Debate: Will Social Learning Work for Your Company?

Content

The argument: Social collaboration tools make it easier and cheaper for employees to learn from one another.

The argument: Social collaboration tools make it easier and cheaper for employees to learn from one another.

Content

Most everyone is on social media, so it makes sense for talent development functions to consider using these platforms to engage employees in the learning process. But is it as simple as instructing learners to sign on to a platform to ask and answer work-related questions? Do employees truly learn this way?

Most everyone is on social media, so it makes sense for talent development functions to consider using these platforms to engage employees in the learning process. But is it as simple as instructing learners to sign on to a platform to ask and answer work-related questions? Do employees truly learn this way?

Content

**

**

PRO

Content

** Stephen W. Oliver

**Stephen W. Oliver

Content

HR Management and Leadership Development Consultant, HRCVision

HR Management and Leadership Development Consultant, HRCVision

Content

For centuries, human beings have connected with one another in social methods for effective communication. Summarizing Albert Bandura's social learning theory, as people develop, they learn in a social context through a process of observing the behaviors and attitudes of people around us, witnessing the outcomes of these behaviors, and then choosing to imitate those behaviors that bring about the consequences they desire.

For centuries, human beings have connected with one another in social methods for effective communication. Summarizing Albert Bandura's social learning theory, as people develop, they learn in a social context through a process of observing the behaviors and attitudes of people around us, witnessing the outcomes of these behaviors, and then choosing to imitate those behaviors that bring about the consequences they desire.

Content

Today's world assumes that technology is used in social learning connections within organizations. Some learners think of Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Flickr as typical tools for social learning, but in reality these social media tools lend themselves more for conversation and updates with family, friends, and colleagues. Tools such as Jive, Slack, and Evernote are more analogous to social learning for enhanced organizational learning within the company.

Today's world assumes that technology is used in social learning connections within organizations. Some learners think of Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Flickr as typical tools for social learning, but in reality these social media tools lend themselves more for conversation and updates with family, friends, and colleagues. Tools such as Jive, Slack, and Evernote are more analogous to social learning for enhanced organizational learning within the company.

Content

As Jakub Piwnik writes in "The Significant Benefits of Social Learning," "The challenge is to find a place which not only satisfies learners' most common needs, but also does it in a way ensuring the quality of the content found and the educational nature of the resource."

As Jakub Piwnik writes in "The Significant Benefits of Social Learning," "The challenge is to find a place which not only satisfies learners' most common needs, but also does it in a way ensuring the quality of the content found and the educational nature of the resource."

Content

Four relevant benefits for the use of social learning tools follow.

Four relevant benefits for the use of social learning tools follow.

Content

Asynchronous communication. Participants can use technology platforms to enhance their learning while acquiring new information, ideas, and skills on their own time outside of a traditional learning classroom. The digital nature of social learning tools gives participants a variety of ways to learn and communicate with one another at any time they wish without limitations. Infinite opportunities for learning can occur.

Asynchronous communication. Participants can use technology platforms to enhance their learning while acquiring new information, ideas, and skills on their own time outside of a traditional learning classroom. The digital nature of social learning tools gives participants a variety of ways to learn and communicate with one another at any time they wish without limitations. Infinite opportunities for learning can occur.

Content

Confidence in collaboration. In established social learning platforms, participants have access to safe spaces for conversations, questions, and learning when collaborating with colleagues. Participants can give honest feedback to questions and conversations with like-minded individuals who can validate their understanding of new concepts while learning new topics and theories from open spaces. Strong communities of learning can be formed.

Confidence in collaboration. In established social learning platforms, participants have access to safe spaces for conversations, questions, and learning when collaborating with colleagues. Participants can give honest feedback to questions and conversations with like-minded individuals who can validate their understanding of new concepts while learning new topics and theories from open spaces. Strong communities of learning can be formed.

Content

"When several users collaborate on a problem, interesting things can happen," writes Nora Ditrichova in "3 Benefits of Social Learning." "Thanks to the community related functionalities available in many platforms … comments can be exchanged freely and knowledge can be gained from the most unlikely of sources."

"When several users collaborate on a problem, interesting things can happen," writes Nora Ditrichova in "3 Benefits of Social Learning." "Thanks to the community related functionalities available in many platforms … comments can be exchanged freely and knowledge can be gained from the most unlikely of sources."

Content

Crowdsourcing content. Crowdsourcing can assist by engaging participants and soliciting ideas across the community and beyond the community with digital learning. It can help in the diversity and creativity of choices made in learning.

Crowdsourcing content. Crowdsourcing can assist by engaging participants and soliciting ideas across the community and beyond the community with digital learning. It can help in the diversity and creativity of choices made in learning.

Content

In these digital communities, learners have the ability to sort through information, data, and questions filtered by subjects, sources, platforms, topics, and information. Tagging and filtering helps drive more relevant content directly to the learner. Crowdsourcing saves time by speeding up content creation and delivery while giving employees and customers the ability to interactively share information and solve problems.

In these digital communities, learners have the ability to sort through information, data, and questions filtered by subjects, sources, platforms, topics, and information. Tagging and filtering helps drive more relevant content directly to the learner. Crowdsourcing saves time by speeding up content creation and delivery while giving employees and customers the ability to interactively share information and solve problems.

Content

Costs. While some social learning tools are costly and require significant funding from organizational budgets, some tools can be free, cloud-hosted with versions available, as well as free mobile apps that can be downloaded. Many software tools have pricing guidelines that enable small to medium-sized companies or teams to benefit from their free or lower-cost products.

