Tag: formal learning

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Second chance learning in Neighbourhood Houses in Victoria

Author: Tracey Ollis, Karen Starr, Cheryl Ryan, Jennifer Angwin and Ursula Harrison
Deakin University

Edition: Volume 57, Number 1, April 2017

Summary: Neighbourhood Houses in Victoria are significant sites of formal and informal education for adult learners. Intrinsically connected to local communities they play an important role in decreasing social isolation and building social inclusion. The focus of this research is on adult learners and adult learning that engages with ‘second chance’ learners who participate in adult learning programs in the Barwon and South West regions of Victoria. The greater Geelong region is characterised by declining car automotive and textile manufacturing industries and emerging new industries such as hospitality and tourism. The data from the research participants in the study include career changers, long term and recently unemployed, newly arrived and migrant communities, young people and older adults. This paper focuses on the learning practices of second chance learners who frequently have negative perceptions of themselves as unsuccessful learners, but are transformed through their learning experiences in Neighbourhood Houses. We argue the unique social space of the Neighbourhood House, the support and guidance offered by staff and teachers, the unique pedagogy and small group learning experiences, allows adult learners to reconstruct a new identity of themselves as successful learners.

Keywords: informal learning, formal learning, adult education, ACE, VET, training reform, Neighbourhood Houses

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This article is part of AJAL, Volume 57_1. The entire volume is available in .pdf for purchase here.

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Lifelong, life-wide or life sentence?

Author: Terry Clark, Charles Darwin University

Edition: Volume 45, Number 1, April 2005

Summary: This paper examines the life-wide dimensions of lifelong learning. Although the benefits of a life-wide approach to learning are well recognised, there appears to be little explicit attention given to the concept of life-wide learning in Australia. It is argued that recent pronouncements by the Australian Government about the challenges of an ageing population would be better informed by reference to lifelong learning that includes its life-wide dimensions, rather than continued concentration on formal learning.

Keywords: life-wide, lifelong, formal learning,

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Formal and informal learning opportunities in government organisations: Experiences of public sector employees from six Asian nations

Author/s: Intan A. Mokhtar

Edition: Volume 50, Number 2, July 2010

Summary: Lifelong learning and professional development have been the focus of government organisations after the 21st  century was declared the ‘learning century’, amidst the impact of globalisation and growth of knowledge-based economies. Although lifelong learning and professional development opportunities are available in most government organisations, the conditions for civil servants to take up such opportunities differ across organisations and, even more so, across countries. In addition, the expectations of learning and development from such opportunities also vary, with some organisations focusing on specific work-based competencies, others on formal education and qualifications. However, lifelong learning and professional development in government organisations seldom include informal learning, which forms a part of daily leisure time yet involves human capital enhancement that indirectly impacts work performance. Informal learning, which is facilitated by individual information literacy competencies that involve information search, retrieval, evaluation and use in varying contexts, is largely for personal development rather than economic efficiency, but is equally important in developing effective individuals and knowledge workers. In this exploratory study, semistructured interviews were conducted with 18 civil servants from six Asian countries to elicit their experiences with regard to lifelong learning policies and professional development opportunities in their respective government organisations, expectations of learning and development from such opportunities, as well as provisions for informal learning opportunities. Shared characteristics as well as distinct differences across the interviewees’ organisations and countries are discussed. Finally, recommendations based on these similarities and differences are made specifically to encourage government organisations to review existing lifelong learning policies and professional development opportunities available to civil servants.

Keywords: lifelong learning, informal learning, formal learning, government, learning century, professional development, work-based competency, Asian, policies

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This article is part of AJAL, Volume 50_2. The entire volume is available in .pdf for purchase here.

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Informal learning in the workplace: A review of the literature

Author/s: Megan Le Clus

Edition: Volume 51, Number 2, July 2011

Summary: In the last few decades, the workplace has been increasingly recognised as a legitimate environment for learning new skills and knowledge, which in turn enables workers to participate more effectively in ever-changing work environments. Continue reading “Informal learning in the workplace: A review of the literature”

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The interrelatedness of formal, non-formal and informal learning: Evidence from labour market program participants

Author/s: Roslyn Cameron, Jennifer L. Harrison

Edition: Volume 52, Number 2, July 2012

Summary: Definitions, differences and relationships between formal, non-formal and informal learning have long been contentious. Continue reading “The interrelatedness of formal, non-formal and informal learning: Evidence from labour market program participants”