ABSTRACT
In many industries, methods to improve employee and organisational performance are primarily through teaching and training staff. These methods include formal training, such as classrooms, seminars and predefined (online) courses. However, in some contexts these conventional forms of professional learning may not lead to improvements in work performance (for example, see Chapter 1 in this volume). This is partly because these learning activities are not directly linked to employees’ routine work tasks (Van Merriënboer & Kirschner, 2012). This problem is exacerbated by the fact that formal learning settings lack the flexibility and agility to accommodate the rapidly changing demands around how and what people learn in contemporary organisations. Even in settings where formal learning is effective, additional and/or alternative forms of learning can be helpful. One such alternative is informal learning.
