Work–integrated informal Learning (WiiL) Adopting Social Networking as Interdisciplinary Learning at Workplace

• Work Integrated Learning usually focuses on student's practical knowledge and learning duringthe education, while a student after completing the institutional period is still a student at workplace ass/he never stops learning. Learning within the organization is not only the formal training and educationof the employees, but also an informal process of sharing knowledge. The knowledge is often embedded in organizational activities, practices, and norms, as well as the social ties among the persons.The use of social networking site within the organization enables a new work integrated methodof learning and communication among the colleagues from different disciplines, encouraging both personal and professional informal knowledge sharing inside the organization. Our analysis ofemployee's behavior and acceptance of social networking as an informal way of learning was performed by a descriptive case survey research.The respondents providing the empirical data for survey consisted of 105 out of 180 targeted employees from a private IT organization in Pakistan. The questionnaire results present that the professionals use social networking sites to share their experiences and to build a virtual break in the hierarchical levels of the profession within the organization. Their motivation in using social networking includes sharing personal and professional experiences with co-workers and advancing their career.This paper illustrates the power of social networking as a Work Integrated Informal Learning (WIIL) tool that contributes significantly to increase the gain of interdisciplinary knowledge within the organization

Ämnesord

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Utbildningsvetenskap -- Lärande (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Educational Sciences -- Learning (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Work Integrated Learning

Informal Learning

Interdisciplinary knowledge sharing

Work Integrated Learning

Arbetsintegrerat lärande

Informatik

Informatics

Publikations- och innehållstyp

vet (ämneskategori)

kon (ämneskategori)