Recognising the Invisible: How to Integrate Informal Learning into Training Evaluation and Professional Development

Please note: This is a Sign-In Session with limited capacity. Click “Mark this Session” to reserve your place. If you can’t attend, please unmark it so others may join. Seats of participants who haven’t arrived 5 minutes after the start will be released to others on site.

This hands-on session explores how informal learning, self-directed, experience-based, and socially driven, can be recognised and evaluated within professional development. Using mixed methods, the research identifies key dimensions such as social interaction, motivation, and contextual adaptability. Participants will learn how to integrate informal learning into training evaluation frameworks to better reflect how professionals acquire knowledge in real-world contexts.

Mélissa Lemaire

Consultant in Competencies Evaluation, Université de Montréal

Dr. Mélissa Lemaire holds a PhD in Educational Measurement and Evaluation from the Université de Montréal, completed in collaboration with HEC Montréal. She also holds an MBA from Université Laval and a Master’s degree in Educational Measurement and Evaluation from the Université de Montréal. Her research focuses on the impact of informal learning on the maintenance of professional competencies. She has extensive experience in program evaluation, impact studies, and the development of competency assessment tools. Dr. Lemaire also collaborates on multiple projects with various professional regulatory bodies across Quebec and Canada.