Technology and Informal Learning

On a recent business trip, I found myself exposed to technology along every step of the venture. As I walked the halls of the airport, I had the option to use technology to print my boarding pass, check my bags, check my email, upload Halloween photos of the kids to my Facebook account, and download new music to listen to on the flight. On the plane, I could even swipe my credit card and watch Direct TV. On a daily basis, we as a culture are highly exposed to information via multiple mediums. Think of something you learned today and I will take a bet it was delivered via technology.

This makes me wonder why such a prevalent presence is still widely underutilized as a means of capturing “knowledge” and delivering “learning” within organizations. Sure, eLearning has been a core element of most training portfolios for years now, and we send out PDFs of workbooks and participate in a Webinar on occasion, but why stop there? What about “just in time” and “just for me” informal learning? When there is a performance-specific need that requires immediate attention, why not serve up guidance via portals, social communities, blogs, Wikis, etc. Each could be used to capture and share insights from subject matter experts, to probe and discuss trends and collect perceptions from peers or the masses. Early-adopters that understand the value are already taking full advantage of these tools. Ask yourself if you know someone that regularly uses at least one of the following to gather or share information; LinkedIn, Plaxo, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Skype, Wikipedia, or Google? These are core examples of how far technology can reach.

Why couldn’t an organization create an invite-only product-specific discussion group for their regional sales team on LinkedIn? Or why not a “leadership blog” where each month a senior leader in the organization shares his or her perspectives? Perhaps start a project-specific Wiki in marketing so that lessons learned are captured and accessible for the next project team? Each of these is a different way to provide “just in time” information that would be tailored for the end user—or “just for me.”

While I know the issue of “open dialogue-driven tools” scares some organizations, particularly compliance and legal. Just as there are guidelines for what you can do and say in the workplace, so too can these tools have standards of use. We need to remember that we are talking about adults or “professionals” using technology to advance their performance.

I believe adding these types of resources and allowing them to be tapped both inside and outside of traditional learning environments, extends the impact beyond the “classroom” and provides on-the-job assets that are dynamic and information rich.