Social Learning

There have been many theories over the years that have tried to explain how new behaviors are learned. The social learning theory is one of them and focuses on the importance of observing and modeling the behaviors, attitudes and emotional reactions of others. As children, we tend to look up to someone of the same gender and try to imitate their behavior. This person may be a parent, sibling, teacher, or even a character on television. From imitating the behavior of this person we learn what is appropriate in society versus what is not.

According to Albert Bandura, who is known for originating this theory, there are three different models that are important to how we learn new behaviors which include:

• Live model
• Verbal instruction
• Symbolic

A live model is exactly what it sounds like; it is when an actual person is demonstrating the desired behavior. A verbal instruction is when an individual describes the desired behavior in detail, and then instructs on how to engage in that behavior. Symbolic is when modeling occurs via the media. This includes movies, television, the Internet, literature and even the radio. Albert Bandura also proposed that these three models involved four steps of the social learning process.

The first step is Attention. In order for us to learn something, we must pay attention to the person who is modeling the behavior. Social learning extends the process beyond the classroom and connects learners to each other. In the social learning modules of an LMS, instant updates, notifications and information are available. They grab the attention of learners and draw them into the learning environment.

The next step is Retention. We must remember details of the behavior in order to learn and reenact that behavior later on. Social learning allows learners to become involved in the process by contributing to the online conversations about the topics, which, in turn, increases their retention.

The next step of the social learning process is Reproduction. When reproducing a behavior we must be able to organize our response step by step in accordance with the behavior that was modeled. This step can be improved over time and with a little practice. Social learning helps in this aspect because users can share and repost things they learn, as well as add information to others’ posts to make the information more robust.

The final step is Motivation. We must have an incentive or reason that drives us to reproduce the behavior. Many companies have adopted using badges, trophies or other means of online notifications to show that users are experts on different topics. This is a great way to motivate learners to learn more and to share their knowledge with others.

So how can an LMS help with social learning? An LMS can foster formal and informal collaboration, such as virtual workspaces. It extends social learning outside of the classroom, and allows for open as well as private interactions between users around the world. And, since individuals can communicate with others worldwide, it also gives individuals the opportunity to learn new behaviors from each other, from chats, discussions, blogs, and more. An LMS also helps manage these online chats and discussions, and tracks how well individuals are doing.


Shelby Bianco

On-the-Job Training versus Off-the-Job Training

We’ve all had to start a new job at some point in our lives, where many processes were unfamiliar and we had to quickly acquire new skills. After starting the job, some of us may have received on-the-job training. On-the-job training is a training method that focuses on teaching through hands-on experience. By actually performing a job activity and receiving immediate feedback, learners can see how to perform tasks both safely and efficiently. On-the-job training is essential for many positions in regulated industries where safety is paramount.

On-the-job training is typically conducted by experienced employees or managers. Being trained by someone who is experienced and familiar with the business give learners a better understanding of how the company works, and how they can best contribute. During a probationary period, on-the-job training can also help both the company and the employee determine whether there is a good fit. Some disadvantages to on-the-job training, include having a trainer that:

• May not be experienced enough to train
• Has a disorganized training process
• Passes on their bad habits to learners

There is also another method known as off-the-job training. Off-the-job training is where employees are trained away from the actual work environment through the use of lectures, case studies, role playing and simulation. Offsite training is particularly effective for non-technical skills, as employees can use these skills across many different areas of the company. Off-the-job training allows employees to pay more attention to the training activities. The advantage of offsite training is that it helps employees focus more on learning new skills without distractions like phones, emails, or instant messages. Employees can also improve the quality of their work in order to meet the new standards, and seek out higher ranking positions in the future. Just like on-the-job training, off-the-job training has disadvantages as well. Training conducted away from the actual work situation may not be as effective. There is also lost productivity and added expenses.

Companies can use the information housed in their learning management system (LMS) to find the most qualified person to conduct the training process. For instance, LMS administrators can use search criteria within the LMS to find information like how long an employee has been working for the company, how many years of experience they have with different topics, how well they have progressed during their tenure, as well as what field they are in. An LMS is used for registering the trainees as well as scheduling their training. The LMS can also be used to track the administration of on-the-job training, by providing capabilities such as listing activities the new employee needs to complete, testing and evaluating job competencies, as well as collecting and storing the new employee’s results.

On the job training helps not only the employee, but the manager as well. People typically absorb more information during hands on learning and managers can how the employee is doing in real time.

Shelby Bianco

Leading Association “Tribes” in the Digital Age: Using an LMS to Support Social Learning

The traditional association membership model has always helped keep members informed of trends and legislation, and provided continuing education opportunities and professional credentialing. However, mass media and popular social media outlets are rapidly changing the way associations interact and engage with members. The new model of interaction requires associations to expand their learning programs beyond traditional methods, and implement tools and technology to engage members through social channels.

