Informal learning, non-formal learning, etc

Well, I went to the event and it was a really good discussion, but also interesting in unexpected ways. Almost all the focus was on how informal or non-formal learning (some distinguished these; some didn't) differed from formal education, and it amounted to a blistering attack on how formal education in this country has become mechanical, risk-averse and obsessed with outcomes. There were few people there with actual current experience of secondary or primary schools and to some extent schools became the default scapegoat for educational failure. Although there were some voices pointing out that a laissez-faire approach to education has its own dangers, most seemed to argue that experiential learning in the real world, or self-directed learning on topics of personal interest was better, more effective and longer-lasting than what's on offer in schools. This got a bit unfair on schools - many are much better than this, and no-one had a ready alternative for the opportunities offered by schools to disadvantaged children.

Nevertheless, all the examples of what's good about informal learning reminded me of recent struggles I've had in persuading teachers that there's a value in listening to children, that "child-centred" doesn't mean pandering to a child's every whim but recognising where she's at now and where she might be with some nudging and encouragement.

It also reminded me of my recent discussion with George Head at Glasgow University, who suspects that media education requires a different pedagogy. I'm not convinced: I think you can teach anything badly; but I can see that the when the balance of knowledge and experience between teacher and child is different, as in media education, then a different pedagogy can emerge. But obviously this will only happen if the teacher recognises the child's baseline knowledge and knows how to build on it. This requires not only a different pedagogy - listening to the child, looking for evidence that she is already addressing issues such as genre or modality, and being able to respond to it - but also knowing media education issues well enough in order to build on the child's prior learning and take it forward. This is a big ask for non-specialist teachers. It's why teachers get anxious at the prospect that "they know more than me!" and why teachers embarking on media education with younger children can often fail to challenge them enough.

Anyway, it's clear that media education offers a particular and significant "take" on the relationship between formal and informal learning. I hope the RSA/Youth UK project will be able to explore this.