This is the last one of the slow learning poggies, and this week it’s all about informal learning. If you’re someone who will spend a long time researching online or taking informal courses this is probably something you can identify a lot with.

An informal learner sees learning everywhere. They like to do it anywhere and at anytime and they’re often heavily focused on using technology as a tool in order for that to happen. There usually isn’t any kind of qualification at the end of this kind of learning, and more often than not it leads the learner in to further research, deeper thinking, or a new direction.

For example, when Brooke first started learning about simplifying life, this was her go-to learning mode. She read endless blogs, books and articles on minimalism, simplicity and the myriad ways to adopt it. She took courses, enrolled in membership programs and listened to podcasts. What she didn’t always do though, was act on that information.

And, much like the overwhelm we can often feel when learning collaboratively (as Ben and Brooke chatted about last week) this is the biggest drawback of informal learning - lots of information but very little action.

That’s not to say it’s not valuable, because the opposite is true. More and more of us are working in areas where formal qualifications are no longer relevant (or at least as relevant as they used to be) but passion and ambition and skill take precedence. Similarly, this is one of the most accessible ways to learn about non-work related topics, ideas and skills and processes that we use outside of our work, that impact how we live, what we do with our time, our hobbies, our energies.

Head over to http://www.slowyourhome.com/190 for the key takeaways from this four-part series, as well as a heads-up on what’s coming next week.

Enjoy!

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