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The New Social Learning: Connect, Collaborate, Work
“Social learning is a fundamental shift in how people work leveraging how we have always worked, now with new, more humanizing tools, accelerating individual and collective reach, giving us the resources to create the organization, and the world, we want to live in.”
In this newly revised and updated edition of The New Social Learning, Tony Bingham and Marcia Conner dispel organizational myths and fears about social media. By sharing the success stories of socially engaged companies and people, the much-anticipated second edition persuasively makes the case for using social media to encourage knowledge transfer and real-time learning in a connected and engaging way.
As Steve LeBlanc noted, “Social learning thrives in a culture of service and wonder. It is inspired by leaders, enabled by technology, and ignited by opportunities that have only recently unfolded.” Brand-new case studies about innovative organizations such as Boston Children s Hospital, National Australian Bank, LAZ Parking, Sanofi Pasteur, Cigna, CENTURY 21, and Roche Pharmaceuticals illustrate cutting-edge social learning approaches that cultivate environments where great people can do their best work. The New Social Learning lays the foundation for improving the way you engage with colleagues, collaborate with teams anywhere in the world, and build workforce capability. Take the next step to connect skills and knowledge and move your own organization forward as you reclaim and revolutionize workplace learning.
In this newly revised and updated edition of The New Social Learning, Tony Bingham and Marcia Conner dispel organizational myths and fears about social media. By sharing the success stories of socially engaged companies and people, the much-anticipated second edition persuasively makes the case for using social media to encourage knowledge transfer and real-time learning in a connected and engaging way.
As Steve LeBlanc noted, “Social learning thrives in a culture of service and wonder. It is inspired by leaders, enabled by technology, and ignited by opportunities that have only recently unfolded.” Brand-new case studies about innovative organizations such as Boston Children s Hospital, National Australian Bank, LAZ Parking, Sanofi Pasteur, Cigna, CENTURY 21, and Roche Pharmaceuticals illustrate cutting-edge social learning approaches that cultivate environments where great people can do their best work. The New Social Learning lays the foundation for improving the way you engage with colleagues, collaborate with teams anywhere in the world, and build workforce capability. Take the next step to connect skills and knowledge and move your own organization forward as you reclaim and revolutionize workplace learning.
320 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2010
21 people are currently reading
522 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
December 19, 2015
Social media is not a passing fancy, it's here to stay. So how can we best work with it - not in spite of it? Tony Bingham and Marcia Conner share their ideas in The New Social Learning, a handbook for how organizations and teams can utilize this tool to improve capacity for learning and growing together. They believe we can learn how to leverage the communities our people are already part of, the social media tools they use on their own personal time, and use them to connect and collaborate with each other and our surrounding communities.
Some highlights: Chapter 3 speaks especially to the importance of community and showing up online. Chapter 4 provides practical ideas for growing your organization's social presence "one bite at a time." Chapter 5 presents some patterns, metrics, and goals to consider in analyzing the effectiveness of your impact and influence online. Chapter 6 was especially helpful for me, as I don't work in the traditional corporate setting. It connects the ideas presented throughout the book to roles outside the workplace - such as attending conferences, speaking at events, or even getting to know someone over a good meal.
This book reminds us to be humble enough to admit we need collaboration from others in almost every endeavor, and not be afraid to be seen asking the community for help, opinions, or ideas. It is a rich repository of ideas, relatable examples, actionable ideas, and engaging quotes. It also includes a thorough list of further reading and helpful glossary of social media terms.
My only disappointment is that, despite a brief consideration in Chapter 6, the majority of the book ignored any type of organization outside the traditional corporate world. I believe the principles and ideas are very useful for non-profits, ministries, etc - but at times it was challenging to dig through the workplace focus and apply those ideas to other settings.
Disclaimer: I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed herein are completely my own.
Some highlights: Chapter 3 speaks especially to the importance of community and showing up online. Chapter 4 provides practical ideas for growing your organization's social presence "one bite at a time." Chapter 5 presents some patterns, metrics, and goals to consider in analyzing the effectiveness of your impact and influence online. Chapter 6 was especially helpful for me, as I don't work in the traditional corporate setting. It connects the ideas presented throughout the book to roles outside the workplace - such as attending conferences, speaking at events, or even getting to know someone over a good meal.
