What is Social Learning?

As more organizations turn to social learning in order to deliver engaging e-learning experiences for their employees and customers, the once little-known concept is quickly transforming into a must-use concept by forward-thinking organizations. In this post, we'll explain what social learning is and how organizations can use it to foster collaborative learning and performance.

What is Social Learning?

Social learning is based on a theory that psychologist Albert Bandura developed that asserts that learning is a cognitive process that happens in a social context and happens organically through observation or direct instruction. The theory proposes that social learning even happens in the absence of explicit teaching and reinforcement.

If you think about the world we live in today and all of the methods we have for taking in information, the theory makes sense. We can learn — both inadvertently and on purpose — by watching a TikTok, listening to a podcast, or attending a lecture. Even the media we consume outside of work still teaches us new things and approaches that we apply to our work.

Benefits of Social Learning

There are a number of benefits of social learning, including:

• Improved workplace communication: Clear communication is key to a successful and productive workplace. But, communication can lose its meaning so easily in today's fast-paced world, especially over electronic communications such as chats and emails. Social learning helps facilitate collaboration that allows everybody to easily share insights across an entire organization while also facilitating a space where employees can ask for clarification and get follow-up questions answered quickly.
• Shorter orientation times: Did you know it can take up to two years before an employee is considered "fully productive?" Social learning speeds this process up by helping new hires get acclimated to their new co-workers and work environments quickly and encouraging them to ask questions and create connections across the organization. The more comfortable and connected new hires feel, the quicker they will pick up workplace culture, processes, and standards.
• Increased employee engagement and retention: Social learning allows employees to continuously grow and learn from each other, allowing employees to form strong bonds. When employees feel connected and valued at their organization, there is less turnover among employees.

How showd.me Can Help

At showd.me, we are firm believers in social learning. Our platform creates personalized learning programs to improve performance and pinpoint workforce and individual knowledge gaps — all from one easy-to-access online platform. We offer solutions for compliance training, custom training solutions, employee engagement and retention, orientation and onboarding, and professional translation services that all rely on social learning through personalized experiences that empower employees to learn at their own pace, help their co-workers learn, and communicate with their peers through the whole process. Contact us today for a free demo.