ABSTRACT
The Network Awareness Tool (NAT) is a Web 2.0-based tool that enables professionals to become aware of existing networked learning relationships (within or between organizations) that can help them with real, urgent, work-related problems that are part of their daily practice. In most cases, such problems arise unplanned, ad hoc and are usually dealt with informally. However, these problems serve as a kind of ‘social hub’ that brings together professionals in order to develop a solution that allows them to continue working (De Laat 2012). These everyday work-related problems provide not only an opportunity for professionals to seek each other’s help, and build meaningful networks; they are also a catalyst for informal learning. Informal learning tends to deal with implicit knowledge, embedded in day-to-day practice, and is a result of spontaneous learning activities (Billett 2001, Davenport and Prusak 2000, Eraut 2000, Marsick 2001, Boud and Hager 2012, Hargreaves and Fullan 2012). While observable, explicit knowledge is relatively easy to obtain, through reading or training courses, informal learning in the workplace allows for the acquisition of deeper, tacit components of knowledge (Lane and Lubatkin 1998).
