Learning is often thought of as ‘formal’, ‘informal’ or ‘non-formal’. This report suggests that these are not discrete categories, and to think that they are is to misunderstand the nature of learning. It is more accurate to conceive ‘formality’ and ‘informality’ as attributes present in all circumstances of learning.
The priority for research is then to identify these attributes, explore their relationships, and identify their effects on learners, teachers and the learning environment.
Informality-and-Formality-in-Learning