This is a presentation and exercise I did as part of a local ASTD / ISPI Social Learning workshop held at Babson on May 20. My other presenters included Dave Wilkins of Mzinga and Bill Cava of Ektron. The event was coordinated by Jean Marrapodi of Applestar Productions.
10. #1 Embedding Social Media in Formal Learning
• Discuss how you could enhance formal
learning by embedding social media
– Use blogs as a learning journal / self-reflection
– Use wikis as a shared workspace to create, brainstorm
– Connect learners for peer-to-peer work
– Provide frameworks and allow learners to find/create
content
– Use rating systems to find most relevant
topics/practices in class
– Use Facebook type prompts to kindle discussion and
content creation
• Sketch possible course designs and activities
using Social Media
11. #2 Surrounding Formal Learning with Social Media
Discuss how you could enhance formal learning by
surrounding it with social media
Before class …
• Could the instructor blog or tweet about
upcoming course content??
• Can conversations start in a wiki before class
• Can a community frame and prep for problems /
challenges addressed in class?
• Can students contribute / feed instructors Social
Networ
questions and work challenges? king
Ratings Blogs
Comme Discussi
nts ons
12. #2 Surrounding Formal Learning with Social Media
Discuss how you could enhance formal learning by
surrounding it with social media
After class …
• Would you allow rating and publicizing the
rankings of your courses?
• Can learners leave comments / attachments for
others?
• Can they follow a SME / Instructor / peer on
Twitter?
• Can they enter an existing community of veterans Social
Networ
king
or start a community to extend the classroom?
Ratings Blogs
• Can you show them how to create Podcasts or
Vodcasts and where to publish?
Comme Discussi
nts ons
13. #3 Communities and Collaboration as Learning
Discuss how you could leverage social media as learning
• What courses could you replace with social media
and communities?
• How can social media feed the creation and
validation of formal training?
• How can formal training promote the creation of
social media?
• What areas might social media have more of an
influence than formal learning (e.g., changing
culture, …) Blogs
• How can social media capture corporate wisdom? Ideas
Discuss
ions
• How might expanding the collaboration circle to Social
Networ
king
include customers and partners impact Chat Library
Formal
performance? Learnin
g
14. #4 New Roles and Skills for Learning Professionals
• Discuss what new roles the training department
might play in promoting and „formalizing‟
informal learning
• Discuss what new skills a learning professional
will need to survive and thrive in the social
media boom
• What strengths make learning professionals
best positioned to lead this change?
• What are some ways you can come up to
speed with informal learning and social media?
• Sketch some possible informal learning
strategies a training department might adopt
15. #5 Challenges and Obstacles
• Discuss the challenges informal learning and
social media present to:
– The training department
– Learning professionals
– The company as a whole
– Individuals in the workforce
• What are the obstacles and how can you
navigate around them?
• What standards, governance, business
practices, organizational changes might be
needed?
16. #6 Open Topic
• Discuss Whatever is on your mind regarding
social media and social networking?
Continue to design, develop, formal learningAdditionally, mine contributions from masses – categorize, organize, vet, clarify, validate, enhance with examples, diagrams, and models, re-package and deploy for wider consumptionPrompt community base for contributions, encourage sharing, provide frameworks and structures to facilitate sharing, provide tips and education on tools (creating podcasts and vodcasts, how to be more precise in their language)