Most learning and development (L&D) professionals are acquainted with how to measure formal learning, but what about evaluating informal learning? This distinction is crucial as both types of learning play significant roles in employee development and organizational growth.
What is Informal Learning?
Formal learning is often sequential and linear training delivered in-person, in a synchronous virtual classroom, or asynchronously via eLearning. Organizations typically use an LMS to schedule and track completions, ensuring that employees meet organizational standards and compliance requirements.
Informal learning, on the other hand, encompasses a broader range of activities. This includes microlearning, performance support, social learning, peer-to-peer learning, and mobile learning. These methods are more flexible and can occur spontaneously, making them harder to measure but equally important for continuous development.
Then there are blended approaches that combine elements of both formal and informal learning. For instance, is a massive open online course (MOOC) formal or informal learning? Is gamification formal or informal learning? Sometimes the lines of structured and unstructured learning get blurred.
Steps to Measure Informal Learning
Whether you are using a blended or informal approach, here are a few guidelines to follow when measuring learning.
1. Categorize Learning Types
Start by identifying and categorizing the different types of learning occurring within your organization. This includes formal, informal, and blended learning methods. Understanding these categories will help you tailor your measurement approach.
2. Define Key Questions
To gauge the impact of your learning, try concentrating on small, bite-size questions that target your content’s impact, usage, and application. Some effective questions include:
- Who is using the learning?
- What is being shared?
- What is the learning contributing?
- How is the learning applied on the job?
- What are the performance, promotion, and retention goals?
3. Select a Learning Experience to Evaluate
Select a specific informal learning initiative or program within your organization that you wish to evaluate. This could be a peer-to-peer learning program, a social learning platform, or any other informal learning activity.
4. Decide What Tools You Need to Collect Data
Your measurement strategy could include surveys, interviews, observation, analytics from learning platforms, or feedback forms. Choose tools that align with your key questions and that can capture the necessary data.
5. Plan for Setbacks
Anticipate potential challenges such as having to choose another program to evaluate if the initial one does not provide sufficient data. Be prepared to adapt your approach and have contingency plans in place to ensure you can still gather meaningful insights.
6. Review the Data
Once you have collected the data, analyze it and map the insights back to your initial questions. What can you learn from this new information? This step is crucial for understanding the effectiveness of your informal learning initiatives and identifying areas for improvement.
7. Refine Your Learning Programs
Use the intelligence you gathered to improve your informal learning programs. This could involve refining existing strategies, introducing new methods, or addressing any identified gaps. Continuous improvement will help ensure your learning initiatives remain effective and relevant.
Improving Informal Learning with Data Insights
Understanding and evaluating informal types of learning can help organizations create more effective and comprehensive L&D strategies that cater to the diverse needs of their workforce.
Want to unlock the full value of your data? Our measurement and analytics experts can help you optimize your learning efforts.
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