Learning from and with each other: This is an important aspect of corporate training that significantly increases the learning effect for employees. We will explain why this is the case and how you can specifically improve modern online training with social learning in the following article.

Social Learning: Interaction at the Center

The English term "Social Learning" may sound very modern – but the basic idea behind it is not new. Social Learning means by Wiki definition nothing other than "group work": Social interaction is therefore at the heart of social learning. We learn together.

For this social interaction, a large group is not necessarily required: One-on-one coaching is also social learning. What is important is that an exchange takes place. We learn with each other.

As mentioned, this idea is not new: The theory of social learning became popular in the 1960s with the Social Learning Theory by Albert Bandura. This theory states that learning is not a passive absorption of information, but depends on social contexts. We mainly learn by observing the behavior of others. We learn from each other.

Social Learning means: learning together, with each other, and from each other.

Why Social Learning is Important in Training: 70-20-10

Social learning is naturally difficult to apply on its own: It lacks theoretical knowledge and practical application. This has resulted in a rule that is often used in further education, and that you have probably heard before: The 70-20-10 rule.

In relation to training, the 70-20-10 rule states:

• 10% of learning is based on pure knowledge, which is conveyed, for example, in training sessions.

• 20% of learning comes from social learning: interaction with others.

• 70% of learning is "learning by doing", that is, practical application in the workplace.

Thus, social learning accounts for (at least) 20% of the total learning. If you disregard social learning when planning training, the learning effect for the learners – your employees – diminishes significantly. Social learning can also facilitate practical application (70%): When employees can observe certain behaviors or processes of others, it becomes much easier for them to imitate at the workplace.

Reading Tip: In the article "70-20-10: This is how sustainable learning works at the workplace", editor Corinna has explained this rule in relation to e-learning in detail.

Social Learning in Online Training

Social learning in traditional training is not difficult: In-person instruction in groups, active participation, and group discussions are essential components of most corporate training programs.

Today, due to digitalization, the trend is strongly shifting toward online education. More and more companies are using online training to educate employees independently of time and place. Blended learning becomes particularly important: The mix of in-person and online learning is considered by mmb-Trendmonitor as the most important form of learning for the coming years.

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Blended Learning for Companies

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3 Examples of Social Learning in Online Training

You can also easily enable social learning in online training – thus improving the learning effect for your employees. The following three examples will show you how to implement social learning in e-learning or blended learning:

1. Start Discussions

E-Learning: A comment section is now one of the standard functions on modern online learning platforms. Use this function for group discussions! For example, ask questions about relevant learning content and encourage your employees to engage in virtual discussions.

Blended Learning: For blended learning, you can initiate discussion topics in the online course and start the actual group discussions in an in-person session. This allows all learners to share their experiences and benefit from each other's knowledge – which enhances the learning effect for everyone.

2. Enable File Sharing

E-Learning: Social learning requires that all learners can exchange content and learning statuses with each other. In an online course, this can be achieved on one hand through a comment function. On the other hand, learners should also have the opportunity to share files and actively participate in the course.

Blended Learning: The classic "Please bring your results to the next training day" becomes "Please upload your results in the course". In an in-person session, for example, groups are formed and tasks are assigned, the results of which the employees later upload flexibly in the accompanying online course.

Example of file exchange in an online training: employees can upload their own content for the entire learning group. Source: blink.it

3. Learning by Example with Videos

E-Learning: A focus in the "Social Learning Theory" is learning by example. You can leverage this in online training: In videos, employees can observe situations from daily work or workflows. In training for sales staff, for example, a perfect negotiation scenario can serve as an example video – and encourage imitation.

Blended Learning: To enhance the learning effect with videos, you can create them during the in-person seminar. You can easily film short videos with a smartphone and later upload them in the online course. Additionally, you can combine videos with a comment function: Filmed situations can also serve as a prompt for group discussions. How engaging videos are for discussions has been demonstrated by YouTube for years!

Reading Tip: You can find even more practical ideas for collaborative online learning in our article "3 Exercises in E-Learning".

Conclusion: Social Learning is Worthwhile for Companies

The examples show how easily you can implement social learning in online training. Learning through social interaction not only enhances the learning effect for the individual: Social learning promotes collaboration among employees. Moreover, social inclusion strengthens the sense of responsibility – which motivates employees to actively participate in important training sessions.

Prerequisites for effective social learning in companies are the choice of the right learning platform for your online courses. A comment function, an upload option for learners, and videos as learning content – this basic infrastructure for social learning is offered to you by the blink.it learning platform, for example. Test blink.it now for free and without obligation for your company!