The Three Types of Learning

Contemporary Issues and Trends in Education

Only a fraction of what a person learns happens in a classroom. This chapter sorts learning into formal, non-formal, and informal, sets out how researchers value each one, and works through Michael Eraut’s (2000) model of the learning that keeps going long after school ends.

The Three Types of Learning

Formal, non-formal, and informal: what separates them and why the line blurs.

How Researchers Frame Learning

Why some deny informal learning exists and others rank it above the classroom.

Eraut's Five Features of Formal Learning

The framework, event, teacher, credential, and outcomes that mark formal learning.

Eraut's Dimensions of Non-Formal Learning

Timing, intention, social reach, and the implicit learning of the workplace.