This book reminds us to be humble enough to admit we need collaboration from others in almost every endeavor, and not be afraid to be seen asking the community for help, opinions, or ideas. It is a rich repository of ideas, relatable examples, actionable ideas, and engaging quotes. It also includes a thorough list of further reading and helpful glossary of social media terms.
My only disappointment is that, despite a brief consideration in Chapter 6, the majority of the book ignored any type of organization outside the traditional corporate world. I believe the principles and ideas are very useful for non-profits, ministries, etc - but at times it was challenging to dig through the workplace focus and apply those ideas to other settings.
Disclaimer: I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed herein are completely my own.
April 22, 2011
When American Society for Training & Development (ASTD) President and CEO Tony Bingham teams up with Fast Company magazine columnist Marcia Conner for a book on social learning and all that the term implies about building collaborative communities of learning, we might expect tremendous results. We're not disappointed. They dive right in by telling us that the book "is for people who are specifically interested in how social media helps people in organizations learn quickly; innovate fast; share knowledge; and engage with peers, business partners, and the customers they serve" (p. xviii). They provide us with "playground rules" for the new social learning (p. 1), and they give us little opportunity to put the book down before we have finished it. Social learning "leverages online communities," they assure us (p. 11), and is centered on "information sharing, collaboration, and co-creation" (p. 21). They repeatedly bolster their arguments by citing studies, including one showing that people who study in small groups do better than those "who worked on their own" (p. 39), and offering creative examples of how social media tools such as Twitter are being used effectively in online learning by educators who "post tips of the day, answers to questions from students, writing assignments, and other prompts and reminders about key points to keep learning going" (p. 95). "Collaboration is something we've known how to do our entire lives. Working together to produce something more significant than one person can do alone is timeless," they write halfway through their book (p. 107), and the remainder of their work is a contemporary paean to and example of the power of that belief."
August 31, 2011
A good set of examples and use cases for social tools and practices. It had a more general take on learning than I had hoped. While some examples were focused on new approaches to learning and development (e.g., a chapter on using video in new ways), most were about communications and or other means for employees sharing what they're doing (e.g., microblogging examples or a CIA example of sharing info).
So, while I was hoping for more in-depth on a narrower topic, the authors successfully avoided well-worn examples and platitudes while delivering some new examples and ideas.
So, while I was hoping for more in-depth on a narrower topic, the authors successfully avoided well-worn examples and platitudes while delivering some new examples and ideas.
March 6, 2013
I think the book was informative on two points: 1. Why social learning is important and 2. How to convince companies to adopt the use of it. However, I could've used more practical application. What types of social learning are available? How can you include it in the traditional training atmosphere? When does social learning not work? All of this was mentioned... but I wanted more.
February 27, 2019
My review posted at my blog.
https://www.jackvinson.com/blog/2012/...
https://www.jackvinson.com/blog/2012/...
January 16, 2014
If you're looking for a good read on social learning that will generate excitement and serve as a thinking launching pad for your next adventure in implementing social media learning tools, then this is the right book for you! Up front, this book is not a how-to. You won't find explicit instructions on how to get started or specific technical details. However, the content in the book will inspire you to dig in for a journey of exploration on leveraging the power of collective, collaborative, and multi-person learning exchanges.
The short book is very well-organized into seven chapters. Chapter 1 is an introduction/overview, providing you with some of the instructional and learning theories behind social learning as well as with some of its wonderful benefits. Each of the subsequent chapters considers a social medium by defining and describing it, describing its benefits, and providing at least one powerful, amazing use case. Each of these chapters concludes with a practical "How to Respond to Critics" section to help you defend against the common critiques of the naysayers as well as provide you with ideas on getting started and promoting the use of that particular medium. The use cases and responses to critics are the best sections in each chapter. By far, the most amazing use case presented is the use of wikis by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). After reading that, it gave me hope that almost any organization, even ones as monolithic as the CIA are capable of implementing tremendous change of thought and practices with regards to organizational learning.
The six media considered in this book are: (1) social networks (online communities), (2) rich media (like videos), (3) microsharing (tweets), (4) wikis, (5) immersive environments, and (6) live events.
