Does learner participation vary depending on the learning context - A comparative study of formal, non-formal, and informal online learning environments

Oct 15, 2026

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The paper investigates whether learner participation changes with learning context, focusing on formal, non-formal, and informal online environments. Six online learning environments were selected as representative exemplars, and transcripts of online discussions were analyzed using tools measuring participation density, intensity, reciprocity, and mean reply depth. Findings are used to describe and compare participation patterns across the three contexts, emphasizing the significance of observed differences for understanding participation in online learning networks.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages15

Reading Time38 min

AccessFree to download

Background and definitions

Learning in online environments

Formal, non-formal, and informal education

Research design and method

Selected learning environments

Measures of participation

| 􀀉􀀔􀀑􀀙􀀒􀀍 $*􀀝"􀀞 | 􀀊􀀐􀀓􀀘􀀍􀀖􀀜􀀏􀀐􀀚􀀍􀀖 \#!"$ | | --- | --- | 􀀂 􀀃􀀑􀀏􀀒􀀈􀀓􀀍􀀔􀀑􀀐 􀀑􀀌 􀀆􀀈􀀓􀀕􀀍􀀉􀀍􀀒􀀈􀀕􀀍􀀑􀀐 􀀆􀀈􀀕􀀕􀀋􀀓􀀐􀀔 􀀍􀀐 􀀇􀀋􀀎􀀋􀀉􀀕􀀋􀀊 􀀄􀀑􀀓􀀏􀀈􀀎􀀖 􀀅􀀑􀀐􀀒􀀄􀀈􀀉􀀆􀀂􀀅􀀊 􀀂􀀇􀀃􀀃􀀍􀀈􀀎􀀏􀀌􀀆􀀋 􀀅􀀍􀀋􀀊􀀍􀀇 􀀄􀀇􀀆􀀏􀀍􀀊􀀍􀀉 􀀂􀀍􀀒􀀊􀀏􀀎􀀍􀀌􀀇􀀍􀀑􀀐 􀀂􀀉􀀇􀀊􀀃􀀋􀀃􀀆􀀌􀀉􀀈 􀀄􀀅􀀌 􀀇􀀉􀀄􀀅􀀌 􀀄􀀅 􀀉􀀂􀀊􀀌􀀆􀀃􀀆􀀉􀀂􀀌􀀆􀀈􀀇 􀀄􀀂􀀇􀀋 􀀂􀀃􀀄 􀀂􀀇􀀌􀀄􀀉􀀈􀀇􀀇􀀂􀀆􀀂􀀇􀀋􀀊 􀀃􀀈􀀉􀀆􀀂􀀅􀀊􀀍􀀁􀀂􀀁 􀀃􀀈􀀉􀀆􀀂􀀅􀀊 􀀂􀀋 􀀄􀀇􀀃􀀈􀀉􀀆􀀂􀀅􀀊 􀀃􀀍􀀂􀀉􀀉􀀊􀀄􀀈􀀌􀀆􀀋􀀋􀀂􀀅􀀄 􀀄􀀈 􀀇􀀆􀀅􀀈􀀄 􀀊􀀓􀀎􀀒􀀍􀀙􀀏 􀀂 􀀋􀀎􀀒􀀝􀀓􀀐􀀙􀀓 􀀃􀀋􀀉􀀐􀀆􀀍􀀎􀀉􀀏􀀒 􀀌􀀇 􀀂􀀄􀀎􀀊􀀄􀀏􀀅􀀈􀀆􀀑􀀄􀀋 􀀆 􀀌 􀀋􀀐􀀍􀀛􀀗􀀖􀀓 􀀃􀀋􀀉􀀐􀀆􀀍􀀎􀀉􀀏􀀒 􀀌􀀇 􀀂􀀄􀀎􀀊􀀄􀀏􀀅􀀈􀀆􀀑􀀄􀀋 􀀁􀀃􀀆􀀇􀀅􀀂􀀄􀀇 Does learner participation vary depending on the learning context? Are there characteristic features of participation evident in formal, non-formal, and informal online learning environments? Six online learning environments were chosen as epitomes of formal, non-formal, and informal learning contexts and compared. Transcripts of online discussions were analyzed and compared employing Transcript Analysis Tools for measures of density, intensity, and reciprocity of participation (Fahy, Crawford, & Ally, 2001), and mean reply depth (Wiley, n.d.) . This paper provides an initial description and comparison of participation patterns in a formal, non-formal, and informal learning environment, and discusses the significance of differences observed. 􀀁􀀃􀀅􀀆􀀄􀀃 La participation des apprenants varie-t-elle en fonction du contexte d'apprentissage? Existe-t-il des caractéristiques de participation spécifiques aux environnements formels, non formels et informels d'apprentissage en ligne? Six environnements d'apprentissage en ligne ont été sélectionnés pour illustrer les contextes formels, non formels et informels d'apprentissage et ont été comparés. Les transcriptions des discussions en ligne ont été analysées et comparées à l’aide des Transcript Analysis Tools pour mesurer la densité, l'intensité et la réciprocité de la participation (Fahy, Crawford, et Ally, 2001), ainsi que la profondeur moyenne de réponse (John Wiley & Sons, nd) . Cet article décrit et compare les modes de participation dans un environnement formel, non formel et informel d'apprentissage, et discute la portée des différences observées. 􀀃􀀄􀀅􀀈􀀜􀀇􀀃􀀂􀀈 􀀉􀀔􀀑􀀛 $*􀀝"􀀞 􀀁􀀅􀀈􀀇􀀆􀀃􀀉􀀂􀀈􀀄􀀆􀀅 The literature examining learning in online environments is extensive, but it is primarily focused on formal learning environments in higher education (see Anderson, 2003; Brooke & Oliver, 2006; Garrison, Anderson, & Archer, 2003; Luppicini, 2007; Murphy & Coleman, 2004) and on research of online discussions (Daniel, 2011; Jeong, Lee, & Kim, 2012; Rourke & Anderson, 2004). Formal environments typically require learners to engage each other online in specific, externally defined ways, whereas non-formal environments impose fewer controls on learner activities, and informal environments impose even fewer still. The nearly exclusive attention to formal settings limits our understanding of how learners make use of other types of contexts in self-directed learning. One of the most significant challenges in educational technology is to understand how learners participate in non-formal and informal learning networks to construct their own learning spaces. By formal, we refer to educational contexts usually characterized by learners in classes being taught by teachers who deliver comprehensive, multi-year curricula, which is institutionally bound to a graduated system of certification (Coombs, 1985) . In sharp contrast, informal education is often characterized as unorganized, unsystematic, and regularly serendipitous (Selman, Cooke, Selman, & Dampier, 1998). This type of learning is the lifelong process of learning by which people acquire and accumulate knowledge skills, attitudes and insights gathered from a lifetime of experiences. For the purposes of this research, we focus on a third category of education, non-formal learning, that straddles these two seemingly polar learning contexts. Selman, [et.al](et.al). (1998) identify non-formal learning as that which comprises all other organized, systematic educational activity which is carried out in society, whether offered by educational institutions or any other

FAQs

What research question guides the study?

The study asks whether learner participation varies depending on the learning context and whether distinctive participation features appear in formal, non-formal, and informal online learning environments.

How were online learning environments selected and compared?

Six online learning environments were chosen as exemplars of formal, non-formal, and informal learning contexts and compared using analyzed discussion transcripts.

Which participation indicators were used to analyze transcripts?

Participation was assessed with transcript analysis measures including density, intensity, reciprocity, and mean reply depth, to characterize participation patterns across contexts.

Oct 15, 2026

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