Costs. While some social learning tools are costly and require significant funding from organizational budgets, some tools can be free, cloud-hosted with versions available, as well as free mobile apps that can be downloaded. Many software tools have pricing guidelines that enable small to medium-sized companies or teams to benefit from their free or lower-cost products.

Content

Social learning tools can be scaled up to meet the needs of the organization. Some new multi-user tools have relatively lower costs. These tools can enable organizations to learn reasonably well while meeting cost constraints

Social learning tools can be scaled up to meet the needs of the organization. Some new multi-user tools have relatively lower costs. These tools can enable organizations to learn reasonably well while meeting cost constraints

Content

**

**

CON

Content

** Cindy Thatcher

**Cindy Thatcher

Content

Learning Consultant, Teradata

Learning Consultant, Teradata

Content

There are many benefits to using social collaboration tools; however, the strengths these tools bring to a learning function also can become weaknesses. With that in mind, let's look at the flip side to the benefits of using these tools.

There are many benefits to using social collaboration tools; however, the strengths these tools bring to a learning function also can become weaknesses. With that in mind, let's look at the flip side to the benefits of using these tools.

Content

Community management. Without staunch community management, content and "sites" can proliferate unchecked within a social collaboration platform. In most platforms, anyone can—and does—create a site. Groups become numerous and redundant. Employees, being unsure which will be most useful, take the "more is better" approach. They are immediately inundated with so much content it becomes noise and is quickly disregarded. Important information is lost to them and the company unless disciplined management exists.

Community management. Without staunch community management, content and "sites" can proliferate unchecked within a social collaboration platform. In most platforms, anyone can—and does—create a site. Groups become numerous and redundant. Employees, being unsure which will be most useful, take the "more is better" approach. They are immediately inundated with so much content it becomes noise and is quickly disregarded. Important information is lost to them and the company unless disciplined management exists.

Content

Turning to the company's overall technology environment, this same challenge translates to having multiple tools that have the same functionality and make it difficult to know what to look for where. These tools pile up on existing ones, such as SharePoint, the learning management system, and shared drives. This risks that the platform becomes yet another thing that complicates employees' jobs instead of making them easier.

Turning to the company's overall technology environment, this same challenge translates to having multiple tools that have the same functionality and make it difficult to know what to look for where. These tools pile up on existing ones, such as SharePoint, the learning management system, and shared drives. This risks that the platform becomes yet another thing that complicates employees' jobs instead of making them easier.

Content

Content curation. A lack of curation to ensure content is up-to-date and accurate can cause employees to lose faith in the platform as a whole. One wrong answer to a question on a forum and hundreds of employees' work and interactions with customers can be affected. It can be like using Facebook to learn about today's political issues.

Content curation. A lack of curation to ensure content is up-to-date and accurate can cause employees to lose faith in the platform as a whole. One wrong answer to a question on a forum and hundreds of employees' work and interactions with customers can be affected. It can be like using Facebook to learn about today's political issues.

Content

When there is no one reviewing the content posted, it becomes stale and outdated. Employees become frustrated, which results in complaints about the content and unrelated items such as the features and functionality of the platform itself. Unmonitored crowdsourcing can undermine the successful implementation of the platform and negatively affect employees' perception of social collaboration.

When there is no one reviewing the content posted, it becomes stale and outdated. Employees become frustrated, which results in complaints about the content and unrelated items such as the features and functionality of the platform itself. Unmonitored crowdsourcing can undermine the successful implementation of the platform and negatively affect employees' perception of social collaboration.

Content

Engagement and collaboration. Building a community where employees collaborate regularly is hard. It requires time and resources. Many learning functions make the mistake of having a "build it and they will come" mentality.

Engagement and collaboration. Building a community where employees collaborate regularly is hard. It requires time and resources. Many learning functions make the mistake of having a "build it and they will come" mentality.

Content

As Karen Kocher, chief learning officer of Cigna, states in The New Social Learning, "People don't instantly understand the value. We think because they use Facebook, employees will naturally become collaborators in the workforce. It doesn't happen."

As Karen Kocher, chief learning officer of Cigna, states in The New Social Learning, "People don't instantly understand the value. We think because they use Facebook, employees will naturally become collaborators in the workforce. It doesn't happen."

Content

Employees are pulled in many directions and will only spend time doing things that makes their job easier. Without someone dedicated to actively fostering conversations, sharing articles and resources, and encouraging engagement, employees won't participate—leaving communities and forums designed to help them develop and thrive to wither and die.

Employees are pulled in many directions and will only spend time doing things that makes their job easier. Without someone dedicated to actively fostering conversations, sharing articles and resources, and encouraging engagement, employees won't participate—leaving communities and forums designed to help them develop and thrive to wither and die.

Content

Cost. Buying proprietary social collaboration software can be costly. There is the purchase cost as well as fees associated with installation, implementation, and integration (for single sign-on). Not to mention buying enough licenses so that everyone can use the system. These costs can add up quickly, which makes it cost prohibitive for learning and development departments with limited budgets to invest in them.

Cost. Buying proprietary social collaboration software can be costly. There is the purchase cost as well as fees associated with installation, implementation, and integration (for single sign-on). Not to mention buying enough licenses so that everyone can use the system. These costs can add up quickly, which makes it cost prohibitive for learning and development departments with limited budgets to invest in them.

Content

But what about open source tools or social media—Facebook, Twitter, and the like? Although these tools are free, they do come with hidden costs in the form of resources to install, manage, and moderate the sites and forums.

But what about open source tools or social media—Facebook, Twitter, and the like? Although these tools are free, they do come with hidden costs in the form of resources to install, manage, and moderate the sites and forums.

Content

Read more from CTDO magazine : Essential talent development content for C-suite leaders.

Read more from CTDO magazine: Essential talent development content for C-suite leaders.