Until recently, online learning and the traditional format of classroom learning have by and large been restricted by the boundary conditions set by the trainer or the training programme through the predefined content and the testing of knowledge based on such content. Online learning unshackled the boundary conditions to some extent by removing the limitations of the pace, the time and the place of learning. Virtual learning aided by real-time trainer inputs and the two way interactions has brought more energy and contemporariness to learning instead of depending upon the pre packaged content alone.
It is however, social media, which has opened up the vistas of learning and expanded the horizons for accessing knowledge from anywhere and any expert. The role of social media in the context of communication, collaboration and building networks has been well understood but understanding its potential impact on learning and incorporating it as part of the learning strategy is at a nascent stage. The opportunities that social networks present for learning and the advantages of integration of social networks with online learning are important to be recognised while designing the learning plans for individuals and professionals in the coming days.
With plethora of information available on the Internet, searching for the right information or ensuring you are not left behind through timely upgradation of knowledge have become cumbersome tasks. That is where professional learning networks if conceived well could address these concerns and act as a dynamic feed for continuous learning and upgradation. How are these professional learning networks different from the online learning systems set up by companies?
Online learning portals are mostly based on ‘push’ strategy whereas professional learning networks are designed around ‘pull’ approach and would be successful when integrated with social media networks. The starting point is to decide the extent of curation of content on the portal.
This is because of the humungous amount of content available on the internet and therefore the need for skilfully discerning what content is relevant and how to present it to the learner. Thus the role of the curator would be to artfully filter the information that would suit the learners, tastefully present the content by smart labelling and descriptions, understand the profiles of the learners, their styles of learning and use language and idioms including type of humour suitable for the group being addressed.
Once the building blocks of the learning network are defined, the dynamic components of the learning system require to be carefully planned. Managing the network for the ongoing feed of content is a crucial success factor for learner adoption and usage of such networks. The types of content that require to be made available in the learning network calls for specialised skills in browsing the web regularly to understand what is ‘in’ and what is ‘out’, listening to peers and industry specialists to identify the best solution for aggregating the content.
The other task that has to be done diligently concerns who to ‘follow’ and who should ideally ‘follow’ the members of the network. There would have to be timely responses to posts and that would create interest amongst the learners and facilitate active interaction. In order to make socialising of the learning process effective, knowing where the expertise and resources reside and linking up to them on an ongoing basis is essential. This includes understanding of how to post, making posts effective, whom to target for response and being able to generate a buzz on key topics to ensure the participants stay connected and interested. In short, the etiquette and the dynamics of interactions that take place in typical social media networks would have to be adapted for social learning networks. Being able to expand the horizons of learning by systematically facilitating engagements with social networks is indeed a great boon for learners but it comes with some challenges as well which are important to be noted.
Performance tracking through assessments is an essential part of the learning process, the tools available for which are at an embryonic stage currently. Based on the context of learning and the outcomes expected, designers of learning programmes would have to think through this dimension and invest in developing relevant assessment methods on their own. Social media networks and the associated technologies are still evolving and hence they may not provide stable structure as required for facilitating the learning environment. It would be required to carefully pick those networks and features which can significantly add value to the learning process and leave out those which may be glamorous but may not be able to provide steady framework yet. It is easy to be drawn into the maze of social media and attention could get diverted from the focus areas of learning.
Therefore it is necessary to exercise caution while identifying the social media linkages as well as ensuring the boundaries of interactions, if required through manual interventions by a nominated coordinator. Training departments and the career development assessment centres in organisations need to be familiar with the possibilities of social networks playing a role in the professional development of managers.
Organisations beginning to conceptualise and design customised professional learning networks should also plan for tapping into the multitudes of data that would be available for carrying out the required analytics and making the learning process responsive. These are exciting times for training managers who now have the opportunity to make learning more targeted, customised and real time which would be device agnostic and supported by the right experts within and outside the organisation through social networks ably guided by smart analytics.
By Uma Ganesh
The writer is CEO, Global Talent Track, a corporate training solutions company