Types of informal learning in cross-organizational collegial conversations
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to gather empirical evidence for what colleagues from different organizations reported they learned from informal professional learning conversations. Informal learning conversations with colleagues is a powerful yet understudied source of self-directed, professional development.
Design/methodology/approach
This study of mixed methods investigated the types of learning 79 leaders from 22 organizations reported they learned via post-conversation surveys from 44 peer-led discussions over a two-year period.
Findings
Survey data suggest empirical evidence of five learning outcomes – informational, conceptual, operational, reflective and social learning. The study describes these categories, the overall distribution of these types of learning in the community and how most conversations were “high-yielding” in a particular outcome.
Originality/value
To the knowledge of the authors, this study is the first to suggest empirical evidence of categories of learning that participants report from informal, cross-organizational learning conversations.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This study was funded as part of ongoing research at Project Zero’s Learning Innovations Laboratory, Harvard Graduate School of Education. The authors wish to thank the following researchers who contributed to this project: Michele Rigolizzo, Karen Yeyinmen, Michelle Chung, Tai Sunnanon, Na Hyun Kim, Nick Petrie, Christina Congleton, Sue Borchardt, Serhiy Dutchak, Jen O’Flynn, Nupur Todi, Kristin Wright, Tracy Elizabeth, Aaron King, Shauna Leung, Katiusca Moreno, Meghan Young, Amy Cheung, Stuti Shukla, Sarah Smith, Matsukawa, Tomoko, Emily Watson, Meghan Lockwood, Harvey Shaw, Lingyi Shen and Jennifer Stockin.
Citation
Wilson, D.G. and Hartung, K.J. (2015), "Types of informal learning in cross-organizational collegial conversations", Journal of Workplace Learning, Vol. 27 No. 8, pp. 596-610. https://doi.org/10.1108/JWL-09-2014-0070
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2015, Emerald Group Publishing Limited