Informal Learning, Are We Missing a HUGE Opportunity?

Some research suggests that up to 80 percent of learning in the workplace occurs on an informal basis. Even with this being the case, most corporations spend more than 80 percent of their training budget and effort on formal training. This presentation will address the issues and methodologies surrounding understanding and effectively delivering informal learning, including e-communities (forums and synchronous environments), electronic performance support systems (EPSS). See how some emerging and nontraditional methods are stepping up to fill this much needed training opportunity.

In this session you will learn to:

• Integrate informal learning techniques into existing learning models.
• Recognize the types of learners that are best served by informal learning and plan programs accordingly.
• Obtain the buy-in for informal learning
• Recognize the tools used to create effective informal learning environments

About our speaker

Bob Mosher has been an active and influential leader in the learning and training industry for over 25 years. He is currently the Global Chief Learning Strategy and Evangelism at LearningGuide Solutions taking a leading role in their international management team. He joined LearningGuide from Microsoft, where he was Director of Learning Strategy and Evangelism, a global business at Microsoft Corporation featuring innovative learning products that help individuals and organizations learn more and go further using Microsoft technologies. Before that, Bob was the Executive Director of Education for Element K where he helped direct and influence their learning model and product.

He is the co-author of two books: Training for Results and Innovative Performance Support: Tools and Strategies for Learning in the Workflow. Bob also spent five years as a teacher in New York's public schools, and has a master's degree in computer education from Nazareth University in Rochester, NY.

He has acted as an influential voice in the IT training industry by speaking at conferences and by being an active participant within industry associations, such as CompTIA, ASTD, the Masie Consortium, and the e-Learning Guild. Bob has received two lifetime achievement awards in the IT Training industry. In 1997, Bob received the ITTA's Eddy Award for Excellence, awarded to individuals who exemplify excellence in the IT education industry. And most recently he received the Institute for IT Training’s 2006 Colin Conder award presented to a person who has made a significant and lasting contribution to the IT training industry.