PhD students’ conversations that lead to learning about teaching: the interplay of formal and informal learning

Author(s):  
Triinu Soomere ◽  
Mari Karm
2021 ◽  
pp. 004723952110625
Author(s):  
Suparna Chatterjee ◽  
Julia Parra

The purpose of this qualitative case study is to examine the evidence of formal and informal learning of students in an undergraduate educational technology course for preservice teachers. The research question was, “How do undergraduate students in an educational technology course bridge formal and informal learning using Twitter?” The framework for this study was the Community of Inquiry. Directed content analysis was used on data extracted from Twitter. Key findings included, (1) evidence of cognitive, social, and teaching presence for students completing course activities using Twitter, that is, for their formal learning; and that (2) students developed competencies during formal course activities using Twitter that supported cognitive and social presence beyond the course requirements, that is, for their informal learning.


2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 309-326 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pamela Costes-Onishi

The objective of this study is to address the important questions raised in literature on the intersections between formal and informal learning. Specifically, this will be discussed within the concept of ‘productive dissonance’ and the pedagogical tensions that arise in the effort of experienced teachers to transition from the formal to the informal. This case study discusses the issues that ensue when strict demarcations between formal and informal are perceived, and demonstrates that the former is vital to the facilitation of the latter. The blurring of formal and informal pedagogical approaches has shown that the concept of ‘critical musicality’ becomes more apparent in student learning and that engagement increases especially among at-risk students.


2011 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-34
Author(s):  
Chris Holland

This paper reflects on specific findings from a 2009 study of on and off-job learning that explored apprentices’ learning experiences, formal and informal learning connections, and implications for language, literacy and numeracy in vocational learning. The study was conducted in the glazing industry in New Zealandi, and as part of that study, apprentice profiles were developed. This discussion focuses on three of those profiles and reflects on two emerging themes. The first theme is employer and apprentice perceptions of the value of apprentices coming from a ‘trades family’. The second theme is the range of inclusions and exclusions, advantages and disadvantages that apprentices experience depending on their ‘trades family’ status in both on and off-job learning. The paper then considers what kind of learning support might help integrate the different identities required within an apprenticeship.


Author(s):  
Rosa Sanchidrian Pardo ◽  
Pilar Yubero Hermoso ◽  
Begoña Torrente Barredo

The main mission of this project is to improve the professional skills of first year students and to measure their motivation, focus on self-learning and professionalism. For that, the professor uses The TED methodology as a great tool to develop these essential competences and introduces the student as the protagonist of the self- learning process. The TED tool was created to disseminate scientific results of great researchers. It has now become a system of scientific and social dissemination, used to improve formal and informal learning. Also, one of the skills that Spanish people need to work on is their communication skills and these kinds of projects are based on the effective communication competences and others that increase the motivation of students to self-learn and ask about newly acquired knowledge. This educational innovation project tries to use these tools to improve the professional and academic skills and reinforce the human dimension of students and the factor to motivate them to study and learn. It has been evaluated and with the advice of a mentor (subject teacher). The project has been evaluated using a quantitative and qualitative method and the conclusions are interesting because the students recommend it and indicates that their has been an improvement on skills, motivation, values and knowledge.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dominik Emanuel Froehlich ◽  
Simon Beausaert ◽  
Mien Segers ◽  
Maike Gerken

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of chronological age and formaland informal learning activities on employability. Furthermore, indirect effects of age on employabilityvia learning activities were tested.Design/methodology/approach – The authors conducted quantitative, cross-sectional surveyresearch (n¼780) in three Dutch and Austrian organizations to study the relationship betweenchronological age, formal and informal learning activities, and employability using structural equationmodeling.Findings – The authors find that both formal and informal learning increase employees’ employability.However, each type of learning contributes to different components of employability. Additionally, theauthors find indirect effects of chronological age on employability via formal learning.Research limitations/implications – The results question the focus on chronological age inorganizational and political decision making and contribute new insights for the management of anincreasingly older workforce.Practical implications – The findings question the predominant use of chronological age asdecisive criterion in organizational and national policies and call for closer examination of stereotypesagainst older employees. Employees should be supported in pursuing learning activities – irrespectiveof their chronological age. The implications of limiting employees’ access to formal learning activitiesmay limit their future employability. Individual employees, however, are in control of their informallearning activities, and this is a very important lever to maintain and develop employability.Social implications – Given the increasing dependency of social welfare systems on older people’sactive participation in the labor market, this study stresses that it is not chronological age per se thataffects people’s employability. This diverges from the way of how chronological age is used in policymaking.Originality/value – This study contributes further evidence for the relationships of age and formaland informal learning on employability. Additionally, it extends previous literature by examiningdifferent effects on different facets of employability, criticizing the prevalent use of chronological age,and investigating potential mediation effects.


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