Have you considered how much we learn as a group even when the traditional learning setup does not empower us? I am convinced that social learning is critical in creating lifelong learners.
Consider your school experience, when doing your work by yourself was deemed essential. Remember how much sense-making, clarifying and sharing you did with your school friends? Now consider the training you may have received or even learning to change your career. The knowledge was valuable, but often it was the insights and experiences of the people you learned with and from that made the most positive difference in your professional life.
I started experimenting with social learning experiences about five years ago, and it has been a fascinating journey. People tend to get excited about new technology and the opportunities it offers, but the power of connection is most important. Technology, tools and knowledge are all important, but togetherness and community are the glue that holds adult learning together in the long run.
Why?
People are social creatures who learn and develop through interaction with others. People naturally learn through observation, imitation and collaboration. People create wisdom from wider perspectives, experiences and ideas.
Most people also seek a sense of community and belonging because we enjoy giving or receiving support, feedback and encouragement, which is the basis for ongoing engagement in any learning process.
Technology will fundamentally change how people learn. But when change is coming so fast, we must ensure that people do not feel overwhelmed by the size of the task and instead feel supported in finding their way forward.
If that sounds reasonable, how can we best build this social component into individual and workforce learning? It starts with design for the following:
Context: Whether learning is virtual or in person, contextual design is essential. The aim is learning from and with people, not from textbooks or talking heads. Focus on sharing, learning and growing through experiences with others, either 1-on-1 up to community group sharing. Learners don’t need additional or new content here. They need opportunities for reflection, coaching and establishing community. Remember, social learning works differently for different groups of people and contexts. You need different inventions to accommodate these differences and be willing to flex or try something new if one is not effective.
Purpose: People get the most from social learning when they work collaboratively to support workplace applications. They will come back if they have a safe place to reflect on learning, practise and have fun via face-to-face or virtual social spaces. It must be a place to come and build shared wisdom and accountability for mutual improvement and success. A sustainable community where no one is left behind and deeper sense-making occurs.
Application: Development that leads to lasting change is not a one-time thing. Creating social learning pays the biggest dividends when it is time to apply learning on the job. Use it after a class or course when people need additional help at the point and moment of performance/need.
Shared experience: Design for working collaboratively with other learners and stakeholders. This creates the “wisdom of the crowd”, and the understanding that participants are responsible for their own and others’ learning and success throughout the learning process.
Continuity: Events and activities do not have to be frequent. Design with the goal of ongoing sharing (lessons learned, good practices, or common issues/challenges) on specific topics or areas of shared interest.
Integration with other learning activities: The benefit is maximised when social learning blends with other learning forms. Consider adding action-based learning to provide an opportunity to apply, rehearse and sustain knowledge and skills before joining a Community of Practice.
Real sharing: People will want to come to share/learn from exploring issues that they are facing in real life and sharing their good practice and failures to learn from each other situations.
When we do not provide a safe space for learners to return to and to share and learn from one another after formal learning, momentum is frequently and rapidly lost. To speed up learning, ensure that groups of learners return to share their knowledge, put it into practice and discover strategies that work for them rather than learning and experimenting alone. This enhances learning and saves time, energy and effort.
It is simple but not easy to get started and typically results in fresh perspectives, new insights and practical solutions that can maintain learning and application momentum, creating a long-lasting impact in work and life.
Arinya Talerngsri is Chief Capability Officer, Managing Director, and Founder at SEAC — Southeast Asia’s Lifelong Learning Centre. She is fascinated by the challenge of transforming education for all to create better prospects for Thais and people everywhere. Reach her email at arinya_t@seasiacenter.com or https://www.linkedin.com/in/arinya-talerngsri-53b81aa
