A workplace learning strategy werkplekleren is an approach to educational learning that emphasizes learning within an organization rather than outside the organization. This kind of learning takes place in the contexts of the organizations where it normally occurs. The concept is also known as corporate learning or school-based learning. The goal of such learning is for workers to gain new skills and knowledge which are usually taught in schools but that can be learned in the workplace. The effectiveness of this kind of learning depends on how well the workers internalize the concepts that are taught.
One of the biggest problems with workplace learning is that it becomes formalized in the corporate world. It becomes part of classroom learning and becomes what is called an official learning program. The problem with this is that the worker will then need to be responsive to this learning, even if he or she may not necessarily like it. This then breaks the link between learning and the informal or spontaneous thinking that takes place in the classroom or in other informal settings. When you get caught up in formal learning, you lose the opportunity to learn by observing people’s behavior, asking questions, and doing your own informal thinking.
A lot of the success with workplace learning is lost because of this problem. Companies should realize that there is a gap between classroom learning and informal learning. They should therefore make sure that they support the kind of informal learning in the workplace that gives people the opportunity to discover things on their own and to get a sense of self-worth without feeling pressured. This way, they can continue with their informal learning and take full advantage of their learning opportunities.
Another big challenge is that workplace learning tends to isolate people and make them feel as if they do not fit in. This kind of isolation can lead to feelings of worthlessness, a loss of motivation, and a lack of communication with other people. The entire point of informal learning is the fact that people should be able to communicate new knowledge with others. If people feel like they don’t fit in at work, they are less likely to want to try out for new jobs.
A third big challenge with workplace learning is that it tends to focus on what people know rather than on what they don’t know. The traditional classroom environment encourages people to ask questions and to seek out new knowledge. The informal learning experience, though, tends to focus more on what people know. People tend to think that knowledge is power. Thus, they tend to form a false opinion that they are already powerful and that what they don’t know is simply irrelevant.
Finally, classroom-based learning is usually contingent on the presence of other students. In the workplace, however, this is usually not the case. Workplaces are typically much larger than classrooms, with many people in them at once. Because of this, it becomes much harder to have a group session that takes place over a long period of time. To avoid this problem, informal learning is usually combined with formal learning in the workplace.