![]() ![]() Non-formal, on the other hand, challenges both to come up with ideas, to argue and to listen, and that’s more difficult. “Formal learning is almost ingrained in us, so, in a way, it’s easier for teachers to impart knowledge and learners to take it on board. However, even with all the benefits in mind, Louis admits that non-formal learning does pose challenges of its own, both for the learner and the educator. That weekend really turned things around for him and facilitated him in a way that classroom learning never could.” It helped him realise that, outside of a classroom setting, he needed other skills. It took a non-formal setting – specifically a weekend seminar – for him to face his own attitude to things and realise that he could be difficult at times. “He was a very intelligent young man and did very well at school, but struggled a little in social situations. He recalls a teenage boy he worked with at a youth centre who had some difficulties making friends. Louis has also seen the benefits of non-formal education in younger students. They were enriched as a result of learning in a non-formal environment.” “So, at the end of the five-day session we probably hadn’t taught them that much, but they left with an influenced attitude that was clearly of value. “The learners were adults with their own knowledge and past, and they had to be treated as such,” Louis explains. While he had his own thoughts on what the group needed to learn, each participant brought their own experience into the room, and he explains that these elements has to be accounted for and valued as part of the learning journey. Looking back on his experiences of teaching in a non-formal environment, Louis recalls a recent session he held for teachers, social workers and youth workers on behalf of the Council of Europe. With non-formal learning the focus is on empowering the learner to achieve more, as opposed to be being taught in the traditional sense.” “This, of course, influences the way things work in the classroom. “Their agenda is just as important as mine, and it’s my job to adapt to what they need,” he stresses. Plus it’s not about imparting information, but about facilitating someone’s learning.”īeyond that, Louis explains that, with non-formal learning, he believes he doesn’t have any right to impose his agenda on his learners. ![]() To begin with, students don’t address their teacher as ‘Sir’ or ‘Miss’ as both the teacher and participants are on a more equal level. ![]() “With non-formal learning all that changes. “When I teach in a school, students call me ‘Sir’ and I go into class to give them the information they need that’s formal,” says Louis. After all, we know that different learners learn in different ways, and that different topics benefit from being taught in a variety of settings and methods.īut what exactly is non-formal learning, and how does it differ from more traditional and formal methods? Here, educator and trainer Louis Debono explains. Non-formal learning is a key phrase in our approach to education today. ![]()
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