Informal learning and work engagement among older workers

Purpose Transfer of key skills and knowledge between older and younger workers remains vital for ongoing firm success. The effectiveness of this process can be increased when organizations provide opportunities for informal learning that serve to heighten levels of work engagement among older employees. Design/methodology/approach This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings Transfer of key skills and knowledge between older and younger workers remains vital for ongoing firm success. The effectiveness of this process can be increased when organizations provide opportunities for informal learning that serve to heighten levels of work engagement among older employees. Originality/value The briefing saves busy executives and researchers’ hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.

Innovation Paths in Italian Schools

Almost 10 years after the Cl@ssi 2.0 project began in Italy, the contribution intends to take stock of the consequences and the development of the project, broadening the view to the role of informal learning and the new 4.0 technologies, with a look at the effects of the emergence of COVID-19. The last part of the chapter focuses on the role of new enabling technologies in the future model of 4.0 learning which in turn fits into the Society 5.0 framework. These scenarios will offer insights for a concluding reflection on Society 5.0, a society in which the integration of technologies will offer an opportunity to develop all sectors of social life, including the education and training sector.

Dividing Attention and Metacognition

Students increasingly control their learning as university instructors shift away from lecture formats, courses are offered online, and the internet offers near infinite resources for student-controlled informal learning. Students typically make effective choices about learning, including what to learn, when to learn, and how to learn, but sometimes make less-than-optimal study choices, including trying to study while multi-tasking. Dividing attention among various tasks impairs both learning and learners' control over their learning because secondary tasks divert cognitive resources away from learning and metacognition. This chapter reviews recent studies explaining how dividing attention affects students' metacognition, including their assessments of their own learning and the study choices that they make. This chapter reviews the fundamentals of metacognition, describes the impact of dividing attention on the effectiveness of learners' metacognition, and provides suggestions about how to enhance the efficacy of metacognition when students' attentional resources are limited.

Which human factors design issues are influencing system performance in out-of-hours community palliative care? Integration of realist approaches with an established systems analysis framework to develop mid-range programme theory

ObjectiveTo develop mid-range programme theory from perceptions and experiences of out-of-hours community palliative care, accounting for human factors design issues that might be influencing system performance for achieving desirable outcomes through quality improvement.SettingCommunity providers and users of out-of-hours palliative care.Participants17 stakeholders participated in a workshop event.DesignIn the UK, around 30% of people receiving palliative care have contact with out-of-hours services. Interactions between emotions, cognition, tasks, technology and behaviours must be considered to improve safety. After sharing experiences, participants were presented with analyses of 1072 National Reporting and Learning System incident reports. Discussion was orientated to consider priorities for change. Discussions were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim by the study team. Event artefacts, for example, sticky notes, flip chart lists and participant notes, were retained for analysis. Two researchers independently identified context–mechanism–outcome configurations using realist approaches before studying the inter-relation of configurations to build a mid-range theory. This was critically appraised using an established human factors framework called Systems Engineering Initiative for Patient Safety (SEIPS).ResultsComplex interacting configurations explain relational human-mediated outcomes where cycles of thought and behaviour are refined and replicated according to prior experiences. Five such configurations were identified: (1) prioritisation; (2) emotional labour; (3) complicated/complex systems; (4a) system inadequacies and (4b) differential attention and weighing of risks by organisations; (5) learning. Underpinning all these configurations was a sixth: (6a) trust and access to expertise; and (6b) isolation at night. By developing a mid-range programme theory, we have created a framework with international relevance for guiding quality improvement work in similar modern health systems.ConclusionsMeta-cognition, emotional intelligence, and informal learning will either overcome system limitations or overwhelm system safeguards. Integration of human-centred co-design principles and informal learning theory into quality improvement may improve results.

Why Science Teachers Can't Teach in Informal Learning Environments?

Teaching science in informal learning environments (ILE) are of great importance for the science course. In this learning process, students behave like scientists and develop their high-level thinking skills. To establish a connection between daily life and natural sciences is another way to add ILE into formal education. In the literature, many studies declared a few teachers teach science in ILE. The purpose of this study, to determine the difficulties or problems faced by science teachers in the process of science teaching using ILE and what kind of solutions teachers offer about these problems or difficulties. The research was carried out by using descriptive research. The study group consists of 144 science teachers, selecting by easily accessible sampling method, one of the purposeful sampling methods. Ten open-ended questions were asked to the participants. The content analysis method was used to analyze the data. As a result, teachers had problems/difficulties in managerial-based, student-based, parent-based, ILE-based, school location-based, economy-based, curriculum-based and teacher skill and knowledge-based.