PH.D. STUDENT BRUMĂ ELENA

2. Opportunities and perspectives for informal learning PH.D. STUDENT BRUMĂ ELENA

3. In this paper we tried to illustrate opportunities and perspectives for informal learning. The trend is towards a learning society which is an educational philosophy (OECD, 2000, Unesco, 2005), so is necessary to speak about a redefinition of learning.We tried to illustrate what means informal learning from 1948 year until now, in the third millenium, whithin the development of new technologies. Our focus is the informal learning for pedagogical dimensions and how informal learning is valued and applied managed to educational needs.

4. So, we will review the opportunities for informal learning based on two criteria: classicalcriteria and current criteria.Because it is a long history for informal learning, firstly we review the definitions of informal learning. We remember, in chronological order the authors who have interest in it, such as Davies, 1971, Tough 1967, 1971, Mc. Givney, 1999, Archambault,1974, Lucas, 1983, Bjornavold, 2000, Carter,1997, Coffield 2000, Eraut 2000, Livingstone, 2001, Marsickand Watkins, 1990, Richardson and Wolfe, 2001, Colley, Hodkinson and Malcolm 2002, 2003, Colardyn and Bjornavold, 2004,Hager and Holliday, 2006, Straka, 2004.Are authors whose definitions come into contradiction with each other. EDU/EDPC 2007 made ​​a presentation whichaim isto clarify the meaning and roles of some of the most importantconcepts of informal learning in contrast with formal and nonnformal learning (Coombs et.al, 1973, ISCED, 1997, EC, 2000, EUROSTAT 2000, 2006, CEDEFOP 2005, 2008, OECD 2007).

5. The common point in this definitions is that informal learning include the all unintentional, heterogeneous and unprocessed informations from pedagogical aspects, which is not integrated into a curriculum.We did a review of informal learning in relation with technologies that support informal learning for educational objectives and purposes.We will see how this technologies are represented by the radio in 1948 or 1953 year and get the latest technology being used, such as blog, Second Life and other tools of Web 2.0, in recent few years.

6. In ”50 years for education”, in chapter ”Technologies in support of education”(Unesco, 1997)is synthesizeda developments and an evolution of educational media since 1948, begin with the first educational radio, programmes who is produced with UNESCO’s participation, Colombia in1948, and Iran and Pakistan in 1953, until 1995, when Unesco and IBM promote the use of new information and communication technologies in education.

7. Gradually were developed sophisticated technologies, audiovisual techniques like filmstrips, films, audio and video cassettes, radio and television. In this way were some actions who sustained this developments, that are presented in the same paper, for example in 1949Norman McLaren produces filmstrips drawn directly on film for health education in China, in 1953 was Messina training course on the production of educational films and filmstrips, in 1965 was a Meeting on the use of space communication for educational purposes, UNESCO, Paris, 1969Founding of the Open University in the United Kingdom, the first university solely for distance education, in 1970 was launching of major educational radio and television projects (Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, Thailand, India, Haiti), in 1972 was Declaration on the use of satellite broadcasting for the free flow of information, the spread of education and greater cultural exchange, adopted by the General Conference of UNESCO, in 1982 was Grünwald Declaration on Media Education.

8. In 1984 in India was the inauguration of a project financed by UNDP for adult education using a satellite and in 1989 was First International Congress ‘Education and Informatics’, UNESCO, Paris.In 1993UNESCO launches the ‘Learning without Frontiers’ initiative and in 1995 were a production and dissemination by UNESCO of the first multimedia CD-ROMs on education; establishment of a Co-operation Agreement between UNESCO and IBM to promote the use of new information and communication technologies in education.The television programmes or radio programmeswere used to assist children in various subject areas, to increase academic performance or integration of children with special needs.

9. From current criteria for informal learning can be mentioned the Internet, especially Web 2.0. application, like Flikr or Youtube that allows users/students to share informations with other friends or classmates. Web technologies highlights connectivity, a learning theory which is representative for digital era and was promoted by George Siemens andStephen Downes, who consider that this theory succeds behaviorism, cognitivism and constructivism theory (Siemens, 2005) and according with the process of learning is creating networks(Siemens, 2006).

10. Like new technologies in support of informal learning are weblog, wikis or Second Life. Weblog exist since 1992 ( Williams and Jacobs, 2004), but 2003 was the year when everyone was capable to create and maintain a blog whithout informations about programming or another sophisticated skills, only just a connection to internet (Gillmore 2003). The interest on research the use of blogs in education or the impact of blog in various dimensions of learning, is increasingly more (for example Kajder and Bull, 2004, Stiler and Philleo 2003, Langhorst 2006, Dickey 2004, Hering et al. 2004, Jeffrey 2007, Richardson 2006, Huffaker 2005, Ray and Coulter 2008, Farmer 2004, Nardi et al. 2004, Brescia and Miller, 2006).

11. A wiki who is exploited in formal context can be a learning tool and enhances valences of new technologies (Grosseck, 2007) for students involvement in making decission, learning through participation and learning through discovery, development of critical thinking and creativity, development of relationship skills and communication skills, etc. Wiki provides a collaborative context that allows students to learn from individual and collaborative efforts.

12. Second Life, an online 3D environment is a learning tool for informal learning and a new trend for both students and teachers. Second Life is a MUVE, or Multi-user Virtual Environment (Helmer 2007). The role of Second life in education is that students can create their owncontent of educational material. It is also a context where they can try various situations that can not experience in reality. Authors interested in Second Life features and its effects on learning are for example Helmer 2007, Gee 2003, 2005, Presky 2006, Charles and McAlister 2004, Carr et al. 2007, Sanchez 2007.

13. When we refer to perspectives for informal learning we mean technological and methodological perspectives. Continuous development of new technologies helps us, as teachers, to be flexible in their use in teaching and learning process to support formal learning. In terms of methodology should be some information about how to use them, is necessary to prepare materials that will be integrated into these environments and ”control” of this environment by teachers. This control refers to the fact of taking care that information to be exploited within the environment to be transformed as in knowledge. Because only technology doesn make miracles and formal learning is inssuficient with the needs of students, is necessarya complementary of formal-informal learning, for a continnuos of learning. Effects of these perspectives in learning process is to increase performance, development of various skills like collaboration, digital, communication skills, to increase motivation in learning, the perception or attitude change in student-student relationships or student-teacher relationships , to increase the factors of intrinsic motivation like pressure, interest in learning, value, the material properties used with these technologies, etc.Is necessary to look around what formal education has to offer and recognize the need for a complementarity with informal learning in the sense of an optimization of learning process.