Non-formal learning: literature review

Original post 18/12/06

At the heart of what I am currently interested in is the definition space of learning as represented by the “parameter of fomality”. Namely classifying learning as formal, informal or non-formal or some combination of all three. I blogged on this recently.

Colley, Hodkinson and Malcolm (2002) produced a review of this landscape – very helpful! What is missing though is the extension to school-age students per se – this is where my work should sit.

Update (14/01/07): I have now found this 2003 (?) Futurelab literature review of informal learning with technology outside school.

digitalcreativity.org » BBC 2 Wales Christmas idents by six-year olds

Link from digitalcreativity.org

“So how would a six year old make an ident anyway?

A group of six-year olds spent two days creating and filming ’stop motion’ animations in clay to be broadcast by BBC Wales 2W (the Welsh equivalent of BBC2).

The final results were broadcast and are available on the South Wales Argus website.

The key questions for me are:

• What did the children learn? According to themselves? According to their teachers? According to the researchers from digitalcreativity.org?
• How would their work have been assessed?

These are six-year olds. What might sixteen-year olds do if given the chance? Does our assessment and qualifications system allow that chance?