Social learning: A way of life

With the Internet full of information resources and tools for learning, teachers can be facilitators of information with a greater emphasis on explanation and critical thinking rather than being the source of dissemination. Formal learning systems have in some cases been slower to adopt this model, legitimately concerned about material accuracy and consistency. However, with increasing numbers of people accessing information in learning environments, the need for these formal systems to embrace technological change is very clear.

Where once a memorized chapter on the Renaissance movement led to students losing interest and ultimately forgetting the lesson, augmented reality technology now allows students to have an immersive “experience” of the Renaissance era. For today's generation of “digital natives” who start using tablets and smartphones before they even speak, social learning is not an alternative, but an inherent way of life. The challenge lies in how to instil the teacher's knowledge, skills, and effectiveness in explaining into the almost infinite world of knowledge that students obtain through shared Facebook posts, Twitter links, YouTube videos, Quora threads, or any other online resource that is constantly emerging and growing.

Considered from this angle, the challenge is really an opportunity to merge the ubiquity and vast capacity of information present on these platforms with the inspiration and commitment of teachers to constantly improve and dedicate themselves to advanced learning. Social learning is already proving to be not just an alternative system, but the growing norm and tool that will shape the education of the future.

Is your Learning Management System (LMS) compatible with social learning?

Because of multiple access points to information, students need less direction to find specific knowledge. What students really need is a safe, structured environment where they can use the resources of their choice (including text, audio and/or video) to discuss, communicate and collaborate. Learning can be more engaging and interactive this way. While learning platforms have long been an integral part of school and university education, in some cases existing tools and systems have not kept pace with technological and innovative changes to deliver a truly collaborative learning experience. In many cases, learning management systems (LMS) limit themselves to automating formal learning or simply add some social media tools to complement their delivery model.

An LMS is fundamentally a framework through which students and teachers can integrate their learning into a unified system. Due to the diversity of source materials, educators and students need a secure platform that allows them to work on shared documents, take and exchange notes, initiate live chats and conference calls, or start

a discussion thread with other students. Differentiating aspects of a traditional approach include flexibility, scope, scope, and scale, allowing students and instructors the freedom to engage and explore the material in their own way. With the vast amount of content available, along with the diversity of platform delivery options, the importance of a structured system that provides seamless integration offers an insight advantage.

This secure, single-point encrypted environment prevents any possibility of content leaks or copyright violations. Additionally, from a learning perspective, benefits for students and teachers include access from multiple devices, remote learning, fluency in tests and assessments, and advancement in understanding leading to higher-level offerings.

Technology is increasingly integrated into the work/life equation, and now educators and students need a smart platform, aligned with smart technology, that saves every interaction with the context of the topic, section, notes and other materials along with the date and time, creating a solid content file that allows access at any time.

Tools like Skype, Google Drive, OneNote, OneDrive, Zoom and others are some of the most used channels to share content, communicate and work together. Integrating these cloud technologies with learning management systems is critical to creating a truly social, interactive and value-oriented digital education platform. For students and teachers who rely on multiple tools to share and access different forms of content or different channels, difficulties and complexities arise that can hinder the learning process. A unified interface that powers all activities is much better for making social learning an integral part of digital education.

Gamification of content is another vital aspect of social learning. As educators, it is important to have an LMS that goes beyond standard chart leaders, points, or level systems. Number games, word puzzles, and even inter-team quiz competitions at the end of each chapter or section can really encourage more students to participate, work in groups, and achieve greater engagement.

Today's students are tomorrow's workforce. Future workplaces are based on the use of modern communication and collaboration tools to work in virtual teams distributed in different locations. Therefore, social learning from an early age is essential to creating a future-ready workforce that is adept at self-organized learning, knowledge sharing, and seamless teamwork.