Picture this: your boss comes to you and says, “Hey! You know that training program you facilitate in the classroom next week? Guess what?! I need you to teach it live online.” You likely react with panic and surprise. Thoughts run through your head, like:

• You’re kidding, right?
• Will people be bored?
• What platform will we use?
• How do I get organized?

Zoom has taken the whole world by storm. Thanks to its easy-to-use functionality, and an effort by company leadership to make it more accessible, people of all ages have started to use Zoom for work, learning, and socialization.

Zoom-hosted game nights bring friends together across distance. K-12 and college students have learned how to Zoom to stay on academic track. Corporate teams check in for virtual happy hours, critical business meetings, and essential trainings on Zoom. This virtual platform, like Webex, Adobe Connect, and others, bridges the distance felt by stay-at-home orders and closed offices and classrooms.

Virtually There Session Recap

Many teams now include dispersed members. Whether your team includes employees in different buildings within the same region, or you lead a virtual team where everyone works from home, if you contribute to a global organization with groups on different continents, learning experiences can often prove to be tricky with limited face-to-face interaction.

Experienced designers and facilitators recognize the power of social learning to overcome the challenges commonplace for today’s workforce. Daila Boufford, Manager of Learning Design for Ansrsource, knows first-hand how thoughtful design which includes social learning can combat learner disengagement and improve overall team cohesion.

In the late 1800s, Skagen, a town at the very northern part of Denmark, was home to a group of what was then considered intellectual radicals. The group is mostly famous for painters such as P.S. Krøyer and Anna and Michael Anker and more, but other forward thinkers were involved as well. During the day these highly knowledgeable people would work on their projects, and in the evening they would gather at a hotel to eat, drink, and share ideas together. Creativity flourished and the group members became icons in Danish cultural heritage.

Social learning facilitates creativity.

LinkedIn is a powerful tool in our personal learning toolkit. It not only connects us with our peers, but enables us to network with thought-leaders and contribute meaningfully to discussion subjects about which we're passionate. Guest blogger Jenny Holt provides guidance on how individuals (and even teams) can use this professional networking social platform for professional development. 

For the uninitiated, LinkedIn is often seen as a social network that is good for making professional connections and developing a reputation as an industry thought leader. But, that’s not all it’s good for. The LinkedIn Groups feature is becoming an increasingly popular option for sharing top tips, giving and receiving feedback, and engaging in online discussions.

Here’s how you can use groups in your learning strategy.

As more and more training functions move to a more modern blended design, we’re integrating more models into a single program. Social learning, the process of learning from peers, is a particularly valuable option. By encouraging learners to collaborate and connect, we honor the way people have always learned: from one another. 

Despite the value of social learning, there’s a stigma. How do you measure results of this format, and other informal learning treatments? How do we make sure learners share accurate information?

To help you get buy-in from stakeholders, learners, and your L&D peers alike, Jennifer Hofmann answered some of the most common social learning questions.

When we introduce a new topic, we often start with a webinar. The ubiquitous technology and common virtual classroom delivery format seems to be an easy way to engage, and teach, a large audience in a short time.

We know the webinar format has its challenges. Generally, potential learners enroll with the best intentions of attending, but understand that a recording will be available if there is a scheduling conflict. Many of us have an email folder containing link after link after link of webinar recordings that we hope to watch one day, when we have the time.

And when learners do attend a live session, they automatically put themselves into a “listen only” mindset; intending to multitask their way through the session with the hope that they will pick up the important points. They don’t have an expectation that they need to participate to absorb the content.

I learn best when I learn with others. When I have someone there (physically or virtually) with me sharing the experience, I know it makes a difference. I want (I would go as far as saying “need”) to have conversations threaded into my learning to make it stick. 

Yes, I am a very social person, and I thrive on conversation and collaboration. I also understand that not everyone is like me, and social learning is not meant for every learner in every situation. So, when does social collaboration make sense?

Let’s go back to those 5 moments of learner need, and explore where social collaborative learning would benefit our learners during each individual moment.

On Fridays, this blog series will explore YOU as a modern learner. This doesn't just happen: becoming a successful modern learner means taking an active role in creating, curating, and maintaining your Personal Learning Network (PLN). 

Last week, I discussed how to design your personal learning path, using foundational instructional design techniques. Part of that approach is to identify the experts, websites, social media channels, and other resources that will comprise your Personal Learning Network, or PLN. 

When we talk about the modern learning experience it’s important to remember that we are all modern
learners. It’s easy to lose sight of that fact when we spend our days designing learning experiences for others. You have a choice in how you learn, just like the learners you're developing and designing training content for. 

And there’s so much information to absorb! We often fall into the ‘we need to be experts at everything’ trap. Curation? Sign me up. Augmented reality? I’ll just order some VR goggles. Advanced instructional design techniques? Where can I take a class?