Incremental Learning – the real continuous learning — from modernworkplacelearning.com by Jane Hart
Excerpt:
But continuous, incremental learning is different as we can see when we compare it below.
- It is an ongoing process of learning. It is not measured by the amount of time it takes. It has no start or end date because learning never ends. It happens little-by-little, day-by-day, and knowledge and experience builds up over time.
- It happens in all settings as people do their jobs, browse on the Web, carry out their daily lives, and interact with their friends, family, colleagues and other contacts.
- Although incremental learning can happen by chance (as a by product of doing something else) an individual also proactively seeks out relevant activities and experiences to help them learn. Although these may be complete in and of themselves, an individual has to actively make the connection with what he/she already knows in order to learn from it, it’s not just about doing lots of things!
- Success is measured in different ways, e.g. (in the short term) through improved job performance and (in the longer term) through career progression.
- The individual manages their own continuous learning. It’s a personal or professional decision and choice about what is to be learned and how it is best achieved. Generally, there is little or no support for this type of learning, the individual is entirely on their own.