Blended learning is a strategy that has been in existence for some time. Today, with constant digital transformation, this learning strategy is becoming a trend. Even though some companies haven’t dumped the traditional modes to favor eLearning, blended learning is turning to be the sure route.
What is social learning?
Social learning is a method of learning in which employees can acquire new behaviour through observing and interacting with others. It improves the communication skills and bond between employees. It is also essential as it helps to strengthen social skills and relationships.
Here are the social learning tips to consider in your blended learning service.
Social learning tips to enhance your blended learning strategy
1. Social media and online forums
Social media and online discussion forums like Facebook and Slack are essential for discussing issues, sharing articles and asking questions.
Employees can get to learn from industry leaders and subject matter experts when they share their learning experience. Social media forums can also be a platform for employees to recommend courses for their colleagues even after completion of the course.
So, as an L&D professional, incorporating social media forums for learning to your blended learning strategy is a way of engaging your employees. It’ll help in improving the effectiveness of your course by filling the lapses left behind by your content.
2. Gamification
Gamification involves the application of typical gaming elements like points scoring, targets and many more in a non-game context. This approach of learning challenges employees to score more points and complete a specific milestone in their learning.
It also serves as motivation for employees to participate, compete, and do better in their learning effort. Gamification technique is vital as its long-term incorporation into blended learning can influence employees’ behaviour.
By providing employees with a practical environment similar to their real-life tasks, they can be able to apply what they learn at work.
3. Organize peer connect
One of the vital tactics to incorporate into your blended learning strategy is organizing a peer connect. It can help employees to get familiar with each other, and resolve challenges faced at work.
L&D professional can incorporate peer connect group into their blended learning strategy, which allows employees to get close to each other. This learning strategy will give employees the chance to improve their performance through sharing of helpful tips.
In case there are industry leaders in the group, they can become the group mentor by providing support to others.
4. Combining traditional classroom with social learning
In a fast-growing company, traditional classroom opens the door for employees to meet and learn from their peers. L&D teams can design it to promote interaction, collaboration and teamwork. By so doing, the social learning experience can get combined with the traditional classroom learning experience.
Positive learning behaviour includes connecting with colleagues, interacting and discussing what you’ve learned. For L&D teams to promote the behaviour, they can create a learning environment that opens the door for social learning.
5. Flipped classroom
A flipped classroom is a reverse of the traditional learning environment. It’s more of employees having direct access to knowledge while the instructor becomes the coach or mentor.
With this kind of blended learning strategy, employees have prior knowledge of the topic of discussion. They get to participate in the learning process by interacting and seeking clarifications to unclear matters.
So, L&D teams should incorporate flipped classroom into their blended learning program to promote peer-instructor and peer-peer interaction.
6. Chatbots
Chatbots are programs designed to mimic human written or oral speech to interact with humans. Chatbots programmed and controlled by L&D teams can give employees easy, direct and right information.
Research has it that you forget half of what you learn online as soon as you end the training. With chatbots, you can fill the gap by asking questions anytime.
Chatbots are very useful for the remote workforce as you can access it any place and time. So, consistent use of this program can help employees to retain their knowledge of a particular skill.
