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TECHNOLOGY AND NETWORKS – TRANSFORMING THE WAY WE LEARN
Technology and networks – transforming the way we learn
By Dave Bramley, Education Officer at CIH
Summary
Networking has been an essential part of professional development for many
years, but the advent of social media is providing opportunities to make and
maintain connections that weren’t previously possible. Technology is also
having an impact on work, which is becoming more complex and change is
continuous rather than sporadic. Some now argue that learning and work
have converged, with most learning taking place in the flow of work.
Organisations will need to respond creatively and effectively to this emerging
landscape if they are to learn faster and support staff in new ways of learning.
Understanding social capital in a changing world
Social capital is the sum total of knowledge, skills and experience contained within an
organisation. Creating a connected workplace can significantly increase the value of this
social capital, as individuals share what they know and learn from each other. Creating a
connected workplace requires a platform to facilitate connectivity across space and time.
Enterprise Social Networks (ESNs) are similar to social networks such as Facebook, but
the community is restricted to those within the organisation and invited guests. As a
result, they provide a safe environment, where workers can talk about the things they
are engaged in and share what they know.
But simply having a platform isn’t enough – individuals need to change their behaviour
and ‘work out loud’ also. This is where the convergence between work and learning
takes place. ‘Working out loud’ means providing a brief running commentary on what
you are working on and the finished goods you are creating. This will result in a
dialogue that reduces the distance between workers and senior management, will
encourage transparency and empower workers by giving them a voice to make
meaningful contributions and gain recognition.
We have been working with a 20 year old system that records knowledge in documents
that are stored in a hierarchy of files and are almost impossible to retrieve. Today’s digital
tools provide searchable content and messaging systems allowing us to know what is
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