The explosive growth of social media technologies is due in large part to the way in which they amplify and extend behavior that existed long before the Internet was even invented: conversing, sharing, collaborating, and exchanging information. Social media are popular because they fill a human need. In a similar way, social media applied to organizational learning — social learning — has the power to amplify and extend learning beyond the classroom or eLearning course and allow employees to learn by connecting with each other in a wider circle than would be easily possible without the Web.
Understood in this way, social learning can support either informal or formal learning. For example, social media can exist independent of other learning content (such as a company-wide wiki), or be used to support a community (such as a discussion or Q&A forum, or an employee knowledge networking site), or be integrated into formal eLearning and instructor-led training, creating new forms of blended learning.
Social learning does not mean the end of instructors or formal courses. However, social media is being used increasingly to support both formal and informal learning, collaboration, and community-building within organizations.
Check out our social learning matrix for ideas on how social media tools may be applied in a learning context.
Social Learning Matrix ( 117 KB pdf)
We can help your organization capitalize on the promise of social media by assessing your needs and defining the best options. Many organizations face similar challenges when considering the use of social media for learning, internal communication, and collaboration:
We will work with you to overcome these challenges by defining a clear roadmap for adopting social media technologies or extending their use.
We can also help by:
Contact us and we’d be happy to talk to you about the business benefits of social media and how you can get started.