Learning in Informal Networks

Traditional conceptions of learning focus on the formal learning that occurs in contexts such as school and higher education. These however form only part of the learning experience for any individual. Indeed for adults, most learning will occur outside formal contexts either informally or incidentally (Marsick, Watkins, Callahan & Volpe, 2009). Informal learning is typically unplanned, or highly embedded within other activities such as work. The workplace is increasingly recognised as a key locus for informal learning (Harteis & Billet, 2008), particularly in knowledge-intensive domains.In the workplace, the ubiquity of networks and the communication and knowledge discovery opportunities they afford permits individuals to develop trusted knowledge sources and loose personal networks. These networks can be leveraged when new learning needs arise. However, to take advantage of these learning opportunities, individuals must be able to plan and structure their learning, interacting effectively within these networks.The chapter is structured into four main sections. First, we consider the context of informal learning in the workplace for knowledge workers (people who produce knowledge as an output through work) in knowledge-intensive environments (Drucker, 1999; Davenport, 2005). We explore how greater emphasis on individual responsibility for learning requires knowledge workers to be able to self-regulate their learning (Zimmerman, 2000). Second, we explore how self-regulation of learning manifests itself in practice, by outlining the collection of behaviours an individual undertakes to manage, monitor and optimise their interaction with the people and resources that contribute to their learning and development, drawing on our previous research in knowledge intensive organisations (Littlejohn, Milligan & Margaryan, 2012). We term this set of behaviours ‘charting’. Third, we consider how charting behaviours are currently supported by the tools that make up an individual’s personal work and learning environment, highlighting functions that are missing from existing tools and how they might be provided. Finally, we conclude by considering the nature of knowledge workers’ learning in an open, networked world