The most useful approach to reading this book would be to read the first five chapters. I found the last two chapters (immersive environments and live events) to be the weakest. It may be that what is currently known about immersive environments has not reached a maturity level that would make it easier to impart more practical, tacit, and experiential knowledge. That is, perhaps the use of virtual worlds, gaming, and simulations has not quite reached the major mainstream within organizations' learning and development circles. The last chapter on live events seemed more like a string of ideas thrown together about social learning at events. It did not do a good job of synthesizing the unifying ideas of social learning as a whole (although the authors did attempt to do it in the last chapter).
Despite the lackluster of Chapters 6 and 7, this is well worth your time. I found this book to be timely in my current professional growth and career level as I look to innovate with some new ideas to spice up our training products line where I work. This book has successfully launched me on the path to exploring and implementing social media learning tools.
The short book is very well-organized into seven chapters. Chapter 1 is an introduction/overview, providing you with some of the instructional and learning theories behind social learning as well as with some of its wonderful benefits. Each of the subsequent chapters considers a social medium by defining and describing it, describing its benefits, and providing at least one powerful, amazing use case. Each of these chapters concludes with a practical "How to Respond to Critics" section to help you defend against the common critiques of the naysayers as well as provide you with ideas on getting started and promoting the use of that particular medium. The use cases and responses to critics are the best sections in each chapter. By far, the most amazing use case presented is the use of wikis by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). After reading that, it gave me hope that almost any organization, even ones as monolithic as the CIA are capable of implementing tremendous change of thought and practices with regards to organizational learning.
The six media considered in this book are: (1) social networks (online communities), (2) rich media (like videos), (3) microsharing (tweets), (4) wikis, (5) immersive environments, and (6) live events.
The most useful approach to reading this book would be to read the first five chapters. I found the last two chapters (immersive environments and live events) to be the weakest. It may be that what is currently known about immersive environments has not reached a maturity level that would make it easier to impart more practical, tacit, and experiential knowledge. That is, perhaps the use of virtual worlds, gaming, and simulations has not quite reached the major mainstream within organizations' learning and development circles. The last chapter on live events seemed more like a string of ideas thrown together about social learning at events. It did not do a good job of synthesizing the unifying ideas of social learning as a whole (although the authors did attempt to do it in the last chapter).
Despite the lackluster of Chapters 6 and 7, this is well worth your time. I found this book to be timely in my current professional growth and career level as I look to innovate with some new ideas to spice up our training products line where I work. This book has successfully launched me on the path to exploring and implementing social media learning tools.
August 30, 2011
This book was enlightening because it changed my whole perspective on social media. What I have embraced as an inexpensive, organic, network driven form of marketing can actually transform organizations as a learning tool. This is the thesis of The New Social Learning. As an organization, your goal should be to move from the "push of information to the pull of learning." By using the tools provided by social media, an organization can transform itself into a learning organization, which makes it more adaptable, flexible, sustainable, and global. Merely beating the competition is an outdated concept; we need to be a stronger contributors and better learners. Our world is too interconnected and too small for any other course of action.
The book is an ideal place to start for the CEO or senior executives who want to understand how powerful social media can be as a learning tool. There are no prerequisites required, either. The authors discuss the concept of learning, and how they based their thesis on the theory of knowledge termed social constructivism. Distilled to a phrase, social constructivism is that "reality is constructed by people based on their interpretations and knowledge of it." So when you engage with people, you build your insight into the topic at hand. Someone else has an interpretation which adds to your vision, and your understanding of the topic grows. A similar process happens with the next person you talk to. In this manner, your comprehension grows through social interaction.
From this foundation the authors use case studies and examples from some of the world's largest corporations to discuss online communities, microsharing, collective intelligence, and immersive environments. There is something for the big and small organization, the technically savvy and technologically backward organization. The authors parting words are good advice for any aspiring entrepreneur lassoing the power of social media as a learning tool. Start from where you are, and do what you can. There is a getting started guide on the website: http://thenewsociallearning.com.
The book is an ideal place to start for the CEO or senior executives who want to understand how powerful social media can be as a learning tool. There are no prerequisites required, either. The authors discuss the concept of learning, and how they based their thesis on the theory of knowledge termed social constructivism. Distilled to a phrase, social constructivism is that "reality is constructed by people based on their interpretations and knowledge of it." So when you engage with people, you build your insight into the topic at hand. Someone else has an interpretation which adds to your vision, and your understanding of the topic grows. A similar process happens with the next person you talk to. In this manner, your comprehension grows through social interaction.
