Technology for building online communities
There are two major purposes for using an online community and social learning:
- as part of a formal blended-learning program
- as part of an informal learning experience.
The technologies to support these two purposes are radically different.
You need a central hub
The core principle for both technologies is the same: for social learning to work it needs to be focused around a single hub. We have seen clients try to use a combination of tools, perhap using their LMS for self-paced work, Yammer for discussion, and Confluence for collaborative document editing. We have found that it just doesn’t work. Learners need a single central place to go to.
Formal learning
The hub for a formal learning experience might be the LMS. In the LMS the social learning experience should be closely linked to content, e.g. comments that are directly linked into content pages.
Informal learning
The hub for informal learning experiences might be a tool like Yammer or Podio. The ultimate hub for informal social learning would be an integrated, core part of the way an organisation works. In most organisations this central hub doesn’t exist and our email inbox acts as the de facto hub (more on that later).
Tools are enablers
I want to say it’s not about the tools, it’s about people. But lack of tools, or using the wrong tools, makes social learning close to impossible. Some tools make learning with others easier. It’s about having a great tool as well as the people and processes to support it.
The tools can change the conversations
We have recently switched our project management tool from Basecamp to Podio, whose branding statement is “There’s a better way to work”. It’s a combination of task management and social networking. I personally think about Podio as Facebook for work. One of its core features is status updates, which encourages short messages. This, combined with the mobile app, makes for a sense of feeling connected. The conversations seem faster. But I’m not sure if these conversations are as deep or reflective as those we’re used to in Basecamp.
Don’t underestimate the power of email
Most people live in their email inbox; for a lot of people this is their hub (this is maybe not a good thing). Online platforms are often seen as a way to reduce the volume of email. But email can be really valuable, particularly for pulling people back into other online spaces. This can be done with an email message about a new topic, or that summarises a discussion, or that talk about what people are saying in an online community. Some tools may generate these messages automatically, but a personal message from the community manager or facilitator is a powerful thing.
