Running head: INTEGRATED CLASSROOM & ROLE OF THE EDUCATOR

The Integrated Classroom and the Role of the Educator

Larry Wolverton
Social Media for Professional Learning (AET/562)
March 7, 2016
Sean Spear

INTEGRATED CLASSROOM & ROLE OF THE EDUCATOR

The Integrated Classroom and the Role of the Educator

With the relatively recent introduction of reliable electronic social learning platforms, a
majority of organizations are incorporating new technologies and learning platforms into their
organizational professional development programs or developing entirely online employee
training using many social media tools. The purpose of this paper is to explore how social
learning impacts an organization and its employees. The roles of the trainer and the learner are
evolving and this evolution is identified and explained.
Effects of Social Learning Within an Organization
Social learning improves relationships through open communication and this, in turn,
improves the knowledge base of the organization through capture of shared information applied
through new practices and understanding of use of new information on the job. Social learning
programs that accomplish these results are developed with inclusion of corporate goals and
feedback of all the stakeholders of the organization. Professional development is enhanced
through communities of practice (CoP) that occur both naturally and through the effects of social
learning in breakdown of silos, so that interdisciplinary teams can work together to solve
problems creatively and support positive change (Akkerman, Petter, & de Laat, 2008).
Individual and organization productivity will improve, downtime and employee absence
are reduced through social media learning at the workplace. This happens through the reduction
of stress and the increase in communication that brings to the employee a safe workplace in
which to work and the higher productivity both as an individual and as a member of a focus
team.

INTEGRATED CLASSROOM & ROLE OF THE EDUCATOR

Employee Training Enhanced by Social Learning

Employee training is different than formal institutional learning (where the instructor
makes the majority of decisions) because of the control that an employee has over their workplace learning. Social learning encourages collaboration, sharing, and participation critical to
effective learning and successful performance in the workplace (vanPuijenbroek, Poell, &
Timmerman,2014). According to vanPuijenbroek, Poell, & Timmerman (2014), there are five
workplace learning types of employee learning, learning through social interaction, learning
by applying something new in the job, learning by theory or direct supervision, learning by doing
ones regular job and learning by critical reflection. These activities taken together constitute the
work-related learning of employees (p. 160, col. 2, para. 3). As an integral component in the
general learning experience in the workplace, social learning is recognized as a core element that
delivers information sharing rapidly, at the convenience of the learner, and is directly related to
the issue the employee is engaged in (vanPuijenbroek, Poell, & Timmerman,2014).
Organizational Culture Change through Social Learning
Social media and the associated learning helps to break down silos (internal barriers) and
increases communication within the organization. Even introduction of social media learning
will not change a corporate culture that resists openness and democracy. However, if an
organization is truly dedicated to allowing (and benefiting from) open communication and
democracy, then social media can be a significant contributor to positive organizational change
in culture and enhance any change instituted within that organization. Blogs and professional
learning groups are two of many social media tools that can open discussion within an
organization (Author Unknown, 2014).

INTEGRATED CLASSROOM & ROLE OF THE EDUCATOR

Effect of Social Learning on the Role of the Trainer

Social learning requires metacognitive ability, the ability to be self-directed in learning.
It has been found that face to face learning environments does not provide a significant increase
in this ability, whereas social learning does increase this ability to be self-motivated in learning
(Akpunar, 2011). As a consequence, the instructor role has changed from that if teacher or
trainer to moderator, coach, or facilitator (Svendsen, & Mondahl, 2013).
Addressing Employee Accountability and Online Reputations
Employee Accountability
Social media use is a public arena where the actions and the attitude of employees can
seriously impact both the individual and the company in often unexpected and negative ways.
Because of this potential, a set of rules and policies regarding the use of social media learning
tools has to be in place, prior to social medial program launch, to reduce the incidence and
mitigate the inappropriate use of online social media tools. Some of those policies important to
successful and safe social media learning would be social courtesy and rules training for all
current employees and new employees before being allowed to access social media websites.
These rules concerndecision making, conflict resolution, information processing, knowledge
capture, and sharing of risks and benefits between members [of the social learning network]
(Alasoini, 2014).
Additionally, access would be through a secure login process as well as information up
and download limited to encrypted secure file transfer protocol (ftp). The social learning policies
need to also include penalties for misuse or inappropriate use of social media learning tools.
Compliance with rules and policies is an issue that is associated with individual perception of the
value of adherence; and social learning policies must be designed for practicable application by

INTEGRATED CLASSROOM & ROLE OF THE EDUCATOR

the rank and file and tailored to each organizational unit rather than a blanket set of rules that
may or may not have relevance to how the new tools will be used in a particular department
(Hall, & Ferris, 2011).
Online Reputation
Online reputation is important to an organization since it is the public face of the
company and impacts the success and survival of the company in a competitive business
environment. A negative comment, inappropriate language, or material must be rapidly
addressed to minimize damage to the company image. Monitoring of social learning platforms
must be an integral part of the social media plan. Since the social reputation of individual
employee is tied inexorably to personal social media and at the same time the workplace
sponsored social learning environment, all employees need to be made aware of how their
personal posts are considered to be a public statement and negative comments or inappropriate
posts there will be a potential risk to the public reputation of the company by association.
Benefits & Challenges of Creating an Organizational Social Learning Environment
The benefits and challenges are easily identified within each organization. The table below
illustrates and contrasts the benefits and challenges of creating a social learning environment.
Benefits

Challenges

Increased Internal Communication- Elimination of

Silos and Increased Employee Engagement in Learning
More Effective Professional Development Learning &
Workplace Learning
Increased Employee Productivity, Decreased
Production Downtime, Decreased Employee
Absenteeism, and Increased Employee Satisfaction
Higher Levels of Knowledge Capture

IT Capacity Bandwidth Limitations & Cyber

Security
Corporate Culture May Need Adjustment

Improved Corporate Culture More Inclusive

Costly to Implement & Maintain

Social Learning Policy Development &

Implementation
Full Time Monitoring Required

INTEGRATED CLASSROOM & ROLE OF THE EDUCATOR

Conclusion
Social learning enhances the learning experience in an organizational learning
environment and encourages the learner to be more self-motivated, responsible, and independent
in their learning experience. Accordingly, instructors are becoming more like coaches and
facilitators than the controlling decision maker for the learning group. Organizational benefits
are system wide and include a more open and inclusive corporate culture, increased employee
engagement in training, increased job productivity, decreased employee absenteeism, lowering
of silo barriers, increased interdisciplinary collaboration with greater innovation, and an
enhanced corporate public image. Challenges are sometimes insurmountable, such as when an
organization is entrenched in top down communication and resistant to full employee inclusion.
Additional challenges to implementing a social learning environment are cyber security, IT
capacity, and the costs of implementation and maintenance of the social learning environments.

INTEGRATED CLASSROOM & ROLE OF THE EDUCATOR

References
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INTEGRATED CLASSROOM & ROLE OF THE EDUCATOR

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