Experiences with computer education at the Bank of America suggest that, when educating nontechnical people to use computers, formal learning environments are not as effective as informal learning environments. It has become increasingly necessary to use informal training to educate the approximately 4,000 people who need the training because of the inability of the training staff to provide formal classes to all of them. At present, one-on-one training, manuals, on-line documentations, technical support programs, and video tape presentations are available for employee use; and self-paced computer-assisted instructional packages and self-paced print materials will soon be available for their use. Informal computer learning has prospered at the bank not only because of the inability of the training staff to demand, but also because potential users are geographically dispersed and would have to wait months for training; users are motivated to learn to use the computer for a specific task that would not be covered in a general presentation; and many of the people needing training are managers who would prefer to make their mistakes in private rather than be embarrassed in a class situation by lower level people who know more about computers. The bank plans to test the hypothesis that informal learning can be as effective as formal learning, as soon as materials are developed. (KC)