Training Industry Magazine - January/February 2018 - 25

a local cause to rally around all create
shared experiences that build emotional
connections within a team. Teams with
limited face-to-face time have a greater
degree of social distance, meaning they
have trouble establishing an emotional
connection with one another, which
limits their ability to trust each other.
These inherent challenges must be
overcome to ensure a successful and
effective learning experience.
INTEGRATING SOCIAL
LEARNING ACTIVITIES
WITHIN TRADITIONAL
e-LEARNING

Social learning typically refers to
individuals learning from each other
as they share an experience. It can
occur online or in person and the most
effective programs tend to incorporate
a mix of the two environments. On a
recent project, I designed a series of
social learning components to augment
a traditional e-learning course. The
client was looking for a way to bring
a geographically dispersed team
together, strengthen their relationships
and create a more engaging learning
experience. Building on the traditional
online discussion forum, we developed
creative ways for the team to connect
with one another. For example, during a
lesson on active listening we asked the
learners to post a fun image and caption
it with one of the benefits of listening
actively. Extra points were awarded for
creativity in image selection. Not only
did this get the learners to think about
the content in a new way, it allowed
them to develop an appreciation of
one another's sense of humor as they
reacted to each other's posts.
Integrating social learning activities
into traditional e-learning has many
benefits and can be a great way to
develop
relationships.
Although
mentoring often comes to mind,
social learning activities also develop

relationships between peers and even
among business units. For example,
an internal sabbatical program that
allows individuals to be "loaned out" to
a team in a different business unit can
establish connections among teams

BE PROACTIVE
IN CREATING
CONNECTIONS
BETWEEN
LEARNING
ACTIVITIES
AND REALTIME WORK.

that normally don't interface with each
other. The individual being "loaned
out" engages with the new team in
their daily work while providing a fresh
perspective based on his experience
in a different part of the company.
This activity may require more face-toface time than others, but if done well,
it can lay the foundation for lasting
partnerships that provide benefits long
after the sabbatical has ended.
OVERCOMING
CHALLENGES WHEN
ESTABLISHING SOCIAL
LEARNING PROGRAMS

Social learning has received some
criticism over the years. There are
many instances where the final output
doesn't quite measure up to the stated
objectives for the activity. When
incorporating social learning activities,
it helps to have a long-term view of
success. There may be some quick wins,
but the real value is in the learning

networks that are established as the
result of social learning experience.
Facilitating
social
learning
for
geographically dispersed teams requires
careful planning. The technology tools
that enable discussion and sharing
need to be user friendly, and are ideally
something that the learner is already
familiar with. If a new platform or
software is needed, be sure to provide
technical support and encouragement
as learners become accustomed to using
the tools.
To help managers see the value and
promote social learning within their
team, design activities in a way that
allows learners to share their knowledge.
For example, ask the learner to arrange
a one-on-one with their manager to
discuss what they learned and how
it can be applied to a current project.
Or, encourage the learner to share a
challenge they are facing with their
learning cohort, so the group can tackle
it together. Be proactive in creating
connections between learning activities
and real-time work. This ensures your
objectives are on track and is the best
way to help learners retain the content.
THE INFLUENCE
OF CULTURE WITHIN
SOCIAL LEARNING

When working with global teams, it is
essential to understand how culture
affects the social learning experience.
"The Culture Map" by Erin Meyer is an
excellent resource to better understand
how communication norms and business
practices differ across the globe. Culture
affects how we manage conflict, how we
perceive other's actions and words and
how we participate in shared learning
experiences. For example, in group
discussions, individuals from hierarchical
cultures may be less inclined to speak
up, especially if there are higher ranking
members among the group. Identify

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Training Industry Magazine - January/February 2018