New Ways of Learning in the WorkplaceIn today's "high-performing organizations", workers must be prepared for growth and development continuous in the workplace. Given the increasing age, variety of experiences, and diversity of lifestyles and cultures of the workforce, it is understandable that adult education practices must move beyond the traditional model according to which teachers are purveyors of knowledge and learners are passive recipients. Methods and techniques that build on workers' prior experiences, connect concepts and practices, and encourage reflection and transfer of knowledge from one situation to another are essential to the learning process. This Digest discusses some of the new ways of learning at work, such as action learning, situated learning, and incidental learning. Action learning Action learning is a systematic process by which individuals learn by doing. It is based on the principle that learning requires action and action requires learning. It engages individuals in just-in-time learning by “providing them with opportunities to develop their knowledge and understanding at the appropriate time based on immediate felt needs” (Lewis and Williams 1994, p. 11). Learning itself is the desired outcome of action learning, not problem solving. It is the learning that occurs in the process of finding solutions to problems that constitutes action learning. It is a type of learning that helps individuals respond more effectively to change. Action learning has been adopted in the workplace as a viable approach to management education and experiential development and as an important element of a training and development strategy (Vince and Martin 1993). It involves members of an organization in group situations with the goal of helping each member of the group learn through the process of finding solutions to their own problems. Through this process, learners increase their self-awareness and develop new knowledge, attitudes, behaviors and skills to make changes and redefine their roles in new contexts (Williams 1992). The properties of action learning clarify its relevance for workplace learning (Beaty et al. 1993): Learning is based on the solution of real problems. Learning occurs with and from others who are also engaged in dealing with real-world problems. Group members are responsible for solving their own problems, unlike those of a project team or work group. The members of the group are concerned with the implementation of actions, going beyond the analysis and recommendation stages. Situated learning Situated learning is another approach gaining attention in the field of adult education. and workplace learning. In the situated learning approach, knowledge and skills are taught in contexts that reflect how the knowledge will be used in real-life situations..