This report shares the findings and lessons learned from an investigation into the economics of disaggregated models for assessing and accrediting informal learners undertaking post secondary education. It presents some key economic and governance challenges for universities to consider in implementing OER assessment and accreditation policies. It…

This proposal reports on the theoretical underpinnings and first findings from a five-year longitudinal study (2013-2018) on networked systems in Switzerland. The aim is to assess which conditions lead to a higher functional quality of cooperation between agents in the education sector as well as to assess the possible impact of networked systems…

The purposes of this investigation were to describe the curricular elements of a museum and to determine if the framework for interpreting a school curriculum found in "A Study of Schooling" (Goodlad & Associates, 1979) is applicable to the informal curriculum of the non-school setting. Eight museums were studied; curators were…

The majority of learning that occurs in the workplace is informal, however, little is known about how such learning is best supported and nurtured. A qualitative case study was recently conducted to explore the contextual factors that may shape informal workplace learning. Fifteen in-depth interviews were conducted and constant comparative…

A model on learning that occurs in the workplace is discussed. Two theoretical frameworks are explored: multiple learning domains and action science. Four examples that reflect some of the characteristics of the new paradigm for learning in the workplace are included. The examples concern management development in a large business, a staff…

This symposium on career development issues consists of three presentations. "Career Development: What Is Its Role in Human Resource Development (HRD)?" (Mary Allyn Boudreaux) explores the role of career development theory and research in the field of HRD. Definitions of HRD are provided, and the status of career theory and research and its…

In the Philippines, introduction of a formal education system, new written language, and the knowledge encoded in it have been part of a colonization process and not the result of direct evolution from informal education. The discontinuities between formal and informal education--abstraction, systematization, and specialization--are greater and…

After defining educational and cultural terms and establishing a model representing cultural reproduction, case studies illustrate how three Aboriginal communities are educating and socializing their children. Strelley, a community in Western Australia, has a history of determined independence that has resulted in a unique level of economic and…

This document contains four papers presented at a sympoisum on structured and unstructured learning moderated by Catherine Sleezer at the 1996 conference of the Academy of Human Resource Development (AHRD). "Designing Experiential Learning into Organizational Work Life: Proposing a Framework for Theory and Research" (Cheri Maben-Crouch)…

In a competitive market training economy, vocational education and training (VET) and small business in Australia face a number of challenges. They need to qualify the extent of lifelong learning skills being used in the small firm workplace, define the range of learning partnerships both within VET and the wider informal learning community in…

A research project studied Canadian organizations that are using informal organizational learning approaches to embed ongoing learning within the actual work processes. Five organizations that self-identified as learning organizations at mature stages of development were studied in depth. No organization was a paragon of organizational learning.…

The first of the four papers in this symposium, "Re-conceptualizing Marsick and Watkins' Model of Informal and Incidental Learning in the Workplace" (Maria Cseh, Karen E. Watkins, Victoria J. Marsick) describes the use of a revised model to encompass the learning perspectives of small business owner-managers who work in the volatile…

This document contains three papers from a symposium on self-directed learning and self-management. "Validating a More-Dimensional Conception of Self-Directed Learning" (Gerald A. Straka, Cornelia Schaefer) discusses the development and validation of a conception of self-directed learning as a dynamic interplay between behavior,…

Recent empirical and theoretical literature was reviewed to examine how the dynamics of class, gender, and race affect adult learning in nonformal and informal settings. The following were among the key findings: (1) social dynamics such as class, gender, and race influence individuals' development of their self or subjectivity, which in turn…

The factors driving learning cultures within organizations were examined in case studies of seven organizations in New South Wales and South Australia. The seven organizations represented the pharmaceutical manufacturing, community services and health, agriculture, information technology, and local government sectors. In some cases, organizations'…