From this foundation the authors use case studies and examples from some of the world's largest corporations to discuss online communities, microsharing, collective intelligence, and immersive environments. There is something for the big and small organization, the technically savvy and technologically backward organization. The authors parting words are good advice for any aspiring entrepreneur lassoing the power of social media as a learning tool. Start from where you are, and do what you can. There is a getting started guide on the website: http://thenewsociallearning.com.
January 4, 2012
Although the way we learn and exchange knowledge was always a social process, this book makes it clear that the new tools and the new communication possibilities (mainly provided by Internet and wireless technologies) are definitely supercharging evolutionary changes.
It shows how to use all these new resources to bring to reality some social constructivist techniques that were hard to implement in a less connected world.
Companies that take knowledge management seriously MUST make their staff read this book.
It shows how to use all these new resources to bring to reality some social constructivist techniques that were hard to implement in a less connected world.
Companies that take knowledge management seriously MUST make their staff read this book.
August 12, 2011
Tony and Marcia have done a great job with this book. The growing interest and application of social learning is well explained and detailed in the book. There are numerous corporate examples as well as practical advice on implementing social learning approaches and tools. This is a must read if you don't want to miss the speeding train of social learning.
May 16, 2012
Conner, Bingham and Pink provide an overview of the various uses for social media in the enterprise. The breadth of the uses for these new media is impressive. These are new tools to support group interaction and collective learning, particularly in distributed enterprises. The book is engaging, but at times I felt descriptions were limited by breadth at the expense of depth.
June 1, 2012
Fantastic read! For anyone who trains, teaches or facilitates learning I would highly recommend this book for methods and means to infusing social into learning. I like how this book provides overviews, critiques and recommendations for engagement in socially constructed learning with technology. Must read for HR, ASTD and other instructional learning designers
January 31, 2012
A must-read for faith communities and religious professionals - why? because faith development is in everything we do as religious communities and social learning is a huge area for social learning.
June 5, 2013
Great read, especially for those who are hesitant to use social media in the work force. Offers good answers to questions many social media naysayers ask.
November 22, 2015
A truly inspiring book on how learning can be, should be and has already changed, full of practical tips and insightful cases
September 18, 2023
A very interesting summary about the many ways we can interact. I really like to see how it is we are communicating now. And I guess I need to jump in and also try it. That will be the only way to learn--learn by doing. Even though I am not that patient when I have no idea what it is I need to do next--in order to get to where I think I should be.
From my own personal perspective as a teacher. I can definitely see a benefit from using social media to get instant feedback--even if that feedback is not what I prefer to hear. Anyhow, this is a small book I am sure you can finish quite fast. It is engaging for sure. Get it and read it--and then, please let us know how you like it, or did not, and why.
From my own personal perspective as a teacher. I can definitely see a benefit from using social media to get instant feedback--even if that feedback is not what I prefer to hear. Anyhow, this is a small book I am sure you can finish quite fast. It is engaging for sure. Get it and read it--and then, please let us know how you like it, or did not, and why.
December 9, 2025
A very interesting summary about the many ways we can interact. I really like to see how it is we are communicating now. And I guess I need to jump in and also try it. That will be the only way to learn--learn by doing. Even though I am not that patient when I have no idea what it is I need to do next--in order to get to where I think I should be.
From my own personal perspective as a teacher. I can definitely see a benefit from using social media to get instant feedback--even if that feedback is not what I prefer to hear. Anyhow, this is a small book I am sure you can finish quite fast. It is engaging for sure. Get it and read it--and then, please let us know how you like it, or did not, and why.
From my own personal perspective as a teacher. I can definitely see a benefit from using social media to get instant feedback--even if that feedback is not what I prefer to hear. Anyhow, this is a small book I am sure you can finish quite fast. It is engaging for sure. Get it and read it--and then, please let us know how you like it, or did not, and why.
November 4, 2022
A highlight of this book is that each chapter contains a section on responding to critics, with specific suggestions and insight for each potential criticism one may expect regarding social learning. There are real-world examples throughout the text, which I found distracting at times, but overall it is a useful text for educators and trainers who want to create compelling, engaging courses and curriculum.
January 5, 2025
Interesting material, but it all seemed a bit obvious.
October 27, 2015
I’m a learning geek and have taken full advantage of social media to learn something new every day. I was excited to read the book The New Social Learning 2nd Edition by Tony Bingham and Marcia Connor. Social media allows people from all over to share and learn from each other. This book champions the benefits of social learning and how it can be used to further learning, organizations, and teams. What better way to engage with others than to put something “out there” and receive hundreds of ideas and thoughts back? That’s social learning.
