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What Is Social Learning?

In plain English, social learning is learning from others. There is both offline and online social learning.

Currently, when online social learning occurs, it's often facilitated via mechanisms made popular by social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn (e.g. comments, posts, webcams, etc.). Some organizations are implementing purpose-built social learning tools like ours to facilitate online social learning amongst their teams.

While the underlying theory of social learning was proposed by psychologist Albert Bandura in the 1960s, real-world social learning has been happening since the beginning of time. Most people in their right minds would mimic behavior from others that lead to personal betterment-or avoid behaviors that have a negative outcome.

Imagine a scenario where our early ancestors (let's call them Sally and George) met sabre-toothed tigers for the first time. After Sally and George got eaten, the rest of the group probably learned from Sally and George and started staying far away from sabre-toothed tigers. In other words, the group learned from observing those around them.

What Makes This Definition Of Social Learning Different?

If you ask a friend, "What's a house?" chances are, they'll point at the nearest building behind a white picket fence or your neighborhood apartment complex.

If you ask the same question to some architects, they might do the same, but they also might point at a shipping container and say, "That could be a home." Or they'll point to a tree. Or an airplane.

When it comes to homes, architects can see beyond what most people see. They need to, because they make a living inventing homes.

Our company invents stuff too. But we don't invent homes-we invent social learning tools. The tools we've invented are used by thousands organizations, including companies like Kellogg's, Men's Wearhouse, Financial Times, AllState, Dannon, Logitech, and Domino's Pizza.

When you go to an eLearning conference and listen to a presentation about social learning, there's a good chance the speaker will mention our company. When you chat with your resident learning technologies guru, there's a good chance she'll mention our company too. Like your friends who aren't architects, their definition of social learning partly hinges on the experiences our team architects.

To make a living doing what we do, we've developed a broader definition of social learning, just like how architects have a broader definition of "home."

We've learned a lot since we launched our company in 2010. So this 3-part series unpacks a vendor's perspective on social learning, influenced by observing thousands of real-life social learning communities.

Part 2: Examples of Real World 21st-Century Social Learning Part 3: Where Social Learning Tools Are Going Online
Download Now

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Online Social Learning: The 21st-Century Definition - Part 1

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What Is Social Learning? In plain English, social learning is learning from others. There is both offline and online social learning. Currently, when online social learning occurs, it's often facilitated via mechanisms made popular by social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn (e.g. comments, posts, webcams, etc.).

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10 Steps Of A Successful Talent Management Process | Infographic

Internet Of Things: Delivering Value & Enriching Lives

Learning Experience Platform - Ten Essential Features

When you hear 'analytics', you might think of webmasters tracking visits to their site ( whether it's e-commerce, a personal blog or otherwise). But learning analytics combines this sort of data analysis with student interaction in online education tools, aiming to create a more integrated and customized learning experience. It uses intelligent data, student performance and analysis models to find out how students learn and improve on their experience. The Leveraging Education Data Infographic gives a nice introduction to learning analytics and how they may be used to impact education in the future.

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Leveraging Education Data Infographic - e-Learning Infographics

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10 Steps Of A Successful Talent Management Process | Infographic Internet Of Things: Delivering Value & Enriching Lives Learning Experience Platform - Ten Essential Features When you hear 'analytics', you might think of webmasters tracking visits to their site ( whether it's e-commerce, a personal blog or otherwise).

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By Cathy Sandeen

Digital badges. Verified certificates. Alternative credentials.

You may have noticed a trend. More and more people are finding new ways-outside of traditional postsecondary degree programs-to show employers they possess the skills and knowledge needed for a constantly changing workplace.

Understandably, many in the traditional higher education universe are skeptical about a lack of third-party validation of course content and quality.

I have lived and worked in Silicon Valley and Los Angeles, two areas where alternative credentials have flourished and function effectively in the technology, design and entertainment fields. In my previous role as dean of UCLA Extension, one of the nation's largest providers of non-degree educational programs, we offered nearly 150 professional certificate programs that did not carry degree-level academic credit but were widely recognized by employers as complementing more traditional academic programs.

Digital badges and verified certificates are just the latest development in non-degree credentialing outside the realm of traditional academic credit. Many professions have long had their own certifications or examinations that validate skills and knowledge and are recognized within those fields. These credentials have functioned alongside and complementary to traditional higher education degrees. Might the newer alternative credentials eventually replace degrees? I don't think so, but higher education institutions should begin gauging the value of alternative credentials and where they fit into their academic missions.

