Informal Learning Hits IBM Europe

The Informal Learning bug that is finally infecting the U.S. has has been at work in Europe for some time now. This is exemplified by a presentation that will be made soon by Mia Vanstraelen. Mia is responsible for learning, education and training services at IBM Europe. In that capacity, she leads a European team of learning leaders, professionals, instructors, tutors, and coaches. Mia is also a member of the IBM Learning Team responsible for defining the Learning and Knowledge strategy for the IBM Corporation, the strategic learning plans in the business units, and driving advanced Learning Architectures and Designs into each of the Learning and Knowledge programmes and curricula. The following is an excerpt from the overview of a presetnation she will be giving in December at Online Educa--Berlin.

According to the US Dept of Commerce, “at least 80% of employee learning happens in the workplace.” A recent US Department of Labor study found that “workplace learning is widespread across many employee interactions and serves to fulfill most learning needs, perhaps as much as 70 percent.” The learning is “... ongoing, often unrecognised, and involves knowledge and skills that are attainable and immediately applicable”. Whether the number is 70% or 80% or even 50%, it’s large enough for us to rethink how best to leverage the workplace to enable employees to learn ever-changing, essential knowledge and skills.

So for learning providers, this requires a shift in emphasis, from “bringing the worker to the learning” (for example, sending employees to offsite learning centers, hotels or websites) to “bringing the learning to the work” – using the work tasks, workflow and work portals themselves as environments for learning. Tapping the workplace for learning in a purposeful, informed and guided way is the focus of IBM On Demand Learning.

In her presentation at ONLINE EDUCA BERLIN about “On Demand Learning at IBM” (GPP23, Thursday, December 1, 2005, 14:00 – 16:00 hrs), Mia Vanstraelen will explain the building blocks of IBM’s On Demand Learning model and illustrate it with practical examples, demonstrating how technology can help leverage the workplace to transform employee learning.

Related note: Mia will be speaking in parallel with my own presentation at Online Educa entitled: "Rapid eLearning--Disintermediate or Die." I'm hearing a very consistent informal learning theme these days...