Not long ago I had the chance to attend one of the premiere events in the social learning world. Duke University's Tony O'Driscoll's presentation on the evolving nature of training and learning has had me more closely watching the way people around me learn using social media.
Consider my eyes open.
First, a quick note, in the last ten years my career has focused on two areas: online learning and social media. So I thought I knew my stuff. But things are changing around us. Right now. Fast.
Some real examples: Today my six-year-old son was checking out Spore videos on YouTube. After about two videos he shut down YouTube and ran to his own Ninetendo DS, fired up his Spore game, and quickly rattled off all he had just learned from the YouTube video. Before long he was "replaying planets." I'm not sure who taught him how to replay planets, but as likely as not, it was another 6-year-old on the other side of the world.
Two weeks ago my 16-year-old nephew and I broke out the guitars and started trying to figure out some Stevie Ray Vaughn tunes. We spent about two minutes trying to figure one song out and then quickly jumped online and found dozens of other guitarists who had posted the music we were looking for, commented on each others' posts, made corrections and rated each others' interpretations.
The magic of social networks. Peers learning from each other, and helping each other learn.
Lest you think its all rock-n-roll and video games, think again. We are working with clients who are operating social networks to help professionals learn from each other. Mental health professionals asking and answering questions in real time. Manufacturing professionals getting information they need from peers around the world. Right now. Communities too slow? How about real time peer-to-peer learning in 140 characters? Take a look at the conversation happening right now as people help each other fix a clogged drain, use Microsoft Word and comply with HIPAA regulations.
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