5 Reasons to Adopt Social Learning in Your Organization

Posted by: Jill Tullo, Senior Strategist Jun 16, 2011 0 Comments

The social learning theory—the idea that individuals learn from each other—has been applied in training programs for decades. So what’s new now? Social media. Today’s learners have access to a variety of social media tools that make it easier to facilitate learning and participate in discussion. If your organization hasn’t adopted social learning, here are five reasons to consider it.

1. Keep the conversation going
Social learning continues the learning process after formal training is completed. After a training session, it’s natural for employees to want to talk about and practice what they learned. Social learning enables learners to keep the conversation going and to share new ideas and creative solutions.

2. Get everyone involved
With social learning, new employees can begin contributing and learning from day one. Veteran employees can offer their expertise, learn new skills, and get refresher training in the informal environment that social learning creates. With this outlet, learners feel comfortable sharing their knowledge, and management may notice skills or expertise in their staff that they didn’t know previously existed. It’s important to note here that while every employee should be offered the opportunity to participate, not everyone will take on an active role. You’ll likely have “lurkers” who learn from reading conversations and materials but who are hesitant to participate.

3. Get more work done, more quickly
Employees participating in social learning report that not only do they learn useful information, but they also get more work done in less time. The reasoning behind this is that they have resources available at their fingertips and don’t have to wait until formal training sessions to get questions answered or learn new skills.

4. Set up tools quickly
Social learning doesn’t require a specific set of tools and a drawn out startup time. Tools like Facebook, Twitter, and Ning enable you to quickly set up a platform and get conversations started. Many learning management systems (LMSs) are even adding social media tools to their platforms.

5. Try it out for free
Many social media tools are free to use, but you will need someone in your organization who is accountable for setting up and maintaining the initiative. Finding an employee who is enthusiastic about sharing to curate your social learning initiative will help ensure its success. Consider making it part of that employee’s job description or providing incentives for taking the lead.

Not only can social learning supplement formal training, but it can also inspire a team of motivated employees who keep their skills fresh and make positive contributions to your organization.

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Jill Tullo

Senior Strategist

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