Social Learning: How to Engage Students in the Modern Era?

Traditional training methods are becoming outdated. New online learning approaches have been discovered. Find out what’s new in social learning and the other models to amplify student engagement.

Social learning is defined as the “natural way to learn”.

You may not have known, but you’ve been doing it naturally. Take a moment to think about a time when you observed someone and imitated their behavior afterward. It could happen through direct interactions with co-workers.

A great example is when your boss tries to train you with a particular task, and you imitate how the work was done. It could also happen through indirect interactions, like watching your favorite cooking show on YouTube or reading a self-help book.

As the term “social learning” expands on the internet, fewer people know that the concept of social learning evolved with several theories.

The theory from Albert Bandura is the most popular one. He proposed that learning can happen through observing and imitating the actions of others. Do you remember when you imitated how your favorite girl group danced on stage? Or how your mother prepares breakfast at home?

Source: Educational Technology

The concept of online learning communities is a form of social learning associated with Vygotsky’s theory. He presented social learning as “interacting with others”. Learning becomes more valuable when we surround ourselves with people who are more knowledgeable than us.

Another way to associate social learning is by choosing your career path or undergraduate degree. Krumboltz proposes that making a career decision is crucial to the influence of our social environment and genetic endowment.

Social events. Our race. Our gender. And even our physical appearance can factor out.

The New Social Learning

In present times, Tony Bingham and Marcia Conner discovered how we can learn best from advanced technology and social media platforms.

Putting the theories together, they added that social learning happens in social networks.

The world is changing very fast, and so is the way we learn. Traditional training methods are becoming outdated. New approaches to learning are needed to keep up with the pace of change in today’s world.

The New Social Learning approach centers on “learning through social media”. In other words, new social learning is formed through sharing activities with a wider audience through using social media platforms.

It’s the same approach called “building in public”. Digital creators build their projects in public to learn from feedback, gain accountability, and iterate faster.

However, social learning can’t only be captured on social media platforms. Here are other scenarios to witness the new social learning in action:

• Coaching and mentoring sessions. Workplace training and job shadowing programs
• Online community forums, discussion boards, messaging, etc.
• Playing Kahoot! with your online classmates from a Bootcamp class
• Sharing your blog in public. Asking the audience to comment and give you feedback.

Why is it important to adapt social learning in online classrooms?

As an online educator or founder running your educational business, it is essential to pay attention to how you can adapt the new social learning approach to your virtual classrooms and online courses.

Here are some reasons why it is beneficial for your students to learn from and with others:

• Builds up students’ confidence: Giving your students a space where they can share something valuable online or with their community can build up their confidence over time. It permits them to establish their social presence through learning activities.
• Builds up social skills: It helps students build social skills to connect with strangers online who may become their friends later on. No matter how absurd we think it is, many newfound friendships start online.
• Learning how to learn in public: Sharing a project in public enables students to collect feedback from different kinds of people. Feedback becomes valuable when it comes from a diverse group of people. Learning what works and what does not in your project enables growth and progress. Learning does not only happen in a physical classroom. Adapting this method means that “the world is your classroom.”

Approaches to building a social learning environment

Although social learning is natural for us, online teachers still need to be mindful of integrating it into online classrooms. Here are several approaches to establishing social learning in online environments.

Social Interactions

Social interactions help learners make valuable connections with their audience. The audience equals the community, both outside and inside the classroom.

Sample activities to start with:

• Writing a blog or guest post
• Starting a newsletter
• Posting ideas and insights on social media
• Curating a list of public web bookmarks
• Building in public by posting on social media platforms

Students-instructor interaction is also important in social learning.

Instructors should connect “authentically” with students to build personal connections. Personal connection is essential for students as it motivates them to enjoy what they are learning.

One way to connect with online learners is through learning videos because it’s more impactful if they see you. It’s advantageous when you:

• Introduce yourself to build connection and rapport
• Share some information about your personal life to create that authentic feeling that you are human
• Ask students to be comfortable and share their own stories

“Student as Producer” Model

Created by the University of Lincoln a decade ago, the “Student as Producer” model emphasizes the change of roles of students in knowledge production. Instead of being watchers, students are assigned to produce their own movies.

