<http://schema.org/articleBody>
"Classroom training isn\u2019t dead, but it also isn\u2019t the answer for every training need. Social tools are changing the game when it comes to employee learning. Organizations can create collaborative workplaces where employees can learn from each other instead of only learning in a formal setting or from the proverbial \"company expert.\"\nFor training programs to be effective, companies must use the right methods and medium for their training sessions and their audience. Given the popularity of social media, it only seems logical to explore how social media tools can have a positive impact on the learning experience.\nWhat It Means\nTony Bingham, president and CEO of the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD), defines social learning as \u201Clearning that happens outside a formal structure or classroom and is really the way people have always learned from each other. Social learning centers on information sharing, collaboration and co-creation.\u201D\nWhile the practice of social learning has been around for ages, we need a better definition of it for today\u2019s workplace. Most of us have a vision for what formal classroom training looks like, so here\u2019s one way to view the basic difference between informal learning and social learning:\n\nInformal learning is a term used to describe anything not learned in a formal program or class. It can take place within groups or alone using activities such as reading or search.\nSocial learning is learning with and from others. It happens at conferences, cafes or online \u2014 with or without social media tools.\n\nIn the book Social Media at Work, written by Arthur L. Jue, Jackie Alcalde Marr and Mary Ellen Kassotakis, the authors share case studies of companies using social and informal learning for business success. For example, Oracle uses a key tool called Connect to give employees the information they need at the moment they need it. The tool is about more than just answering questions -\u2013 it\u2019s teaching people how to make smart decisions about the business.\nOne thing is certain about social learning: It\u2019s not a replacement for traditional classroom training. \u201CThere will always be some kinds of training that must be done in a classroom setting because of the requirements of the training or skill mastery demands,\" Bingham explains. \"Examples include certification, compliance, and deep learning -\u2013 this is happening in the classroom.\u201D\nSocial Learning Benefits\n\n\nSurveys of CEOs continue to report that recruiting and developing talent are their top concerns. In addition, ASTD Research notes that by 2020, nearly half (46%) of all U.S. workers will be Millennials.\nOrganizations have to gain an understanding of how a new generation of workers likes to learn, how they use technology and their preferred means of communication. This will be essential in creating training curriculum, development programs and succession plans.\nBingham says it\u2019s possible to calculate the return on social learning, but it\u2019s not the traditional return-on-investment (ROI) formula:\u00A0\u201CIt requires alignment to what\u2019s important to the organization, and often that includes retaining institutional knowledge, solving complex problems collaboratively and attracting people to your organization.\u201D\nMaria Ogneva, director of community at Yammer, says, \u201CIf your goal is to increase customer satisfaction, perhaps the impact metric you are looking for is the increase of speed of a response to a customer, and how collaboration helps you do that. For any social effort to be successful, it has to tie to a business objective.\u201D\nBarriers to Social Learning\nBusiness leaders need to realize that employees are already using social tools -\u2013 whether it\u2019s approved or not. Instead of prohibiting the use of social media, savvy business leaders should harness its power to drive business results. Bingham notes, \u201CIt\u2019s important to make the distinction between a management problem and a technology problem. Most often, problems that occur with the use of social media are management problems.\u201D\nBingham adds that he sees a concern that the use of social media tools may compromise proprietary informaion, or that issues related to intellectual property, company secrets or business strategy may be divulged by a workforce given social media tools.\u00A0His recommendation? \n\u201COrganizations should have an intellectual property policy in place that outlines clear expectations -\u2013 and consequences for inappropriate activity. This policy should consider the multitude of possibilities for the use of an organization\u2019s intellectual property.\u201D\nOnce guidelines are in place, clearly communicate those throughout the entire organization. The goal isn\u2019t to create obstacles to learning but a respectful, effective means to using social tools.\nImplementing Social Learning within Your Organization\nBefore rolling-out a social learning strategy, take a good look at your company culture. Determine if the company is ready to incorporate social learning into its training and development strategy. Adding social just because it sounds cool isn\u2019t productive for the workforce.\nAny time a company is testing the new territory, it\u2019s beneficial to start small. Find a program or an initiative that would be well-served by employing social technologies and let the people involved with it experiment and find what works. \"Social learning has an organic nature to it, it can\u2019t be forced,\u201D Bingham says.\nAfter using a new technology, evaluate the success of the program. Get feedback on three levels:\n\nFrom the participants who used the social tool. How did it help or hinder the learning experience?\nFrom the administrators of the social tool. Was it easy or difficult to use, explain to others and get participant involvement?\nFrom the management team. What was their perception of the results gained from using a social tool within their work teams?\n\nThis feedback will help refine the best social learning methods to incorporate for future activities.\nSocial media platforms will continue to develop and evolve. More and more individuals will start using them for their personal brands and professional lives. Employees will demand simplicity and expect workplace training to incorporate the tools they use on a regular basis.\nWould you like to see more social in your training programs? Leave your thoughts in the comments.\nMore Small Business Resources From OPEN Forum:\n- Should Small Businesses Follow Everyone Back on Twitter?- Are You Falling into the Pricing Trap?- How to Take Your PR Pitches to the Next Level"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://mashable.com/2012/05/19/social-learning/?tw_p=twt>