we can communicate our results to anybody and using it we can do our research, The quest for a ‘synthetic language’ of mathematics, see

Reyes, G. [1986] Synthetic Reasoning and Variable Sets. In Lawvere-

Schanuel, Categories in Continuum Physics , SLNM # 1174, pp. 69-82

Informal Learning in Organizations

• While learning takes place at an individual level, it is improved when it is supported by others and the organization.
• Informal learning is hard to design for and therefore organizations go the easy route with formal learning opportunities. 
• Because of continuous change and the vast amount of information available on the Internet, organizations cannot keep abreast of training in a formal training environment

I think that almost all kind of knowledge is 'informal', since the first time we realize something, then we feel like dropped from heaven... Later we are used of it, habit is a good advisor for this task.

"Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning." - Albert Einstein

Dear @Sudeep, you have posted this very famous quote as your answer under 17 different threads. Do you think that such doing is ethical!?

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Sudeep_C_B/answers

Dear Dr. With due regards, I would like to ask what wrong Mr. Sundeep has done. The quotation is in the quotes and the source name is there? 

Your answer will help me to avoid such mistakes in my career.

Dear @Jesus Díaz-Campo,

Thank you very much for your clarification that "Informal learning is, by default, any learning that is non-formal learning". Who would have thought?

Hello Dr. Prof Ljubomir Jacić, with all due respect to your status and experience, I would like to defend myself, a while back when I had just joined RG, I had posted a quote/ statement made under a discussion in which I had not quoted the link or reference, you were keen enough to point out that and I had duly rectified it and still follow to do so wherever necessary.

Coming to the current post of yours here, to begin with, I thought I had made or used this quote more than 17 times, maybe you are right it is only 17 times because I never kept a tab on it. I used the same wherever I found this relevant to my opinion and would be useful for the readers ( there are approximately 35 million people on research gate and not all are following the same question/discussion/project ). 

Now, is it ethical, why wouldn't it be? If the question is the same or similar, there can't be too many different answers to it, and what we give here are perspectives/opinions that are based on subjective choices ( I mean for the general questions, not the scientific ones). 

Sir, you have till date provided 12426 answers on RG, maybe you have the time to answer them all differently sir which is really a wonderful gift. Like for example to a question I had previously posted on my thread ( Ref: https://www.researchgate.net/post/How_would_you_describe_Failure ) you have answered it 10 times, 10 different answers for the same question. But for me sir, I like to read the projects and literature people post here more, hence I have given a lot lesser time on answering and answering differently comparatively, so yes sir, u may find the quotes and some of my answers repeating in RG, it is only when I find a similar question that I remember a former which I had answered, now why I do so is quite simple, it's for non-wastage of my time and productivity. Now if two questions are the same, I won't be having two different answers for them right. Also, I am not spamming or littering others questions with wrong information, I am to the best of my abilities trying to post a reference to whatever answers/opinions I post on RG.  

The ultimate authority must always rest with the individual's own reason and critical analysis. - Dalai Lama

I hope you agree.

Regards

Sudeep

Dear @Muhammad, the answer which I have questioned is not the problem. that answer is very regular and appropriate. I was questioning the fact that the same answer was posted under 17 different questions in one hour. Questions are under same or similar topics, but, questions are very different.

Thanks dear @Sudeep for your sincere answer. Regarding your thread on Failure, you do have 100 answers out of 191 total number of answers!!!

https://www.researchgate.net/post/How_would_you_describe_Failure

Hello Prof Ljubomir Jacić, yes sir, precisely my point, as you have also mentioned sir the answer is "very regular and appropriate", and if it is done on a larger number in a lesser time that is efficiency and productivity right? As I have mentioned before, I really don't get all the time to sit around writing answers differently every time. So if it is appropriate I try to share them with little wastage of time to as many possible. Questions can be asked in many different ways but sometimes all of them might carry only one answer ( and I answer question-based, yet to figure out how topic wise searches work ) Anyway, sir, our perspectives might be different and I apologize if I have wronged yours in any way.

Regarding the thread of mine and why I have answered it so many times is quite simple. I was taught to acknowledge people and thank them for the help they offer, here the question was posted by me and I am grateful to those who have answered them by sparing their time and taking effort between their busy schedules, so if a person has answered it one time I would have thanked him or replied to it with the mention of his or her name once, and if the person has done it 10 different times I would have done the same 10 times.

Thank you for being the sincere critic sir. I hope to interact more in the future with you on different threads.

Good day!

Regards

It is the kind of learning that occurred out of the educational foundations and without any specific curriculum or aim just like self_ directed learning or experiential learning or even other kinds of training.  I think it is good for people who are not joined specific educational institution. 

Liqaa 

A kind of lifelong learning outside the boundaries of an institution with deeper impact. 

In future, informal education may dominate in many subjects expect medicine, engineering and some other fields. But formal education has its own importance in shaping the students, guiding the students. I strongly believe that formal education may be compulsory  up to 10+2 education.

Informal learning, even more so than its formal counterpart, can be thought of as a geographical process, as a form of cognition "in the wild" that helps constitute the very spaces one learns about. For details, see: 

Article Introduction: Learning as a Geographical Process

With hello and respect to everyone

All the answer to the question "What do you think of informal learning?" I studied. Given the fact that the question was raised three years ago, and most of the answers were expressed in past times, the issue is still fresh. given that my doctoral thesis is aimed of facilitating informal learning in the organization. I am asking questions about my thesis. Questions that I am looking the right answers for them. Please guide me.

• What are the organizational needs for targeting and facilitating informal learning?
• What are the effective methods for targeting and facilitating informal learning in the organization?
• What methodology can I study them?

Thanks a lot