Informal learning in vocational education - book overview

 This book, Informal learning in VET: Illuminating an elusive concept, edited by Professor Matthias Pilz and published by Springer, is a consolidation of the seminal papers from the 4th national G.R.E.A.T. conference on Informal learning in VET in September 2022. 

The opening chapter by A, Fuller sets the scene - Context, characteristics and capacity: The 3 Cs for understanding and improving workplace learning. The chapter is a good collation of the work undertaken across the last three decades on understanding some of the mechanisms underlying workplace learning. The themes that impact on workplace learning are summarised as: context - as even in the same discipline, the breadth and extent of affordances for learning are dependent on organisational size, location and emphasis; characteristics - whether the social organisation within the workplace is expansive or restrictive; and capacity - of the trainers and teachers.

The papers are organised into four parts.

Part One - Conceptual approaches and informal learning at the system level

- Informal learning and VET: The view of the classics in vocational pedagogy (Dewey, Kerschensteiner and Spranger) by P. Gonon. From the German speaking countries, the influences of three theorists are reviewed and critiqued.

- In search of informal learning, with a focus on Australian VET by R. Harris. Summarises the many ways informal learning has been studied - for example as it is largely 'invisible' the proposal of models and frameworks, or the find out the influence of factors which affect individuals, organisational practices and the relationships between individuals and their workplaces. In general, informal learning is largely viewed positively. Summarised Australian and personal studies for common threads - national standards do not account for informal learning, owrners/managers of small businesses play an important role, apprentices often contribute to informal learning through their presence, and work and learning go together.

- Bridging formal and nonformal learning closer together: A reflection on crossovers in curriculum, pedagogy, assessment and learning environments by M, Souto Otero, Uses the perspectives of academics, pragmatists and integrationist to understand informal learning. Recommends several ways to bring formal and informal learning closer together - curricular cross-fertilisation - through embedding, enhancement and waivint; pedagogical cross-fertilisation; assessment cross-fertilisation; and co-habitation between learning environments.

- Informal learning of vulnerable people in vocational training - F. Marhyenda-Fluixā, 

Part two - Informal learning in the formal education system with 4 chapters

Part three - informal learning in the formal sector/environment with 5 chapters

Part four - assessment, measurement and validation of informal learning with 3 chapters. Two chapters from the Germanic system/perspective and a chapter comparing how informal learning is or can be recognised from several countries (Malaysia, Turkey, Germany, Europe)

The closing chapter is by K. King on 'informal learning and serendipity in the author's research journey, with special reference to VET.

The opening chapter and part one and part four chapters provide good coverage of the possibilities and challenges with regard to informal learning.