Informal Cookies

One of my most poignant informal learning experiences started right here on the back of a chocolate chip bag…With my grandmothers, I made many a toll house cookie.

The tollhouse chocolate chip cookie recipe

Over time, it became increasingly apparent to my family and friends that I really enjoyed baking. This led to many gifts of cook books, cake molds, and icing kits. Baking became a very fun experimental hobby for me. When I first started baking by myself, it was mainly about following instructions. My early experiences were primarily simple recipes—things like cookies or boxed brownies where all I had to do was follow the list of ingredients, measure carefully, and mix things together in the right order. However, as time went on, and the complexity of the recipes I felt confident trying began to increase, I began to wonder why baking recipes worked the way they did. Why do you cream together butter and sugar first in a cookie recipe? Why do some recipes ask you to fold in ingredients gently while others tell you to whisk vigorously? Does it really matter if you sift your flour or is that an extra step I can skip? These questions pushed me beyond simply following instructions—I began experimenting and learning by trial and error.

As I tried more and more complex recipes, especially when I started baking with yeast, I found myself increasingly interested in the science of baking. Why did the dough need to rise for a specific amount of time? And why was it recommended to place a pot of boiling water in the oven during proofing (the second rise of a yeast dough when it is in its final shaped form)? As a biologist, I began to connect this to concepts of cellular respiration. Knowing that yeast activity increases with heat, I experimented with different environments: in a preheated then slightly cooled oven, on the counter above the dishwasher where it gets hot, next to the fireplace. I learned how to optimize the rise by controlling moisture and warmth.

An ugly photo of my cinnamon buns

Later, living in Colorado added another layer to my learning as I had to adjust for high altitude, which affects the boiling point of water and the rise of baked goods. This meant making adjustments to my usual recipes, like adding more liquid to my dough or decreasing the amount of sugar. However, I did not rely only on my scientific knowledge and trial and error; I consulted online baking communities, reading through Reddit threads and blog posts to learn from other home bakers’ experiences. These affinity groups (Gee & Price, 2021) became invaluable resources in my quest for creating tasty treats.

Pistachio strawberry cupcakes I made at an altitude of 4,698 ft (1,432 m)

This self-directed, inquiry-based approach to learning illustrates the strength of informal learning contexts. For me, the kitchen became a space for exploration and experimentation, and for making a mess. When a batch of cinnamon buns turned out dense and under-risen, or my hand laminated croissant dough turned out completely flat, it wasn’t discouraging - it was a chance to figure out what went wrong and how to fix it next time Okay, sometimes it was also discouraging…I have cried more than once over a plate of failed pastries.

As Resnick (1987) discussed, informal learning often happens in environments where people can draw on resources around them, like the internet or conversations with others, unlike the "pure mentation" that tends to dominate school-based learning. In school, learners are typically expected to solve problems using only the information in front of them, without outside help. But in my kitchen, I could look up substitutions for ingredients, find pictures of what "light and fluffy" looks like, and read blog posts or Reddit threads about other bakers' experiences. This socially supported, hands-on learning was far more flexible than a formal education environment.

Through informal learning, I was able to integrate information from multiple sources and adapt quickly when things didn’t go as planned. This is a key aspect of informal learning described by Vadeboncoeur (2006): people often learn best through participation in real-world activities and through engagement with others. I could make mistakes without fear of failure and turn to others for help, whether through online communities or friends who bake. This collective knowledge allowed me to problem solve creatively, an experience quite different from the isolated and structured nature of formal schooling.

In a formal learning environment, like a structured baking class, I probably wouldn’t have had the same autonomy. While such a class would have provided expert guidance and immediate feedback, it would also have constrained my ability to seek outside resources. For example, in a formal setting, I might not have been encouraged to look up ingredient substitutes or read other bakers’ blog posts for ideas.

I now wonder how different my experience would have been if I had taken a structured, informal learning course, like an after-school baking class. In such a setting, I would have benefited from having a teacher guide me through the techniques, helping me avoid common mistakes and explaining the science behind baking upfront. This structured learning would have provided a clear path to mastery, “saving” me the time I spent troubleshooting recipes or searching for the right techniques online.However, structured learning also would have limited my freedom to experiment. In informal learning, I could stop and wonder about a particular step in a recipe, consult online resources, and explore alternatives. In a structured class, there’s usually less room for that kind of exploration. The focus might have been more on following set instructions to achieve the “right” result, which would have deprived me of the creative problem-solving that was such a key part of my baking journey.

Vadeboncoeur (2006) noted that informal learning spaces often foster collaboration and creativity, giving learners the flexibility to engage deeply with content in ways that aren’t always possible in formal settings. In my self-directed learning, I had the freedom to explore why my cinnamon buns needed to rise with boiling water in the oven or how altitude affected my candy-making process. Had I learned in a more structured setting, I may have followed instructions perfectly, but missed out on the deeper understanding that comes from questioning, researching, and experimenting on my own terms.

References:

All photos courtesy of Christie Schlarbaum

Gee, J. P., & Price, A. (2021). Game-design teaching and learning. Strategies, 34(3), pp. 35-38.

Resnick, L. B. (1987). Learning in school and out. Educational Researcher, 16(9), 13-20.

Vadeboncoeur, J. A. (2006). Engaging young people: Learning in informal contexts. Research in Education, 30(1), 239-278.