Harold Jarche discusses how we should re-think the way people learn in the workplace in his post Network Learning: Working Smarter. I like the term “Network Learning” because it demonstrates how learning is no longer a one to one interaction between instructor or subject mater expert and learner (employee). Mr. Jarche’s post is far too in-depth to analyze here, but I highly recommend it and you should take the time to learn how he sees learning in today’s business climate, how learners filter information to find what they are looking for and how they link with communities to find information and validate their findings.

We’re moving away from the more formal context of learning such as classes, online courses and self-study courses, and moving more toward informal learning events where the learner seeks information in context to their situation. Even in formalized learning environments powered by technology, such as a learning management system (LMS), it is the desire of the learners to break away from the structured environment and connect with other learners. Twitter has been one social media platform that has enabled free-flowing, just-in-time interaction between learners. This phenomenon, known as social presence in learning, is discussed in greater detail on a previous post.

Training and adult learning has benefited from advances in technology, but  the success of learning in the workplace rests in how well we interact with one another, not the technology we use. It is only a means to an end. Going social with our learning will enable us to find “who knows what” and connect with them. If you think about it, if we accelerate learning through social presence and social networks, we’re all teachers as we educate, guide and mentor others.

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As for what was learned in the last class, Synchronous Learning in the Workplace… well, nothing much. If I did have to point to specific take-aways from the course, here they are:

• Synchronous learning platforms and the technologies surrounding it are not a replacement for sound instructional design. When teaching online, you still have to adhere to instructional design principles in order to deliver quality instruction.
• You must think of ways to interact with the learner, create activities to engage them and provide opportunities to apply what they are learning wherever possible in synchronous learning.
• Enable social presence wherever possible in synchronous learning sessions.

It will be a while before I return to complete the WELPS certificate as my experience during the course was different from the previous courses. With a break, I hope to recharge and re-engage as soon as possible.

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• Communication Modes
• Rehearsal/Response Options
• Instructor Pacing
• Social Presence

The class was split up into groups and each was assigned a feature to explore and research.  Our goal was to find what research is out there and published on these features and share our findings with the class.

I was actually pleased to be assigned to the subject of Social Presence in synchronous e-learning.  One of my goals since starting the WELPS certificate program was to find ways to bring social media into e-learning and the workplace.  Conducting some research this week led me to some recent papers on the use of social media in the classroom.  I read about three papers and a couple articles on the subject.  Out of these papers and articles, I found a few that speak well to the subject at hand.

First thing’s first: let’s define Social Presence in learning.  Out of all my research, pretty much all of them agree that Social Presence is…

Tools, systems, structure and functionality that supports social interaction between people and group members.

All of the articles I found agree too that when Social Presence is reduced, communication decreases leaving people and group members feeling disconnected.

The Papers

Enhancing Social Presence in Online Learning: Mediation Strategies Applied to Social Networking Tools

Key points:

• Using social media tools like Twitter and Facebook to create or augment social presence in e-learning places the responsibility on the students to participate and make the necessary connections with others. However, guidance by the instructor must be given to ensure that social media is being used as an educational tool and not a message board or photo sharing site.
• Since most incoming students to college courses and people in younger generations are already engaged in these spaces, instructors should make a concerted effort to engage with their students.
• Students participating in online courses often have a sense of isolation, impacting their success.  Therefore, participation in social media spaces with fellow students builds a sense of community they may not receive in the virtual classroom.

Tweeting the Night Away: Using Twitter to Enhance Social Presence

Key points:

• Although learning management systems (LMS) and virtual classrooms offer a wide variety of tools for social interaction and social presence, some lack the ability to offer just-in-time social interactions and connections.  Twitter can offer free-flowing, just-in-time interaction.
• Learning can take place outside the context of the classroom environment.  Twitter enables users to connect with their fellow students without being tied to the LMS or virtual classroom.
• The nature of Twitter enhances the student to write concisely due to character restrictions (140 characters), target specific audiences and maintains and ongoing relationship after the class complete.
• Instructors should provide clear guidelines for use to support learning and interaction with fellow students.

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As you can see, if the synchronous e-learning platform you use does not afford social presence, there are ways around it by utilizing third-party applications.  In order for it to be effective, some guidance should be provided for it’s usage.  However, too much guidance will stifle social presence which should develop organically among the learners.

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