Experiments in social learning

Ben Betts, EngD.Profitability & HT2@bbetts

Work & learning are changing

How many people here deal in solutions?

Increasingly, work is learning

See Harold Jarche’s Blog for more: http://www.jarche.com

Solutions require creativity…Think of Archimedes, making a connection…

If your organization relies on solutions…Then enabling people to make ‘connections’ is what you do.

Connections come from many places

Peers

ContentSMEs

Developing ‘connections’is a social learning process…

Trigger Explore Integrate Resolve

Garrison et al. (2001) ‘Cognitive Presence’

Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4

What is our role in this?The learning professional’s role shifts to identifying short pieces of content that will be a catalyst for learning and establishing the ‘baseline of content’

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Bob Baker, former Chief Learning Officer, Central Intelligence Agency

This means less time & costIf content is just the trigger, we don’t need to focus all our energies on making new.

We can re-use existing, curate from the web and make simple, quick insights internally.

We’ll rely on social learning to develop the ideas further…

Sounds greatBut…

If no-one does it, how will any of the benefits emerge?

Back to motivational basics…In order to promote participation in social learning, three basic requirements for individuals emerge:

1. Autonomy2. Competence3. Relatedness

Deci et al. (1991) ‘Motivation and Education: The Self-Determination Perspective’.

Games often do this…

I studied the potential for ‘gamification’ to increase participation in social learning

Gamification?The application of game-like dynamics to non-game environments

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Foursquare ‘Mayor’ badge; an over-used, but relevant example…

What might that look like?Here’s one I made earlier…

Does it work?• Increases Participation in Social Learning• Points Correlate with Outcomes• Highlights ‘Unengaged’ Learners

• In one example, the whole class average is 10% above the norm.

This isn’t surprisingSocial learning, primarily in the guise of tutoring, has always been known to be more effective than teaching a group in the classroom.

See Bloom: The Two Sigma Problem for more.

Bloom (1980) ‘The Two Sigma Problem: The search for methods of group instruction as effective as one-to-one tutoring’.

Gamify everything!

Maybe don’t…

Not at Level 1

78%

Level 1+22%3000+ comments and

contributions; how many really added to the learning environment?

There’s a sweet spot

Levels 1 & 265%

Levels 3 & 435%

Levels1 & 264%

Levels 3 & 436%

Human vs. Gamification

Kanuka (2007) Betts et al. (2013)

Three takeaways…1. Social learning can be effective in generating

learning experiences that deliver value back to the organization.

2. Move fast; you don’t need to create the perfect piece of content, just spark a connection.

3. Try gamification to promote participation, with a hint of caution…

Thank you, questions?

Ben Betts, EngD.Profitability & HT2@bbettsben@ht2.co.uk