I'm interested in social learning

Could your business benefit from peer-to-peer learning?

Social learning, or peer-to-peer learning is not new. It's probably due to the explosion in social media that only recently, learning and development professionals have seen it as a way that people learn. However it is very different from the static filled stream of consciousness often associated with social media.

What is social learning?

The very simplified view of social learning is the idea that people can learn by observing and imitating best practices going on around them, rather than simply being taught and having the teaching reinforced until they learn.

With learning management systems, it is difficult to integrate this idea because they have up until now been focussed on a structured, presented learning style. Social learning requires a more interactive philosophy at the heart of the e-learning system, not just the learning content.

A cultural change

In many organisations, social learning would be an up-hill battle. For example, where there's a very rigid hierarchy in the business with strict rules. Also in a business where there is very aggressive competition between peers, people might not be agreeable to sharing their own tricks and tips without some form of motivation. These environments don't encourage people to be open about how they work and what's successful for them, so that others can learn.

Learn with Mobile has social learning built-in for those that want it. You have Administrators who can add and maintain content and set up new topics and courses, and Learners who consume the learning and progress through the courses. And there's a Knowledge Base area where anyone can add and maintain content to capture and share their knowledge, and build a library for others to learn from.

The benefits of social learning

Social learning can build real confidence in your learners. Contributors know that their knowledge is valued and is being used, and learners know that what they are being taught is practical and genuinely useful in their day-to-day work. People who might not join in in a classroom environment are much more likely to contribute as part of an online collaboration.

You save time. People don't have to wait for formal learning to start, they can pick up what they need to be productive from their colleagues.

In addition to the learning you provide, you get a real boost to your learning library from within your organisation. You can monitor this content to see what's really important and productive for your learners and provide more of the same.

And you get the fantastic side-effect of capturing the knowledge tied up in the most important part of your organisation - your people. You find out what they really know (and it may surprise you), and you make sure that you don't lose that knowledge when they move on.

Learn with Mobile encourages social learning, both through the contribution of content, and the use of discussions where your learners can ask and answer questions and share experiences.

If you're looking to educate in a fresh, affordable, and rewarding way, check out fully mobile responsive e-learning solutions using Learn with Mobile. Get started for free right now, or call the Ambidect team on +44 (0)1260 221292 if you have any questions.