Social learning relies on distributed expertise and takes place within dynamic communities of practice. It integrates learning into work through opening channels for interaction, engaging employees as continuous learners, and exposing them to constant information. However, most organizations do not effectively foster collaboration and knowledge sharing, with 80-90% of learning and development budgets spent on training events despite 70% of workplace learning occurring through exploration and work experience. For social learning to succeed in organizations requires cultural, procedural, and technical changes like developing a sense of ownership, community, and presence to support on-demand, just-in-time learning.

1. Social workplace
learning:
The key to innovation and
growth?
Picture: jscreationz
Miikka Salavuo
Nordic Knowledge on the Web Seminar
24.11.2011

2. What is Social Learning?
A concept for social media enhanced,
continuous, often informal learning within workflow.
From training to constant learning
Understanding the essence of learning

3. What is Social Learning?
Learning theory viewpoints:
We learn best from
interactions with others,
by activating our own brain, Picture: jscreationz
by explainging, questioning,
predisposing ourselves to ideas,
arguments, counterarguments,
mistakes.........

4. What is Social Learning?
Social learning relies on the
distributed expertise
and takes place within
collectives,
Picture: jscreationz
such as active, dynamic, self-
organizing communities of
practice

5. Practical view points:
Integrating learning and work
Opening channels for interaction
Picture: jscreationz
Engaging employees as
continuous reciprocal learners

6. Practical view points:
Bringing out and valuing
tacit knowledge
Exposing employees to
constant information encounters
Picture: jscreationz
Creating chances for serendipity
Creating possibilities for
spontaneuous innovation

7. The grounds for social
learning in the workplace
Every employee has unique expertise
Every employee does unique tasks

8. The grounds for social
learning in the workplace
Social learning is about connecting these experts
With the right tools to discover, share, and learn
Open interactions can leave a trace of all the work, discussions etc.

9. The importance of
networks
Every node within a workplace network has numerous connections
to nodes outside the particular network to other relevant networks.
This increases the value of any connected employee.
Picture: jscreationz
Knowledge is capital, networks bring novel knowledge, thus more
capital!

10. The grounds for social
learning in the workplace
Robert Kelley (1999) asked knowledge workers, how much
information they needed in their jobs was ”stored in their heads”
(a longitunal study)
1986: 75%
1997: 15-20%
2006: 8-10% (estimate)
Picture: digitalart

11. The grounds for social
learning in the workplace
Complexity, fast moving pace, dynamic nature of information
require reactive, on-demand-based learning. And surfacing tacit
knowledge.
This requires skills for self-directed and networked learning.
But 80-90% of L&D budget is spent on trainging events.
(IES Annual Review of the HR Year Ahead 2011)

12. The grounds for social
learning in the workplace
10% *
of learning occurs
within structured courses
Picture: jscreationz
*Rough estimates based on several surveys, research & experiece

13. The grounds for social
learning in the workplace
20%
of learning occurs through
interactions with others
(e.g. coaching, mentoring, group discussions)
Picture: renjith krishnan

14. The grounds for social
learning in the workplace
70%
of learning occurs
through exploration and
work related experience Picture: jscreationz
Most of this is invisible learning!
Charles Jennings:
http://www.slideshare.net/charlesjennings/the-702010-framework

15. The state of social media
in the workplace
Social media is used most often for customer engagement &
marketing - not innovation, product development, or learning.
Picture: suphakit73
According to IBM Creative Leadership 2011 report, 78% of HR
executives said they are not effective in fostering collaboration and
knowledge sharing.

16. Obstacles to social
learning in the workplace
Picture: jscreationz
Knowledge & ideas hide in lockers
& document cabinets
People hide behind job descriptions
& status silos
Interaction does not give way to serendipity.
Learning is equated with training, and is a separate activity (Eraut 2004)

17. Cultural
Procedural Technical
C HA N G E

18. Cultural
Ownership of work, self-directed agency
Self-organizing formation of tribes & swarms
Constant beta-stage, dynamic nature of work
Trust
Awarness of the knowledge & skills in the network

19. Procedural
Open conversations & knowledge sharing
Peer support
Crowdsourcing
Bringing out every-day-ideas & information
Engaging in joint projects

20. Technical
From document centred Intranet systems to social
tools that support the cultural & procedural aspects
of knowledge sharing & building
Intelligent systems that understand semantics

21. The conditions for workplace
learning environment

22. Engaged employees
OWNER-
SHIP
Internal motivation
Sense of belonging
Sense of responsibility
Commitment
Autonomy and agency

23. Sense of community
PARTICI-
PATION
Reciprocal participation
Reciprocal teaching
Distributed expertise
Cognitive conflicts

24. PRESENCE
Supporting on-demand-based learning
Just-in-time learning
Sense of activity in online environments
Always available resources

25. Knowledge work becomes social

26. Social learning in the Academia
Traditionally researchers have been well
networked - it is a condition for funding
Researchers are often considered the
”ultimate knowledge workers & learners”
Academics have traditionally been fairly siloed Picture: jscreationz
within their disciplines.

27. Social learning in the Academia
According to a Pearson survey (2011), 91% of
US College Faculty use Social Media for
professional purposes, online video being most
used & valued.
58% agree that social media can be valuable Picture: jscreationz
for collaborative learning.
A University of Bloomington study (2009)
found that 79% of faculty claimed to have
never used a wiki or GoogleDocs - type of
collaborative systems.

28. Social learning in the Academia
Evaluation models do not encourage open
publishing or informal networking
Information & ideas are saved for
peer-reviewed journals
See: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204644504576653573191370088.html?mod=googlenews_wsj Picture: jscreationz

29. Thank
you!
miikkasalavuo.fi
www.slideshare.net/msalavuo
miikka@miikkasalavuo.fi