Retailer, Spar has embarked on a social learning partnership, with the aim of enhancing the company's learning culture.
This is according to Michael Nel, training manager at Spar Group, who says the decision to take the leap into social learning was made two years ago after a “post mortem” of the Spar executive leadership development programme, called SLDP. Nel explains that after investigating the programme, it was found that learners were only engaged during the days of contact.
The SLDP is a year-long programme that involves 17 days' of contact, where learners are able to connect with mentors and qualified external coaches. However, Nel says it was found that trainees were unengaged in between the days of contact, and the result was that the programme became disjointed.
“We needed something to 'glue' the programme together and engage all stakeholders on an ongoing basis,” he says. He adds that the goal was to develop a platform where learning, knowledge, expertise and opinions could be shared.
Nel says the project is currently in the launch phase, and adds that the initial introduction was positively received by key stakeholders in Spar's HR team. According to Nel, there will be two learning programme delegates on the system by the end of February, with a third being introduced at the end of March. These are programmes that are facilitated centrally through the Spar Academy of Learning. “These programmes form part of our leadership development offering to middle, senior and executive [staff] in the business,” says Nel, adding that at that stage, Spar will be able to better gauge learners' first impressions.
Facebook meets e-learning
DigitLab, which has been appointed Spar's social learning partner for the project, says social learning goes further than e-learning and aims to replicate engagement and discussion in online learning spaces. Mike Saunders, DigitLab CEO, describes social learning as “e-learning meets Facebook”.
“One of the key drivers was using social media as a learning tool,” says Nel. According to him, the social platform needed to be a “home” for learners, enabling them to find and download material as well as store information. He says one of the aims of the project is to give learners the opportunity to engage with other learners on topics, struggle points and news.
Nel explains that the new platform has the ability to hold one-to-one, group and forum conversations between learners, mentors, coaches and facilitators.
He says the platform can also be used by learners to gain easy access to the learning programme content, photographs, news and happenings, while also enabling the sharing of ideas that learners come up with. Learners can also upload and permanently save assignments on the platform, as well as download feedback.
Saunders explains that the platform creates a community of learners, enabling discussion. He argues that not all learning can be measured by exam results. Moreover, he says, learning is not always about facts, but rather about the ways in which we view things, which can be enriched through discussion - something the social learning platform enables.
Spar did not want to disclose further information about the project or learning material as it is still in pilot phase.
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