This document provides an overview of using social learning tools for professional development and training in higher education. It discusses how social learning can help overcome barriers to training like attrition and lack of interaction. Examples of social media tools that can be used for collaboration and problem solving are described, like Facebook, YouTube, Google Docs and Slack. Guidelines are provided for addressing ethical issues and how leadership can support goals through social learning.

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Self Guided Social Media
Training Guide

2. Guide Overview
 Purpose of HigherEd Educational
 Enhance methods of learning and leading for HigherEd instructors
 Provide direction for accessing tools and resources to support
professional development and problem solving
 Amplify training to reinforce retention and application
 Utilize social learning tools to
 support individual growth
 support collaboration among peers and industry thought leaders
 Provide new learning mediums that amplify both student learning and
classroom discussion

3. Social
Learning
Overview
Using social learning
for effective workforce
training.
Topics can be tailored to
the needs of employees
Can be used globally or
targeted to specific work
groups (van Puijenbroek,
Roell, Kroont, and
Timmerman, 2013)
 Overcoming barriers
 Attrition
 Prepare faculty and students for the
interactions
 Lack of social interaction
 Provide active and engaging learning
environments
 Technological expertise
 Use a medium that learners are already
familiar with or provide extensive
training to ensure a high comfort level
(Conley, Lutz & Padgitt, 2017)
(Pixabay, n.d.)

4. Social
Learning
Overview
Promoting social
learning within an
organization
Provide suggestions on how
to incorporate specific tools
Be proactive and lead by
example
 Resolving Ethical Dilemmas
 Privacy
 Follow company policy or government
regulations
 Misuse of time
 Establish clear guidelines regarding
acceptable use
 Damaging remarks
 Communicate company policies and
guidelines as well as consequences for
policy violation (Kind et al, 2014)
(Pixabay, n.d.)

5. Problem Solving through Social Learning
 Addressing business problems
 Trainers new role is to facilitate learning through less formal means
 Employees learn more effectively on the job through the knowledge
and experience of others
 Access to the internet provides employees with access to training as
well as other resources to help them solve problems
 Problem perception through the lens of social learning
 Social networks provide employees with access to others who may
have encountered similar problems
 Networking with others who have experience in working through
similar issues makes problems seem less overwhelming

6. Problem Solving through Social Learning
 Problem solving process
 Social learning
 Similar: Information resource, but focused more on individual
needs than organizational goals
 Different: knowledge sharing is based on the employees’ needs and
others’ experiences. It also may provide a more comfortable
medium for asking questions in general.
 Formal training
 Similar: Information resource, but based on organizational goals
rather than individual needs
 Different: may be focused on policies and procedures or higher
level learning
https://youtu.be/-2tP9rjqYPs?t=268
(Jarche, 2015)

7. Addressing Business Issues
 Supporting Goals and Objectives
 Leadership can stay updated on projects or initiatives by checking in
with Facebook or Slack groups.
 Indicators of success
 Collaboration across teams (Zhang, Chen, Ordonez de Pablos,
Lystras, & Sun, 2016)
 Resource Allocation
 Reduction in the need for in-person meetings and costs associated
with such (Hampton, Halpern, Winter, Balch, Parker, Baron &
Specht, 2017)
 Contribution across geography and time zones
 Visual learning or demonstrations through YouTube (Fralinger &
Owens, 2009)
 Employees able to review material as needed

8. Strengthening Relationships
 Accountability
 Usage – clarification of appropriate, professional topics and discussions
 Policy – describe appropriate use and communication as well as
consequences for violation
 Perception of power
 Employees collaborate and contribute equally (Breunig, 2016)
 Anyone can ask or answer questions regardless of skill level
 Diverse Relationships
 Connect employees with diverse levels
of experience or skills

