Session 3 – 11th April – 15.45 – 16.35

Title of Presentation:       " Informal Learning Journeys: Three Case

                                               Studies from BBC Wales"

Presenters:    Danny Saunders & Jocelyn Andrews

Organisations: University of Glamorgan & BBC Wales

Summary:

This contribution to the CUV conference is linked to the themes of measuring impact, the wider benefits of learning, and e-learning. The focus is on informal learning as developed by the BBC Wales Education department.  A series of case studies are outlined, based on intensive multi-media campaigns which addressed topics such as testicular cancer, obesity and healthy eating, and rugby. The content of programmes and materials targeted audiences who are otherwise under-represented in mainstream education.  These campaigns are described by the BBC as learning journeys. They were aimed at hard-to-reach learners and used a wide range of  entertainment and news media: specifically, television, radio, internet, brochures and posters. In some instances face-to-face interaction was encouraged through self-help groups, roadshows, and drop-in centres. It is argued that learning journeys constitute an interesting and effective form of informal and non-accredited learning which have relevance to adult education practitioners and theorists. The seminar concludes with a discussion of the difficulty in measuring the impact of informal learning through using market research data collected by the BBC. Such information has potential in measuring - at indirect levels - the extent of informal learning through an inferred change in the behaviour patterns of specific media audiences.