More than four decades ago, Moore (1973, p.677) pointed out that the world of learning and teaching was like the iceberg, it was not really as it appeared. Hidden behind formal education, there were large group of people who engaged in informal learning independently. That condition remains valid until today. The informal learners include adult learners, school leavers, and school dropout, who continue learning for all reasons in diverse areas. An open learning institution has the mission to provide learning opportunities to the people who have no access to education. However, informal learning is an area that is yet to be fully explored. Informal learning environment is drastically different from the normal learning institutions. The mode of these learners is self-directed in nature. It often aims to create values rather than to achieve paper qualifications. Informal learning can be carried out on individual basis or in groups. An example of such activities is the "Maker Movement". An open institution can institutionalise such activities through project based learning to engage informal learners and facilitate learning that aligns with the needs of changing society.
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Notes
Paper presented at the 29th Asian Association of Open Universities (AAOU) Conference (30 November-02 December 2015; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)
Exploring the frontier of informal open learning
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ExploringOpenEducation
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