Learning Processes, Formal Learning, Non-formal Learning, Informal Education, Business Environment, Personal Learning Ecosystem, Future Learning Plans, Educational Analysis
Introduction
The following report provides an analysis of the different sources of learning and their relevance to the contemporary business environment. It sheds the light on the differences between formal institutional learning, non-formal sources and informal education. The report is structured into four main sessions each covering a specific aspect of learning processes. The first one: How learning works covers the key element necessary for successful learning. The second one sources of learning in contemporary business environment, is as suggested by its title a classification of the sources of learning and their use. The third part is related to the presentation of my personal learning eco-system, exposing components of my formal, non-formal and informal sources of learning (see the chart below). Finally, the fourth part is on my plans for future learning.
Sources of Learning in a contemporary business environment
Sources of learning can be classified in three categories. First, the formal sources. These are defined as well structured organized education, provided by an institution/University. This kind of learning is generally accompanied by a formally recognized degree/diploma. An example of a source of formal learning is University courses. Second are non-formal sources of learning. They are also somehow organized although they may not be structured in formal curriculum. They are generally more flexible in comparison to formal sources. They are important in completing specific skills which might not be covered by formal institutional learning. One example of these non-formal sources of learning could be online training sessions on developing leadership or communication. Informal sources of learning are the third category. They consist of spontaneous flexible learning that can happen in a variety of contexts. Between peers, friends or even parents. An example of informal learning is a student volunteering in a community service, and learning communication tips from his interactions with other volunteers.
As a college student I relay in my learning on a variety of sources. First of which is Formal institutional learning. Providing me with an access to a variety of well-established academic material, the sources of the University of Adelaide constitute my formal institutional sources of learning. I am currently enrolled in 4 fundamental courses that cover each a specific aspect of my academic learning. Some of these classes provide me with technical knowledge, such as the Business Lifecycles and Human Anatomy and Physiology IA courses. In the former we specifically learn techniques about running business and working in functional business teams, while we cover anatomical structures and physiological functions of the human body in the Human Anatomy and Physiology IA class.
Other classes target soft skills acquiring like the case of Personal Professional Development and the Enquiring Mind classes. In the Personal Professional Development course I work on the improvement of my ability to learn and acquire new skills such as networking and pitching. As far as the Enquiring mind class is concerned, I precisely work on enhancing my critical thinking skills, in addition to acquiring technical skills such as referencing and research methodologies.
Finally, the Writing Center and the Bar Smith Library are two formal support services I used to complete my formal institutional learning at the university of Adelaide. The writing center helped me acquire writing techniques and methodology while the library gave me access to a wide range of academic material such as books and journal articles.
In addition to formal institutional learning, I complete my learning process through Non-Formal Learning Networks. In this regard my favorite resources are Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC). I started using them when I figured out that I had a skills gap in terms of some key skills that were not necessarily covered by my university courses. Hence I enrolled in the following courses: Growth and Development through the Life Span, Empathy and Emotional Intelligence at Work, Performance assessment in the Virtual Classroom and Differentiation for Learning. The aim of these MOOCs is to enhance the soft skills of students and help them get prepared for the professional world after graduation. One of my favorite MOOCs is the one on Empathy and Emotional Intelligence. In the work place, or even in studies, most people may have similar technical knowledge, but soft skills, communication and empathy contribute to the success of some employees/students over others. Hence, it is important for me to develop this side of my personality in order to increase my chances to succeed in the job market. Performance assessment in the virtual classroom, is a course I selected, because of the current circumstances of COVID19. Most of learning occurs online and prior to this year I did not had an experience in remote learning. Hence, I selected this class because I wanted to get a better understanding of this new way of learning in order to make the best out of it.
Social Media are another source of Informal learning Networks I am particularly interested in. Currently I only use twitter and linked’In as part of my learning experience. On those two platforms I am rather a consumer of information than a producer/content creator. This is precisely an area in which I would like to improve my presence. Additionally, I have a keen interest in reading marketing oriented blogs. I am a subscriber to a number of blogs, namely HubSpot, Content Marketing Institute, CoSchedule, Orbit Media, etc. I think that those blogs are an interesting window on real examples of marketing techniques and examples that provide me with valuable insights on the world of digital marketing.
Finally, learning through networks is another source of learning that I really appreciate. As it allows for direct learning from more experienced people. For my case I have two mentors who provide me with critical reading of my work. I selected them both based on their expertise and soft skills.
My Plans for future development of my Professional Learning Ecosystem
Non formal learning methods are also one of the tools that I will be looking at to enhance my skills in marketing. Since I precisely target digital marketing, I strongly thinks that subscribing to specific training sessions by well-established marketing agencies will definitely help me learn hands on experience in the field. I have already identified some of these companies which have good record over the internet (Hubspot Academy, Digital Marketing Institute). These informal sources of learning will complete my fundamental academic learning at University. Later on I can consider informal sources of learning through people network, by getting help from a professional practitioner in the field of digital marketing. This step will be at the latest stages of my learning, when I will have a clear idea on the area of marketing that I will be working in. I strongly favor the network learning, as it will be tailor made and targets the achievement of measurable goals in my professional experience. I am currently at the stage where I am planning to take formal classes on marketing for next semester in order to acquire the basics of the world of marketing and work towards achieving a recognized degree. Starting from next semester I can also combine my classes with online trainings that I can use to enhance my skills and knowledge in the specific area of digital marketing. Later on, I can seek professional tutoring from a well-established marketing agency.
Reference list
Eaton, S. E. (2011, Fall). “Formal, Non-formal and Informal Learning” in a Nutshell.
Eaton, S. E. (2016). “What Having a “Growth Mindset” Actually Means”, Harvard Business Review.
Chun, M & Johnson, M (2012). “Memory: Enduring Traces of Perceptual and Reflective Attention”. US National Library of Medicine, National Institute of Health. Available at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3248396/
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