Informal learning has always been an important part of workplace training and development. In a recent survey, 57 percent of respondents agreed or strongly agreed with the statement, "Informal learning works better than formal learning because it is learner-driven," while 75 percent suggested that at least half of job knowledge is obtained informally by employees. Meanwhile, advances in electronic performance-support systems (EPSS) and knowledge-management technologies are providing increased opportunities for personalized, informal learning in small chunks, available on demand. This raises several questions: What are the respective roles of formal and informal learning in the acquisition of job-related skills and competencies? If informal learning is becoming increasingly effective and accepted, does there remain a place for formal learning, or is the course destined for extinction? How might instructional designers combine informal and formal learning to ensure the acquisition and retention of the critical skills and competencies organizations must develop in their employees in order to maintain their competitive advantage and achieve their strategic business objectives? The speaker will begin by positing a definition of learning that differentiates it from information access. You will help to generate a list of ingredients critical to an effective learning experience, and then measure the extent to which formal and informal learning can incorporate each ingredient. Finally, explore strategies for bridging the formal-informal gap to create effective, comprehensive learning experiences and take a look ahead to the challenge of "formalizing" informal learning.