Successful trainers know that to stay on top of their game means constantly keeping up with the latest training techniques, models, concepts as well as technology. The trainer using and leveraging social media thoughtfully will find it a wonderful new means of engaging learners, extending the learning experience, and supporting transfer of new learning to the workplace.
The effective use of social media strategies and tools when blended with traditional training endeavors can provide a big payoff for both learners and trainers. For one, the technologies dissolve many of the barriers between the learner and the instructor, creating a more informal, collegial, and interactive learning environment. Thoughtful use of social media in training can as well extend the reach of the trainer and the training function positioning training not just as an event, but as part of the learner’s daily lives. Additionally Social media can provide a vehicle for continuing conversations beyond the time constraints of the workshop schedule. It can extend the learning process beyond the confines of the classroom space and support development of communities of learners.
Training strategies incorporating social media tools can help learners become more aware of their own learning process, more mindful of and deliberate about their own learning, and encourage them to take ownership of learning and then apply it to their jobs. Perhaps most importantly, effective use of social media in training can provide additional support for sustaining new learning and transferring formal training back to the workplace.
