On-the-job Informal Learning Practices for IS Students

Information systems (IS) students find soft skills acquired in schools to be insufficient to fully prepare them for their jobs because soft skills are context-dependent and difficult to teach. To compensate for this adversity, students could acquire knowledge through continuous on-the-job informal learning; however, only 20 percent of what organizations invest in training is dedicated to enhancing informal learning. As a result, it is essential that students enter the work force with sufficient knowledge of informal learning practices in order to better acquire experiential knowledge. This paper recommends four techniques that universities can incorporate in IS curriculums to prepare students to become better on-the-job learners.