Informal Learning: Structuring a Blog

There is an interest question on the Learning Circuits blog that asks whether or not it is appropriate to write a book about informal learning. The argument goes “if informal learning is so important, why use a formal structure, like a book, to describe its value?”

Just because learning is intended to be used in an informal manner that doesn’t mean that it needs to be unstructured or without form. Informal learning tools like blogs still require formal structure and conventions or these informal tools will be utterly useless to learners within an organization or in an academic institution. Thus an article I co-wrote with the editor of eLearn Magazine Lisa Neal.

The article, Learning to Blog, Blogging to Learn, describes how a formal structure can facilitate informal learning and provides guidelines to any person who is suddenly asked to “blog” their expertise. Take a look and then let me know what you think about structuring informal learning.
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