Workplace Learning in Context

This chapter begins with a consideration of rival conceptions of learning and their relevance or otherwise for understanding learning at work.It is concluded that the most influential conceptualisation of learning, one that has decisively shaped formal education systems, is very problematic when it comes to understanding learning at work.The same difficulties occur for standard approaches to measuring attainment.In fact, it appears that 'attainment' is not a very helpful way of thinking about much workplace learning.The chapter then outlines some of the main features that distinguish learning at work from mainstream formal learning.To illustrate these points, a case history of learning at work in a rapidly…