Seth Godin, American entrepreneur (founder of Squidoo.com), author and public speaker explains we are living through a period of dramatic change as to how ideas are created, refined, and implemented. Social media has revived a human social unit from the distant past — tribes. Godin explains tribes were founded on shared ideas and values, and that tribes give ordinary people the power to lead and make big changes.

According to Godin, leaders motivate others to talk, connect, commit to a cause, and innovate. Leadership has evolved from mass production and pushing information to the world, to connecting ideas and creating silos of interest and expertise.

As mass media pushes the evolution of leadership toward tribal methods of sharing ideas, associations must also engage and connect their “tribes” through social channels, while continuing to develop innovative, quality education. This imperative has resulted in an evolution of the traditional Learning Management System (LMS) as well.

An LMS that effectively supports an association’s membership community brings tribes together — providing a central location for delivering traditional educational content, while providing a technology platform to establish and nurture formal and informal social networks for industry thought leaders. Today’s LMS is an association’s most critical technology asset for building learning communities.

The LMS of today must serve as a social hub for members to effectively transfer knowledge among members, which requires extensive personal contact, regular interaction and trust. For example, providing members with the ability to create a social network using a collaboration space based on topics, methods, and procedures found in traditional LMS content such as an on-line course, or webinar helps members quickly identify and connect with experts with similar interests and ideas. Using collaboration spaces, members can quickly share information using Wikis, live activity streams, blogging, file and document sharing, and more.

Mobility is another central building block of the association LMS. The modern LMS offers the flexibility for members to access learning content from wherever the member works, anytime, anywhere. Social training, or on-the-job training assessments that can be conducted from a mobile device, enables trainees to learn from their peers, or from an expert in the field. Evaluation results can be shared with the trainee in the field providing immediate feedback, as well as recommendations for remedial training to increase knowledge and improve skills.

An advanced LMS also expands learning to the popular social media realm. An LMS that provides key integration points with popular social media sites, such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube, exposes ideas and learning beyond the member community. Using personal networks, thought leaders can generate discussions and new ideas, and recruit new tribe members.

The modern LMS provides associations with a technology platform for connecting experts, and exposes the potential of unifying “tribe members” across geographic and social boundaries. It opens up learning far beyond the LMS and the direct member community by bringing together people instantly, making knowledge more accessible, and ultimately improving the reach of new developments and innovations across professions and industries.

Bridget Ishmael
Product Manager, Learning Management
bishmael@meridianksi.com

The End of Learning or Just the Beginning?

Re-posted from Brandon Hall's Learning and Development Today Blog.

Here in the USA we’re approaching the end of the official academic year. As summer approaches, anxious kids are looking forward to that perceived freedom from school and academic learning. It’s also the time of year when colleges are importing big name speakers for commencement;  2013 speakers include Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Oprah Winfrey, and Katie Couric. A quick search of the news media pulls up highlight reels, and LinkedIn has a list here. I’m sure few of us remember much about the commencement speeches we’ve heard over the years, or even who gave them but I’m sure all of us recognize that learning doesn’t stop when you leave an academic classroom. In fact, much of what you need to know in a work environment isn’t even touched on in an academic environment. What you learn now is actually relevant to your life.

Here at Brandon Hall Group, we talk a lot about learning. We study it. We figure out how companies can create it, track it, and deliver it. But how do you keep learning?

Some thoughts include:

• Take advantage of your company’s formal and informal learning infrastructure. Most companies offer learning and development opportunities. Seek them out.
• Seek out interesting people. One of my former mentors suggested asking people what they do to make the world a better place. Everyone has something to teach. Look for mentors.
• Read. Read books, blogs, magazines, and websites. With the amount of free content on the internet the opportunities for reading are endless.
• Watch. YouTube isn’t such a popular website for nothing. It has great talks, tips, and demonstrations on any number of topics.
• Participate. Join a networking group, a professional association, or an online community.
• Attend. Brandon Hall Group offers informative webinars, which are a great (and free!) way to continue learning.

The trick to making learning work for you is to make it relevant – to transform it from something that may have been a chore when you were in school but now adds real business value to what you do.

For an example of how companies can make learning a business tool for their organization, join us for a webinar on imbedded learning, where Prudential will discuss turning corporate learning in to a personalized experience.

Erin Spencer

How to Help Learners Love Your LMS

Ideally, it’s the learners in your organization that should be the ones to benefit from your learning management system (LMS), but too often, not enough attention gets paid to helping them really embrace it. Here are some straightforward steps to ensure your learners get the most from their LMS because they really like to use it.

1) If you have never had an LMS, this is a major change initiative. Treat it that way. Get your strategic communications plans lined up, make sure you convene focus groups comprised of learners from across your organization, and seek out those people that have previously championed efforts to integrate new technologies into learning. The more buy in you can get, the better it will be. Buzz often about “What’s Coming Up” and use all accessible media -- Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn groups, your own intranet, blogs or newsletters.

