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Although more formal forms of instruction such as the classroom and e-learning will be around for years, it’s becoming more and more important to watch and harness the more informal methodologies that our students are utilizing. Most of these methods have been around for years, but have gone unnoticed by the training community.

Informal methods of learning are often found right in the work environment. They are seen as techniques that a learner can take advantage of right away and with work-related resources. Another reason these methods are so popular is because they are often very short. Advanced learners tell us that they don’t have the time or budget to attend more formal learning. Even the immediacy of e-learning is seen as something that will take too much valuable time. Finally, learners have matured to a point where they want to drive their learning in a more meaningful and self-directed manner. These informal methods are seen as more student-driven and job-relevant than most formal options.

Two of the most common informal environments used today are e-communities and, of all things, the learners’ neighbors sitting all around them. E-communities, often called communities of practice, are made up of threaded message boards, frequently asked question (FAQ) Web sites and chat environments. They have existed under the radar screen of most training programs for years. Many have grown to have huge followings of subject-matter experts (SMEs) and super-users.