organisational blend
These are all traits learning professionals expect to see in online communities, and understanding each of these traits allows us to structure social learning to take advantage of this within our blended learning designs. This then results in being able to build our own vocabulary around learning, and learning professionals can support this by providing spaces and activities to help us achieve each of these things as part of a wider blend.
Making it stick Many organisations start with good intentions, but without the right habits and culture in place it will be virtually impossible to keep your social learning strategy alive. So how do you keep the conversation alive and keep people collaborating over time? 1. Sharing ideas Ensure everyone feels like they have a platform to get their ideas heard. Encourage people to share their own views and to collaborate in shared spaces. Forums and polls are great ways to get learners to make suggestions without them getting lost in the noise of the wider organisation.
2. Building a reputation Social tools cement online reputations, making the way we come across and what we say count. Consider taking inspiration from mainstream social channels, such as the ability to ‘like’ or respond to posts, helping the most active posters build their reputation. You may also consider rewarding active contributors with badges (such as ‘community expert’) to highlight their status within the community.
3. Solving problems Directing issues or questions to your community can be a good way to maintain the momentum of social learning. This means guiding learners towards the right people in the community, rewarding collaboration and creating a culture where questions and supporting others is encouraged. This also creates an incentive for people to build their own reputations – the more they help others, the more help they might expect in return.
4. Sharing your story Status updates, blogging or keeping an online journal are great ways to get people sharing their learning stories. Reflecting on what has worked, what hasn’t and why will help learners understand the value of social learning, making it more likely to stick within your wider blended programme.
Blending in So how can learning professionals ensure social learning fits into the overall blend? Social learning and collaboration comprises twice as much of the 70:20:10 as formal learning, so it needs to be right.
Learning professionals need to create the right conditions and environment to support social learning, and that means considering the context of the wider blend. Social learning should be part of your organisation’s ecosystem, and not
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buried inside an intranet or LMS. Enterprise social networks can work seamlessly alongside your existing systems for the best possible learner experience, helping you blur the lines between formal and informal learning. As well as this, you should actively manage learning activities, flexing the level of formality depending on the subject, audience and certification requirements. Topics you previously taught in face-to-face seminars may work better in an informal social learning context, so take inspiration from the conversations and collaboration taking place between your learners already and prepare for a much more social blend.
Lars Hyland is the chief commercial officer at Totara Learning
If you are interested in learning more about making your blends more social download free resources to help you form the right social learning habits and build social learning into your blend here.
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