2) Educate your users. Launch your own brand of “infomercials” or mini-tutorials about what the LMS can do for learners. Make sure users can preview interactive elements like social collaboration tools, or how content items will look and behave on a smart phone or tablet. People don’t care nearly as much about the features of a system as they care about the benefits it provides. Slow performance is a no-go, for example. So is flat, boring, “it-doesn’t-display-on-my-handheld.” You get the idea.

3) Think back to your own experiences with on-line learning: if you hated something, chances are you were not alone. Don’t do whatever THAT was to your learners.

4) Remember that no one likes to gaze upon a never-changing vista. “Stale” isn’t what you want in your LMS site. If your system has the capability (and it ought to) to post announcements or homepage feeds, make sure that you have a schedule to refresh and renew them regularly. Ditto for links to interesting external content.

5) As a corollary to #4, not everything needs to be housed in your LMS. While it’s easy to fall prey to the excitement of what your LMS can do for your learners, remember, it’s still just a big garage. Too much content, especially if it’s poorly organized, dated, etc., will make your learners un-love your LMS in a hurry. An LMS tends to get blamed for all things unlovable about your content. Try not to blame the innocent bystander.

6) Be careful about how much you let your LMS “talk” to learners. While it’s great to have automatic emails for a variety of notifications, be mindful that it’s easy to pummel learners with too much of, well, everything. Set standards for what types of alerts warrant emails, such as certification expirations, compliance and regulatory training requirements, etc. Your legal department will be happy to give you their list of what they think warrants emails but as a savvy administrator you’ll be able to work around that.

So, now that I’ve given you some ideas about how to make your LMS lovable, what have you done to help your learners embrace and love your LMS?

Thanks for stopping by!

Katherine Parramore
Professional Services | Learning and Performance

Clearing Up the Cloud: What It Is—and How It Impacts Your Learning - Free Webinar

Tech commentators called 2012 the year of the cloud, and the cloud's ascendency in 2013 seems assured, as more and more organizations make the leap. But there is still a lot of confusion around concepts, terminology, and the pros and cons of adopting cloud technology.

In this webinar, Celisa Steele and Jeff Cobb, co-founders of Tagoras, and Geoff Perry, senior director of software development and hosted solutions with Meridian Knowledge Solutions, will present some background on the evolution of the cloud, along with key considerations for associations as they evaluate whether the cloud is right for their learning initiatives.

Attendees will come away with a clearer idea of what it means to be "in the cloud" and will gain an understanding of the effect of cloud technology on learning and learning delivery.

Note: This session is designed specifically for organizations in the business of lifelong learning, including trade and professional associations.

Register now

Are You Testing Like You Should?

Or maybe I should ask, “What Do You Really Know About Your Education Market?”

The problem is I don’t know which question I should ask—unless I test which blog post title is most effective.

When we think about learning and education, testing inevitably comes up. Should we offer a pre-test and a post-test? How many self-checks?

But some folks in the education business forget they have to think about the testing that needs to happen beyond any assessments grounded in the content.

I’m talking about market testing.

A Testing Lesson from Content Marketers

Good content marketers know the importance of testing. If they’re working on an e-mail campaign, they split-test different headlines to figure out which gets the best open rates.

They work hard to come up with good headlines they think will work. But they don’t assume they know—they test their assumptions and base decisions on their audience’s behavior.

For those in the education business, there’s the obvious parallel to be drawn to the marketing of educational products. Whether you have a marketing team to lean on or have to figure it out on your own, testing which titles, which descriptions, which catalog layouts get the best results (sales, enrollments, whatever metrics are important to you) is critical.

If you’ve taken the time to build a good product, don’t skimp when taking it to market—or it may not matter how good the product is.

Testing as Complement to the Beta Mentality

The other lesson to learn may be less obvious: Remember there’s testing to be done even as you’re developing your educational products.

At the end of last Thursday’s post, I touched briefly on the idea of beta mentality. Don’t aim for perfection (it’s unattainable anyway). Instead, develop a minimum viable product, and take that to your market to see the response.

Maybe you got it exactly right. If so, you can invest in building out the product more fully, knowing there’s a market for it.

Maybe you got it totally wrong. In which case, you can scrap the product without the anguish of having wasted a ton of time and resources.

And maybe you got it somewhere in between, and what you learn from the market feedback can help you improve, or remove, the rickety-rackety parts and forefront the shiny and useful.

You can even go so far as to test multiple minimum viable products to see which shows the strongest. You could offer a Webinar on a topic and a miniseries of podcasts on the same topic to see which format flies.

Have the Courage of Your Testing Conviction

While few would argue testing is bad, it’s not done as much as it should be—I’ve heard it compared to flossing.

Maybe cognitive biases, like groupthink, hold us back (“But we’ve also promoted our education this way…”), or maybe it’s the simple fact that testing takes time and planning. Whichever the case, I think it’s worth cutting through our biases to see what testing can give in the long term. So here’s to having the courage of the testing conviction.

Celisa Steele
Tagoras
Source: tagoras.com