It is a complete contrast to the idea of “students as consumers of knowledge”; instead, they are the producers, creators, and collaborators.

It aligns well with Bloom’s Taxonomy’s highest form of learning — to create. It means generating and producing new or original work rather than mere understanding.

This concept supports social pedagogies where students interact with instructors, their community, and a wider audience to learn.

“Rhizomatic” Education: Community as Curriculum

From the root word “rhizomes,” which means complex, interconnected systems of roots that spread horizontally instead of growing vertically, a new educational approach was born.

The traditional education system we are still living in is composed of a hierarchical structure where knowledge is passed down from an expert to a student in a one-way direction.

Rhizomatic education, also known as “community as curriculum,” shifts the system from a top-down approach to more collective knowledge creation.

This connection happens in community-based learning where everyone contributes and co-creates together. In short, no one is left behind, and everyone is accountable.

Using this approach forms online social learning in your classroom. Nesslabs is one of the best examples of community-based learning. 2,000 members learn together in a community. They share resources and give feedback to each other.

So, instead of following a structured curriculum, a positive learning experience happens when you attend virtual workshops that are in line with your interests and needs.

Peer Learning

I loved group work when I was a student. I was more inclined to learn when my peers shared how they comprehended a topic.

Why? Because they explained it at my level of understanding.

We talked about examples to which we could relate and used those that would make us laugh.

Way back then, I didn’t know that we were performing peer learning. Peer learning boosted the socio-emotional well-being of learners as they learned and interacted with their peers.

Students are not shy to give constructive feedback and receive it as long as they feel comfortable with their groups because they know that all of them are learning. It’s powerful and collaborative.

Learning management systems advance the power of peer learning from a feature called peer review. Peer review is a tool where peers review an activity made by their peers and are asked to give constructive feedback. This strategic feature diminishes one-way learning with instructors.

Social games

Another way to enable social learning is through gamification. When learning is fun, learners are motivated. When learners are motivated, learning takes place.

It’s a domino effect.

We learn well with others and we learn faster when we love what we are learning. Social games are always the answer to creating effective online learning environments. The impact is massive when we play with our peers.

It’s fun. It’s motivating. It’s social.

Social learning as the umbrella of different educational models

Social learning isn’t a one-dimensional approach. It’s an umbrella of different educational models and approaches such as peer learning, community-based learning, collaborative learning, and so on.

All these approaches may be different in their online teaching procedures, but they all lead to one thing. Actively learning with others is the way to a transformative student learning experience, especially in a digital environment.

Social learning is so critical in the future of education. It’s a new method that everyone should adopt.

How can social learning improve the future of education?

How can social learning improve the future of education if the future is digital?

Metaverse can empower social learning in online interactions. Based on Bandura’s social learning theory, where imitation and observational learning are forms of social learning, the power of the metaverse will prevail in an effective social learning experience.

Imagine a vocational education in welding. Learners can observe in real time how the instructor uses tools to weld without face-to-face interaction.

Upskilling programs. New social learning is associated with collaborative learning, especially in a digital environment. This is already happening in upskilling and reskilling programs where learning communities on different topics are thriving.

Edtech startups that empower social learning

• Disco.co — Disco is one of the most credible, AI-powered social learning platforms in the online learning world. If you think about how modern LMS looks like, it’s Disco! The platform is well-crafted for learners and educators, giving you this ‘modern feel’ compared to traditional LMSs. It is well-loved by the top virtual academies such as AltMBA, XPRIZE, and WeAreNoCode. Sign up today!
• Learnatnoon.com — Noon is a social learning company that offers free, live, interactive tutoring sessions with friends. It is a learning app with gamified features that allow users to interact, compete, and socialize with friends while learning. Create your account!
• Leap.so — Leap proves that social learning isn’t just for higher education, but also for adult learning. It is a platform for people over 55 years old to learn via social interaction. Members gather online to “learn, connect, and grow together”. Users connect through audio and video calls in small groups. Leap’s mission is to create a sense of belonging among retirees through meaningful conversations.