With two-thirds of U.S. college or university students falling into the non-traditional category (meaning they aren't first-time, first-year students arriving on campus straight from high school), non-degree certificate programs may play an increasing role in providing postsecondary education opportunities for more Americans.

Digital badges are a means of validating discrete skills and competencies acquired in any number of learning environments without having to complete a full class or program ( Mozilla Foundation's Open Badges initiative is the leader in this movement). A number of education providers-schools, museums, other nonprofits and companies-have established digital badges that people can earn to document learning. Each person's badges are maintained online and can be shown to employers much like a traditional transcript, although they are unlikely to be accepted as formal transfer credit at degree-granting institutions at this point.

Verified certificates are a newer development. These certificates ensure that a student enrolled in a completely online course, particularly a massive open online course (MOOC) being taken by thousands of students, is the same person completing the work. Verified certificates are offered currently by two MOOC platforms: Coursera's Signature Track and edX's Verified Certificates. To earn one of these certificates, students must complete course requirements (as determined by the course creator) and pay for a process to verify their identity.

Students should keep in mind that while many verified certificates are for courses taught by professors from specific colleges and universities, those and other institutions generally do not award academic credit for them. (A few MOOCs have been externally reviewed through an ACE research and evaluation initiative. So far, ACE has issued credit recommendations for five Coursera courses, seven Udacity courses and one edX course.)

Might individuals amass a series of badges and verified certificates with unrealistic expectations of their worth-a form of digital age résumé padding? Perhaps. But the employer market is generally pretty sophisticated, and the value of these credentials will rise or fall based on the actual performance of the individuals who have earned them.

At the end of the day, I see these new credentials as yet more evidence of a precious commodity-the human quest to learn. In an open world of ubiquitous information, badges and certificates may provide a boost to this quest-and become an integral part of the traditional higher education arena.

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The Emerging World of Alternative Credentials - Higher Education Today

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By Cathy Sandeen Digital badges. Verified certificates. Alternative credentials. You may have noticed a trend. More and more people are finding new ways-outside of traditional postsecondary degree programs-to show employers they possess the skills and knowledge needed for a constantly changing workplace. Understandably, many in the traditional higher education universe are skeptical about a lack...

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In today's higher education environment, there seems to be a new term or buzz word swirling around each and every day. Some may not be worth a second look, but others, like micro-credentials, deserve a little extra attention. In a recent survey of human resource managers spanning multiple industries, 95% said they were interested in the micro-credentials of potential hires. As digital portfolios become a standard tool in classrooms for educators and students, and a valuable metric for employers sourcing new hires, understanding what micro-credentials are, how they work, and the extent to which they improve outcomes in an evidence-based world is a necessary step in the right direction.

Breaking down Micro-Credentials

At their core, micro-credentials are proof that a skill or level of mastery has been earned by the recipient. Think of micro-credentials as mini-certifications in a specific area of study or professional development, like leading a team or applying computer coding skills to complete a project. Micro-credentials are also referred to as digital badges, mini-degrees, and micro certifications, depending on the person or institution issuing them. No matter their name, micro-credentials represent a searchable, archivable digital certificate that easily showcasing a learned or mastered skill.

Micro-credentials may originate from a classroom setting or within the workplace, but regardless of the body issuing them, each micro-credential follows a similar path. First, the issuer determines the specific skills that need to be proven to earn the credential based on assignments or tasks completed. The micro-credential is named and then made available to students through a digital platform. Once a student has completed the work necessary to earn the credential, that evidence of work is reviewed to ensure its accuracy. Finally, the micro-credential is awarded, and it can easily be added to the recipient's digital portfolio.

What makes micro-credentialing an important component in the world of education and professional development is the ability employers and educators have to search for certificates easily through a platform like Portfolium. Educators can quickly see where a student stands in comparison to his or her peers, and employers can source new hires based on relevant credentials earned by a specific student. Micro-credentials are a visual representation of knowledge and skills earned over time, creating a more streamlined process for evaluating an individual's competencies.

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In today's higher education environment, there seems to be a new term or buzz word swirling around each and every day. Some may not be worth a second look, but others, like micro-credentials, deserve a little extra attention. In a recent survey of human resource managers spanning multiple industries, 95% said they were interested in the micro-credentials of potential hires.

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Woolf: Building The First Blockchain University

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Woolf: Building The First Blockchain University | 伍尔夫大学: 首所区块链大学

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Woolf will be the first blockchain-powered university with its own native token. The design has been developed by an independent group of leading academics, and experienced academics will form the first college in the collegiate university.