Key Issues on Informal Learning in the 21st Century: A Text Mining-based Literature Review

Abstract—This study aimed to reveal the key issues and trends of informal learning in the 21st century through reviewing literature published between 2000 and 2020. This study adopted a systematic text mining-based analysis to explore the wide-scale and in-depth study on informal learning. The result showed the main issues in informal learning, including participants and educational need, environment, process, and research turnings over time. In addition, informal learning has played an active and significant role in the digital era of the 21st century, and its educational effects are expanding even further in recent years. Then, we provided a broad perspective to a frame of future informal learning research