Collective genius unleashed.

Social learning has long been acknowledged as having a powerful impact, where individuals acquire knowledge and skills by interacting with others and observing their behaviours and experiences. But how does this work in a digital context, when we aren’t sitting next to our fellow learners and we’re divided by space and time? 

 Well, part of creating a social element to learning involves leveraging digital tools and platforms to facilitate collaboration, knowledge sharing, and peer-to-peer learning. Employees report that collaborating with others significantly helps them acquire new skills, with 86% finding it beneficial. It’s all possible, it’s just about making it happen! 

“The beautiful thing about learning is that nobody can take it away from you”

BB King

Top tips for incorporating social experiences to digital learning

For asynchronous digital learning, social learning strategies bridge the time-lag between participants to foster a sense of community and shared knowledge. This overcomes the isolation that can be a major disadvantage of self-paced, independent learning.  

Effective methods and tools involve intentional design, moving beyond simply providing a forum and expecting interaction.  

1. Discussion forums

These are a central tool for facilitating social interaction in asynchronous courses that can be used to drive engagement with the course material and with one another.  

2. Enable collaborative content creation

To build a sense of shared ownership and purpose. Groups can work on a shared online document or presentation to give them a shared goal and a tangible record of their collaboration.

3. Peer-to-peer feedback and assessment 

Moves us away from a traditional top-down approach to a more collaborative and constructive model. This process not only reinforces knowledge but also develops critical communication and analytical skills, building a stronger team culture.  

Final thought

The goal is to move beyond simply delivering content and instead to deliberately design a rewarding, collaborative, and human-centric experience. To achieve this, you need to be proactive in planning for social interaction and community. It’s imperative to strike a balance between learner autonomy and providing sufficient structure and support for learners.

This means intentionally weaving in opportunities for connection, such as collaborative discussions, peer-to-peer feedback, or group challenges that encourage learners to apply ideas together. These small but meaningful design choices create a sense of belonging, helping learners feel not just like participants in a course, but like valued members of a learning community.