Your custom training program may be able to benefit from social learning. After all, we are social beings. That means, it is in our nature to interact with people. When we are being spontaneous and free when it comes to our opinions and reactions, that is when we are being in our most social self.
In the past, being social in a learning environment is difficult. That is because our perception of learning is being spoon fed by the instructor. That is no longer how we should view learning. Even for children, teachers and parents are encouraged to let them be when it comes to learning. Now, teachers and parents only guide the young ones while they stay beside them as guides.
The same can be implemented in your custom training program. You need to encourage social learning in the workplace because it motivates employees to initiate learning without any formal prompting. The workplace used to be a formal and restricted environment where people bow down to those in higher positions above them. They were only able to express their thoughts freely once they are outside the office.
That is something that you can change through your training program. You need to encourage employees to be expressive so they can initiate their own learning as they deem it necessary. This will make learning a continuous process even after the formal training is over.
The challenge is how you can control social learning within the work environment. You cannot just leave it to flourish on its own because that could also end up being chaotic – just like the way the conversation can get rowdy after a drunken party. When you socialize and you let it progress on its own, it can lead to a lot of miscommunication and misjudgements. But when you put it in the context of your custom training program, you can teach them how to socialize in such a way that it will produce results and learning.
As social beings, it is our natural impulse to observe and be observed. This attitude can be honed in your training program. Create activities that will encourage learners to seek out answers on their own by observing. It can be through observing the environment or each other. Both can be great sources of information.
Social learning in your training program also encourages collaboration. This is a trait that is not only good for self learning, it is also a great trait in the workplace. It instills the value of teamwork and professional camaraderie that will unite workers in a positive way.
While custom training programs will benefit from social learning, you have to understand that there is a certain amount of risk. While you should not avoid that risk, it is important that you learn how to limit it. You need to control it so it becomes a powerful tool that will empower your worker towards self exploration and learning.
There is no strict right or wrong formula to combining social learning with your training program. You just have to be very careful to implement this type of learning so it is specific to what the organization and the workers need.
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