Informal learning is more important to workers’ performance than formal training. Learning by doing is often an automatic byproduct of productive work. New hires have a steep performance increase in their first year of employment. Knowledge spillovers between peers in the workplace contribute to firm productivity.

What is formal and informal learning? Formal learning is learning that is delivered “in a systematic intentional way”. Informal learning is on the other end of the spectrum. It’s unstructured, often unintended, and it occurs outside of a conventional learning setting.

Informal learning refers to learning that occurs away from a structured, formal classroom environment. Informal learning comes in many forms, including viewing videos, self-study, reading articles, participating in forums and chat rooms, performance support, coaching sessions and games.

You will note that informal learning allows us to satisfy our curiosity and, in the process, helps to improve our knowledge base, pick up a new technique, or hone an existing skill. It is spontaneous and can happen any time the learner sees something that piques their curiosity or will add value to their job.

Advantages of Informal Learning for Organizations

• It’s a form of training. Given access to the right resources, an informal learner can often be left to figure some things out on their own.
• It’s cheap.
• It’s empowering.
• It’s practical.
• It’s immediate.
• It satisfies (and rewards) curiosity.
• It offers a more productive break.
• It encourages lateral thinking.

Non-formal learning takes place outside formal learning environments but within some kind of organisational framework. Informal learning takes place outside schools and colleges and arises from the learner’s involvement in activities that are not undertaken with a learning purpose in mind.

There are three main types of education, namely, Formal, Informal and Non-formal.

Years of schooling

Education Levels Comparison

A teacher is very important to be well trained in the discipline they teach at school, both in terms of scientific and methodological aspect. For a teacher who wants to get involved in non-formal education, general culture is a sine qua non condition for the success of any extracurricular activities.

Characteristics of Non Formal Education

• It is well planned and no need of any school system.
• A participatory learning system.
• It is open ended educational system.
• No need for structured course and curriculum.
• Age, Time and curriculum flexibility.
• Involvement of both public and private sector in the process.

A formal education, in the classroom, is taught by the certified teachers using trusted materials and can last a long time. The informal setting is in a different environment where the activities are far less formal, and a different audience is reached. Both programs do well by the students.

A comparison of formal and non-formal education