1. Informal Learning:
Revolution of Learning
Khaled Islaih
Diversity Trainer
TESL Ontario’s 39th Annual Conference
Language Learning: A focus on Success
Oct 27-29, 2011
Toronto

2. Objectives
 “I can not teach anyone, all I can do is
make them think” …….Socrates
 “The illiterate of 21st century will not
be those who can’t read and write, but
those who can’t learn, unlearn and
relearn” …..Alvin Toffle
 “ In times of rapid change learners
inherit the Earth, while learned find
themselves beautifully equipped to
deal with a world that no longer
exist”…. Eric Hofler

3. Industrial Revolution
School Printing Press

4. Print Literacy
 Linear educational worldview
 Formal / structured education is the main form of
learning
 Literacy is reading and writing text
 School is the place for learning
 Textbooks are knowledge sources
 Teachers lead, students follow
 Rationalized reductionism, hierarchy and
bureaucracy
 Created disciplinary knowledge
 Doesn’t work in today complex world

5. What does Literacy mean for you?

6. From Literacy to Multiliteracies
 New economy demands new literacies
 New technologies reshape workplaces,
workforce, skills, professional practices
and lifestyles
 New literacies are continuously
emerging (print literacy, digital literacy,
media literacy, environmental literacy,
mobile literacy…etc)
 Informal learning is the key to new
literacies

7. What is Informal Learning?
“ Learning resulting from daily life
activities related to work, family or
leisure. It is not structured in terms
of learning objectives, learning
time and learning support and
typically doesn’t lead to
certification”
…….Centre for Workplace Skills

8. Other names for
Informal Learning
 Action learning
 Experiential learning
 Incidental Learning
 Self-directed learning
 Disruptive learning
 Reflective learning
 Life-long learning
 Hands-on learning

9. Why Informal Learning?
 Globalization has brought life long
learning as a top priority in our lives
 New policies increased interest in life
long learning to maintain
competitiveness and labour mobility
 The internet provides access to global
knowledge
 Rapid change in the workplace
 Growing dissatisfaction with the formal
education system and off –the- job
training

10. Informal Learners Characteristics
 Initiative
 Love for learning
 Risk taking
 Outgoing personality
 Commitment to personal growth and professional
development

12. What are your informal learning
activities?

13. Informal Learning in Immigrant
Education
 Immigrants use informal learning to
navigate Canadian culture and
workplace.
 Informal learning provides
immigrants with resilience and
confidence
 Canadian born population use
informal learning to work with
diverse clients and learn about other
cultures
 Canadians gain tolerance and
appreciation for cultural diversity

14. Informal Learning for Multicultural
Communities
 Discover new meaning, learn
new perspectives, facilitate
personal growth, problem
solving, team building and
conflict resolution
 Promoting informal learning is
important for personal
empowerment, social justice
and cultural transformation
 Diversity of thought is important
for business innovation

15. Informal Learning for Language
Teachers - 1
 Social networking (Facebook,
LinkedIn, Blogs)
 Google language tools (
Translate text, translate web
sites, Google website in local
domain…etc)
 Subscribe to newsletters

16. Informal Learning for Language
Teachers- 2
 Attend webinars
 Join professional online
groups, join discussions, share
your knowledge and
perspectives
 Integrate new practices in
langauge curriculum to make it
relevant to and prepare
learners for a changing
workplaces and lifestyles

17. We – Learning: the Future of
Learning
 Conversational
 Sharing
 Collaborative
 Participatory
 Mobile
Find new ways to flip teaching, encourage
participation, sharing and collaboration among
your learners bring the world into your
classrooms