Notes on Social Learning

I've been attending quite a few webinars and presentations on social learning and hearing a lot of different approaches, best practices, and tips about implementation -- as well as watching demos of software tools and frameworks designed to help organizations implement collaborative learning environments.

I attended a webinar hosted by HCI about "Social Software in Enterprise Learning: Getting Started" and presented by David Mallon from Bersin. Here are some notes I took:

• Mallon discussed how enterprises should encourage and enable employees to create and use "social graphs" -- networks of people based on varying "node identifiers" such as location, expertise, availability, etc. Similar to what IBM does with its Blue Pages, social graphs make it easier to locate and recruit people with the skills and/or knowledge needed for projects. Social graphs augment a person's ability to search and locate expertise. They then create pathways to connect people. Helping an employee make use of their social graph is in the best interest of the enterprise, and really is about harnessing the company's collective wisdom. 
• The discussion then moved to creating "Enterprise Learning Frameworks" (ELFs -- my acronym) -- an end-to-end map and description of a learning organization's primary components. Mallon discusssed the 70/20/10 model (70% of learning occurs informally, 20% is peer enabled, and 10% is achieved through formally curated systems). Now, with the ELF in place, the 70/20/10 model is changed to an 80/20 model where 80% of learning occurs informally through a Social Learning Environment (SLE) constructed by the organization. We all know that a company can't programmtaically meet all its learners' needs, so a SLE puts data and knowledge in the hands of the performer when they need it. The SLE helps the organization enable more self-directed, self-service, "in the moment" learning opportunities.
• Mallon discussed that there are three components of Informal learning in a SLE (I prefer to call this a "purpose-driven system that encourages informal learning"): on-demand, social, and embedded. On-demand content is made available by SMEs and/or other content-experts in a "rapid fashion" -- it could also be curated content, but the point is to make it available in a format and manner that suits the learner's situation at the time of need; the social component includes elements that help the learner expand their networks; and the embedded component include tools that are smart enough to know learner context (in a software system, on a device, etc.), and is implicit -- it helps the learner understand the success or failure of the task being performed -- potentially through a feedback mechanism.
• The ELF should also include access to tools and technologies for learners to create or modify their own content. Mallon stated that an ELF by its nature incubates a culture of learning across the organization -- a must-have before a vibrant SLE can be fostered.

Here are some best practices for beginning to implement an ELF with a SLE:

• Start simple
• Have a clear purpose
• Inventory your organization and see where collaboration and social learning already occurs
• Ask yourself "why community, why social learning"?
• Always be clear with what are you trying to accomplish
• Study your audience very well
• Architect participation: it doesn't happen on its own Your SLE will require what I call an "active agent" -- This is not a task to be performed by just anyone in the organization -- it is a next-gen skillset.
• Ensure you have a content curator
• Understand that 1% of the network contributes the most, 9% occasionally contribute, and 90% sit around and watch. Use the 1% to your advantage.
• Don't forget culture. The "learning culture" is a major element to a SLE. Help to culitvate a SLE in which sharing knowledge is welcome.
• Don't forget the 4Cs: Conversations, Content, Connections, and Collaboration: the primary elements of a SLE. 
• Don't focus on tools first, focus on the behavior needed, then find the technology to support them.

Comments

[social software]

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