Tons of institutions want to leverage social learning for their educational purposes, but is it really appropriate? I've come to the conclusion that social learning and informal learning are two buzzwords for the similar concepts and share many of the same issues. At its root, formal learning seems to be differentiated by (hopefully) having clearly stated and measurable objectives. Despite the media in which it appears or the name it goes by, social, informal, or casual learning tend to be less objective-oriented and more difficult to measure.
I think whatever name we call it, nourishing, encouraging and providing space, virtual or IRL, for social learning is incredibly important. From my experience social learning can provide:
- Reinforcement of objectives from formal learning,
- Increased interest,
- Increased skill and knowledge of subject matter,
- Team building.
While it's important to recognize what social learning can facilitate, it's also incumbent upon us as designers and users to recognize its potential pitfalls:
- True social learning is optional, casual and non-objective-driven. If users can opt-in they can also opt-out. Therefore not all users may be participating,
- "Tangent-land"-- Because there is not one authority steering the conversation, discussions can be lead off topic into peripheral areas of interest,
- Similarly, without an authority misinformation can be spread
- Rather than reaching out into broader groups, social learning can reinforce negative group dynamics allowing insular groups to form or to be perceived.
As designers we need to recognize what social learning can and can not do use it as one more tool as we design effective learning experiences. Include opportunities for social learning, but do not dismiss our other methods.
Comments