Non-institutionalised means not living in an institution such as a nursing home or group home.Non-institutionalised learning is a form of asynchronous learning that doesn’t follow a structured method. This is a spontaneous learning style that is driven by the learner’s curiosity, motivation, objectives, and passion. 

Non-institutionalised learning follows a timetable and is systemically implemented but not necessarily conducted within a school system. It is flexible in terms of time and curriculum and normally does not have an age limit.  The most common examples of non-formal education include community-based courses, vocational training or short programs that are not facilitated by professional instructors.

Given access to the right resources, an informal learner can often be left to figure some things out on their own. But they can also provide training and mentoring to their coworkers. Most of us can recall situations when we’ve helped coworkers learn to manage a task at work—or were helped ourselves. Such assistance isn’t just useful for the company; it also fosters a supportive atmosphere among coworkers. Organizations can inadvertently crush this spirit if they are too focused on productivity targets. 

Give employees permission to explore areas of interest, and they’re likely to put that work to good use. This was the theory behind Google’s famous 20% policy, which encouraged employees to take one day a week to devote toward a side project. While Google has since amended that policy, it has been adapted by many other businesses.

You don’t have to commit to any schedules, you just choose your most productive time – it can be any part of the day – and study. If you feel an urgent need to read about asteroids at 2 a.m., go ahead and find out how they fly in the space. If you wish to spend several days on improving your English grammar, nobody will tell you that you can’t allot so much time on one topic. You are the one who determines when, where, how often and how long, and that’s the beauty of it.

We all need breaks during the work day to stay fresh and productive. For some of us, that break may be a short walk, a snack in the cafeteria, or a chat with coworkers by the coffee station. Moments of informal learning also provide much-needed respite from the pressure of various deadlines. While it might seem counterintuitive, your employees will probably get more done if they feel free to look up an interesting idea on Wikipedia or catch up on a news article during work.

Most employers recognize the value of creative thinking. However, creativity is often fueled by input from wide-ranging sources, and the connections to the subject at hand are not always apparent. While employers may not see an immediate benefit in encouraging employees to feed their curiosity, the payoff might hit an unexpected moment.