On Tuesday, July 12, our TeachT@lk webinar on  "informal learning" looked at various examples on integrating this type of learning into our courses. Although there are some challenges for faculty that want to use informal learning like organizing group work, time limitations and assessing the work, the benefits include: Reinforcement and extension of important concepts from class Appealing to multiple learning preferences Connecting class content with a student's personal goals and motivation Giving students skills to learn outside, and beyond the classroom Helping students develop a Personal Learning Environment (Bonwell & Eison, 1991; Felder & Brent, 2009) To take advantage of informal learning opportunities, faculty can create open-ended assignments, give students choices in topics, and options for a final deliverable . For these types of projects to be successful faculty should help students identify resources, and develop a work flow, inclu...