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Formal and informal education: Comparisons, Differences and How to Use Both

May 23, 2023

In the process of deciding on which way you'd like in order to master or instruct something new, you'll soon realize the many possibilities are on the market. When you're considering alternatives online, face-to-face and via mobile devices, through reading textbooks, or any other form of education options available, it can feel like a maze.

A way to narrow down your search is to look at the difference between formal and informal education. Understanding this distinction in learning approaches provides an overarching way to determine what you want to learn. Then you'll have the ability to look for specific options to help you learn all the knowledge you need or develop your own hybrid learning program which combines the best of both approaches!

Skip ahead:

What is formal education?

Formal education refers to training that includes a set of guidelines. It's clear what will be covered, the manner the material will be delivered, and what the learning outcomes of students is evaluated (eg. exams, presentation, research articles, etc).

Most formal education is done by an institution like an institution like a university, school, or perhaps a tutor. However, there are also numerous e-learning marketplaces like Udemy and Khan Academy which offer many different types of classes with distinct goals for learning. Regardless of where you go to earn your formal education you can have it delivered in a single lesson or course, or can be extended to all of your undergraduate or graduate degree, such as.

There are also a lot of supplemental resources available in the formal classroom, such as textbooks, keynote presentations with hands-on laboratory exercises, as well as tests for practice.

What is informal education?

Informal education is in a sense different from formal education. The majority of the time, informal learning doesn't have a predetermined curriculum. A lot of lessons are pulled from everyday life for instance, when you hear a story from a family member or co-worker that you later take to apply to your own. This means that there's not really any use of books, reading guides or tests as they are in traditional learning routes.

Since it is uncertain and unstructured nature, it's difficult to necessarily know what exactly you'll be learning. Sometimes, it's easier to take in new information when you're in informal environments, but sometimes it could be longer. The speed of your learning depends more on who is teaching you (as they're probably not a qualified educator) and your readiness and ability to absorb information at the present time.

Similarities between formal and informal schools

Despite seeming so different, there's actually some things methods of education, both formal and informal, share in common. These are the most important lessons to take away from any kind of educational activity. They're crucial to keep at heart here.

Drive to study

It's not as absurd as it seems, one of the biggest similarities between informal and formal schooling is that the student has an urge to study! It could be that you're looking to have new knowledge or perhaps expand on knowledge that you've earned from a prior learning experience. Either way, this person must be ready to be curious, to comprehend new ideas and ask questions when they're confused.

Lessons learned

No matter how you study regardless of how you learn, you'll still be learning. Lessons can be taught in a lot of different ways, and some people require structure to process the information while others need an interactive, hands-on way of learning. No matter how you learn it, you'll have similar takeaways in the final day. This is especially true if you've specifically set out to study something specific that you've enlisted the help of those who are expert in their field. If this is the case, the same information from a college course could provide you with the same information as your neighbor in the next block who has worked within that field for the entirety of their existence.

Differentialities between formal and informal education

Informal and formal education environments offer a variety of different perspectives, which can help in making a good choice about what you want to study next. We'll look at a few of the differences below!

Learning environment

But, there's no go-to source for all your learning-related needs. In the end, you'll need some time to practice doing solo research, or observing your environment to learn the same type of lessons. This is why informal learning is ideal for people who want to "learn through doing." ."

Structure of learning

But, learning through informal means doesn't guarantee what you're going to learn, or how. You might even stumble upon the information you need unintentionally! And even if you're actively looking for a particular answer it is possible that you get a portion of the details from one source, and the remainder of the data from and a different source. This means that you might frequently learn the more advanced topics first before getting the basics - and it won't make sense right away until you've had that other element of the course become part of your study path. As complicated as this sounds however, it's a good option for people who like diving deep into new subjects.

Predictability of course duration

If you are enrolled in a formal educational program it is possible to take longer or shorter classes, and the duration will be clear stated before you even start the course. This will help you determine how deep you'd like to learn about a given topic.

Informal learning, on the other hand, can't be predicted for time. It's possible to learn something in 5 minutes, or discover that you're spending lots of your time looking around to find the answer. Because you don't have anyone that has already conducted the study and can explain the subject within a specific time frame, the amount of time required to search for and comprehend the exact knowledge can be very different.

Different types of development in skills

Cost

Often, informal training can be a great deal less costly than formal training programmes. This is due to the fact that informal learning can also happen through your daily life events for instance, what you discover by listening to a story of a friend's experience dealing with a stressful circumstance at work. Informal education is also based on readily available information such as what library books, online search engines, and the connections you already have can offer you!

In contrast it is common for formal education to require coordinating experts or professors to teach the content, a space to host the lesson, and sometimes even reading materials like textbooks.

How do formal and informal schools complement each the other

It's not a rule that says you have to depend on formal or online instruction when learning something completely unfamiliar. Actually, incorporating an amalgamation of both could improve your knowledge! The best way to do this is to gain hands-on experience and completing the formal education experience.

For example, if you're taking a class about How to Use Social Media for Marketing it is a formal aspect that will provide a great basis of theoretic knowledge regarding how to use social media. In addition you're able to play using your social media tools to find out how various configurations work and how different kinds of content perform. You can also ask any social media experts in your network about their opinions on what works best or which trends are currently top performing. This is your informal learning experience that will give you hands-on insights about what really works. While you're through your journey, you'll be able to understand more of what theory is explaining in the course, as well as having the benefit of your own personal knowledge to reflect on!

 Conclusion