The power of social learning within organizations

Tell me, what could be better than growing by learning from those around you? We naturally learn from and with each other. This is why social learning is an incredibly important phenomenon within organizations. But what exactly does it entail and how can you use social learning? You'll find out in this article.

What is social learning?

Social learning, or social learning, is an educational phenomenon that assumes that people learn new skills, behaviors and knowledge by observing, imitating, and interacting with others. This concept is not new; it originated in the theories of Albert Bandura, a Canadian psychologist who introduced social learning theory in the 1960s. According to Bandura, learning takes place not only by absorbing knowledge or through direct instruction, but also socially, through observation and imitation.

The four phases of social learning

Social learning includes four major components:

• Attention: To learn something through observation, you must first pay attention to the source of knowledge. This can be, for example, an experienced colleague with certain knowledge or methods that you can learn a lot from.
• Retention: The information must then be remembered so that it can be applied later.
• Reproduction: The observer must then be able to mimic the observed behavior.
• Motivation: Finally, there must be a motivation to imitate the behavior, think rewards or avoidance of negative consequences.

Applying social learning in organizations

Within an organization, social learning can be applied in a variety of ways. Below we share steps you can take within your organization at each stage.

1. Creating attention

The success of social learning starts with making the right people and sources of knowledge visible. This can be done through various channels such as workshops, meetings, video tutorials or through an online learning platform. Here, exemplary figures and ways of working can be highlighted. The goal is to create an environment where you can learn from the experiences and behavior of others.

2. Promoting retention

Knowledge must not only be shared but also retained. This can be done, for example, through recurring meetings or workshops, so that participants remember the information better through repetition. You can also use an internal knowledge base, where you have the opportunity to share knowledge through self-created online trainings by the experts within your organization. This way, the knowledge is accessible and your employees can keep repeating it until they can apply it.

3. Facilitating reproduction.

Give employees a chance to put what they have learned into practice. This means giving them room to practice and experiment. Here, it is important that you create a culture where making mistakes is allowed and seen as a learning opportunity. Organize regular workshops or training sessions where employees can practice new skills. Link employees to projects that challenge them to apply what they have learned in realistic scenarios. Working on real problems as a team allows employees to learn from each other and put their skills into practice.

4. Fueling motivation

Make sure employees see the value of their new skills and have the right motivation to apply them. A reward system or providing growth opportunities that align with individual career goals can help. Work with employees on individual development plans that map out how they can advance within the organization through social learning.

Social motivation can also be a good way to motivate employees. Encourage employees to support each other in the learning process, such as through buddy systems or peer review groups. You can also organize competitions or quarterly themes, where your employees work together in teams on different skills.

Starting social learning within your organization?

Social learning is a familiar concept within SkillsTown. Through our expertise and online learning platform, we help organizations create an effective learning culture, where you can learn from and with each other.

Discover the possibilities