A possible model for the interpretation of informal learning

Abstract

Informal learning can be a connotation of any activity, and it consumes a significant amount of time and space even in the case of highly educated people. This topic has been studied since the 1950s, and a high level of interest in the subject has developed in the last two decades. Since there are several approaches to the subject, there is neither complete consensus in definition, nor in typology. In this study we approach informal learning from a pedagogical aspect, and we use Colley et al’s (2003) typology of learning. Our objective is to present one model which incorporates the diversity of informal learning. We analyse the informal learning based on two attributes: its explicit-implicit character and its intentional-incidental character. We introduce the dynamics between the four matrixes, and emphasise the role of reflectivity, which can take incidental learning to a more explicit level in the course of the learning process.