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.

Conversational Moves That Matter

“…Each conversation was video- and audio-recorded and transcribed using standard conventions of conversational analysis (Sacks, Schegloff, & Jefferson, 1974; Schiffrin, 1989). Differences in the distribution of the types of learning gathered in Year 1 and Year 2 were not statistically significant (Wilson & Hartung, 2015). Therefore, this study examined survey and transcript data only from Year 1.…”

“…To understand how different types of conversational moves may "matter" relative to different types of learning moments, the conversational move and learning moment analysis were coupled with learning outcome data reported in a previous study (Wilson & Hartung, 2015). This new data set associated each learning moment with the type of learning reported by participants (i.e., Informational, Conceptual, etc.).…”

“…Recent research suggests that leaders in cross-organizational learning conversations report five types of learning outcomes: Informational, Conceptual, Operational, Reflective , and Social (Wilson & Hartung, 2015). Informational outcomes are instances of learning discreet facts or data.…”

Developing Academic Leaders: Evaluation of a Leadership Development Intervention in Higher Education

“…The critics of formal training raised questions on the generalization and acquired skills resulting from such training and linked this to the perceived knowledge and skills of the trained personnel. Such leaders can apply certain amounts of knowledge and skills called transfer-of-training, but the learned experiences may not fit each situation (Wilson & Hartung, 2015). Nevertheless, informal and formal learning of leaders go hand in glove and formal training extends informal workplace learning through transfer of training (Sparr et al, 2017), thus enhancing efficiency and professional development.…”

Employee opportunities for self-directed learning at technology organisations: features and frames of self-directed learning projects

“…SDL has been described as an informal activity (Wilson and Hartung 2015;Yeo 2008), which happens autonomously (Noe and Ellingson 2017) -without direction from supervisors, trainers or educators (Artis and Harris 2007). Previous studies on SDL have investigated individual factors (Guglielmino 2008;Merriam et al 2007;Clardy 2000) and skills (Hase and Kenyon 2000;Blasche 2012), but the opportunities organisations offer to SDL have not been addressed (Baskett 1993).…”