9. Facebook YouTube
 Description:
 Social networking used to create
profiles, networks, and share
information
 Benefits
 Collaborate through groups
anywhere and anytime
 Limitations
 Can be distracting, risk of
emotional, unprofessional
comments
 Application
 Create a group where instructors
or a class can house discussions
and share information
 Description
 Information can be described or
demonstrated
 Benefits
 Learning through observation and
modeling (Spencer, 2015)
 Limitations
 Cannot chat live, possible
advertising distraction
 Application
 Facilitators can create a channel
where they can house videos
appropriate to the learning goals.
Subscribers can comment on the
videos.
Social Media Tools

10. Google Docs Slack
 Description
 Web-based program used to
create, edit, and share documents
 Benefits
 Collaboration tool with the look
and feel of a word document
 Limitations
 Web-access needed, cannot be
used on an iPad
 Application
 Can be used for any collaborative
activity as users can share and
build on a common document
 Description
 A platform for communication that
utilizes functionality for project
collaboration and group discussions
 Benefits
 Incorporates different applications and
allows groups to be private.
 Limitations
 Phone calls or video calls are limited to
just two people at a time
 Application
 Can be used to manage a classroom by
housing content and providing a
platform for interactions. Instructors
also have the ability to message
students.
Social Media Tools

11. Conclusion
 Technology provides instructors
with deeper and wider
connections
 Social learning tools enable
instructors to collaborate with
others and bring knowledge to
the classroom
 Problems are solved using a
network of connections and
resources
 Instructors can ask questions and
reflect on training and their own
learning using social media tools
Networked tree
(Pixabay, n.d.)

12. References
 Breunig, K.J. (2016). Limitless learning: Assessing social media use for global workplace learning. The Learning Organization,
23(4), 249-270. doi:10.1108/TLO/07-2014-0041
 Conley, Q., Lutz, H.S., & Padgitt, A.J. (2017). Crating participatory online learning environments: A social learning approach
revisited. Journal of Interactive Learning Research, 28(1), 5-27. Retrieved from
http://www.learnteachlib.org.contentproxy.phoenix.edu/p/172806
 Fralinger, B. & Owens, R. (2009). YouTube as a learning tool. Journal of College Teaching and Learning, 6(8), 15-28. Retrieved
from https://searchproquestcom.contentproxy.phoenix.edu/docview/218921399/abstract/D57F243B6C9
04173PQ/1?accounid=458
 Hampton, S. E., Halpern, B. S., Winter, M., Balch, J. K., Parker, J. N., Baron, J. S., & Specht, A. (2017). Best practices for virtual
participation in meetings: Experiences from synthesis centers. The Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America, 98(1),
57-63. Retrieved from http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/bes2.1290/full
 Jarche, H. (2015). How to incorporate social learning to improve workplace performance. [YouTube video] Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tP9rjqYPs
 Kind, T., Patel, P. D., Lie, D., & Chretien, K. C. (2014). Twelve tips for using social media as a medical educator. Medical Teacher,
36(4), 284-290. doi:10.3109/0142159X.2013.852167
 Pixabay (n.d.) Social Media Manager Online Organization Embassies. [Graphic image] Retrieved from https://pixabay.com/p-
1958769/?no_redirect
 Pixabay (n.d.) Social Media Personal Social Networks Media System. [Graphic image] Retrieved from https://pixabay.com/p-
1635581/?no_redirect
 Pixabay (n.d.) Tree App Structure Networks Gears Internet Social. [Graphic image] Retrieved from https://pixabay.com/p-
426264/?no_redirect
 Spencer, R. (2015, October 2). How to apply social learning theory for effective E-Learning. Training Industry. Retrieved
from: https://trainingindustry.com/blog/blog-entries/how-to-apply-social-learning-theory-for-effective-elearning
 Van Puijenbroek, T., Roell, R. F., Kroont, B., & Timmerman, V. (2013). The effect of social media use on work-related learning.
Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 30, 159-172. doi: 10.1111/jcal.12037
 Zhang, W., Chen, H., Ordonez de Pablos, P., Lytras, M., & Sun, Y. (2016). Coordinated implicitly? An empirical study on the role of
social media in collaborative learning. International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 17(6), 121-
141. Retrieved from http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1122225.pdf