A Study Of Informal Learning In Online Communities Of Practice

Rapid innovation of new technology has changed people's way of life and learning. Informal learning is an important way for people to acquire knowledge. To promote informal learning, it is necessary to find an effective way of mutual exchange of learning and sharing knowledge. Online communities of practice is a typically form of informal learning in network environments. But how can online communities of practice carry out informal learning successfully and effectively? What are the characteristics of informal learning in online communities of practice? What are the factors that affect informal learning? There is little information about how people might benefit from this approach of learning.In order to understand informal learning of online communities of practice, this study uses research based case study method:it integrated participant observation, content analysis, questionnaire survey and in-depth interviews, to study these issues.First, it used literature analysis method to decide the research question of this study:how do online communities of practice effectively carry out informal learning.Second, it summarized a theoretical framework and developed context of informal learning and online communities of practice. It found that we might understand the definition of informal learning mainly from four perspectives:the classification of forms of learning, how learning takes place? the way of knowledge acquisition and if learning gets accreditation. The theoretical basis of informal learning is lifelong learning theory, socio-cultural constructivist theory and knowledge management theory. The main forms of informal learning are self-directed learning, incidental learning and socialization. Online communities of practice come from the development of communities of practice. It has characteristics different from ordinary network organization, such as social interaction, looseness of structure and technology dependence. The constituent elements of the online community of practice are field, practice, community and network environment, the building tool is social network tools.Third, it uses questionnaire method to make empirical analysis on informal learning and formal learning. It finds that online communities of practice can effectively support peer learning, self-directed learning and social learning. Its informal learning can help solving the problem, accumulating knowledge and experience and promoting career development. The questionnaire survey found that formal learning and informal learning of online communities of practice have a significant positive correlation. Interestingly, formal educational background of the participants have no correlation with his informal learning, and on-the-job training and on-the-job education of adult learners has a significant positively correlation with his/her informal learning, and learning online of participants has a significant positive correlation with his/her informal learning. But the correlation is not significant.Fourth, the thesis constructs an informal learning phase model which combined the life cycle of online communities of practice and informal learning process. The model maintains the development cycle and informal learning process complement each other, mutual promotion and mutual influence. In this paper, it uses three ways to verify the model and related theories. They are observing and summarizing the status of the study and practice of the case Community, a preliminary analysis and statistics on the chats, and in-depth interviews and summarizing of the founder, administrators and active members.The contribution of this study might be the exploration of informal learning among online communities of practice. We have found that online communities of practice can effectively facilitate informal learning. We have also verified the correlation between informal learning and formal learning; we have also built an informal learning stage model of online communities of practice. They study uses a variety of data analysis to explain that how online communities of practice effectively facilitate informal learning.