Bingham and Conner use real life case examples of how business and industry have used social media to grow, empower, and work with the ever changing workforce. They eloquently aim to prove that social media can really transform companies, talent, and even company culture. They explain what a powerful learning tool social media can be when managed and used to encourage more personal connections. Companies need to embrace new social technologies that focus on the talents of everyone, yet bring people together to share strengths.
There is so much negative critiscm of social media and The New Social Learning 2nd Edition meets that challenge head to head. The authors effectively shoot down some of the excuses that organizations quote to not use and encourage social media. They reaffirm that social learning does not happen overnight and that social media is a building block on top of other platforms. Various learning methods all need to intertwine. Social learning doesn’t replace formal education or training. It augments it and brings people together. Social learning brings us the wisdom, knowledge, and new tools to our doorstep from around the world.
I eagerly learned how strong company cultures encourage social learning and how impossible it is to prevent people from using social media. You can’t ignore what is in front of people every day so jump into social media and learning so that it benefits everyone and is used for personal and business betterment. This type of learning allows strong people to do their best work. It personalizes the way that people and leaders interact. It brings skills and connectivity to the next level. Social Learning is the new revolution of learning together to grow together.
Whether you manage a company or teams this is a helpful book to pick up to get you thinking. You may look at social media in a fresh way. You may find that your fears of social media are just that – your fears. You will really see for the first time how social learning can really impact a culture and even change a business model. Social learning may increase profits and market growth. Most importantly, social learning is about people, relationships, growth, and connecting. By the way, social media is free and your learning can be too!
The one area that The New Social Learning won’t guide you is how to actually implement social media and social learning into your company or teams. The book skims over the implementation of social learning and does not offer a step by step plan. This is an area where you will need to seek out the assistance of others or find another learning resource.
Bingham and Conner use real life case examples of how business and industry have used social media to grow, empower, and work with the ever changing workforce. They eloquently aim to prove that social media can really transform companies, talent, and even company culture. They explain what a powerful learning tool social media can be when managed and used to encourage more personal connections. Companies need to embrace new social technologies that focus on the talents of everyone, yet bring people together to share strengths.
There is so much negative critiscm of social media and The New Social Learning 2nd Edition meets that challenge head to head. The authors effectively shoot down some of the excuses that organizations quote to not use and encourage social media. They reaffirm that social learning does not happen overnight and that social media is a building block on top of other platforms. Various learning methods all need to intertwine. Social learning doesn’t replace formal education or training. It augments it and brings people together. Social learning brings us the wisdom, knowledge, and new tools to our doorstep from around the world.
I eagerly learned how strong company cultures encourage social learning and how impossible it is to prevent people from using social media. You can’t ignore what is in front of people every day so jump into social media and learning so that it benefits everyone and is used for personal and business betterment. This type of learning allows strong people to do their best work. It personalizes the way that people and leaders interact. It brings skills and connectivity to the next level. Social Learning is the new revolution of learning together to grow together.
Whether you manage a company or teams this is a helpful book to pick up to get you thinking. You may look at social media in a fresh way. You may find that your fears of social media are just that – your fears. You will really see for the first time how social learning can really impact a culture and even change a business model. Social learning may increase profits and market growth. Most importantly, social learning is about people, relationships, growth, and connecting. By the way, social media is free and your learning can be too!
The one area that The New Social Learning won’t guide you is how to actually implement social media and social learning into your company or teams. The book skims over the implementation of social learning and does not offer a step by step plan. This is an area where you will need to seek out the assistance of others or find another learning resource.
August 20, 2012
Great Book, written by Marcia Conner and Tony Bingham in 2010, leads the way to a more comprehensive understanding of learning as a relational process, a social process facilitated by connection-making skills and meaning-making competencies. Conner and Bingham use anecdotes, examples and cases to illustrate how emerging social media and social technologies are both the inevitable evolutionary products of an understanding of learning as a real-time, continuous meaning-making human process as well as the emerging technologies that will eventually be as ubiquitous as our interconnectedness.
October 30, 2015
As a school leader this book is an invaluable resource for using social tools for student learning as well as workforce (teacher) engagement. As was said in the book, "The 21st century is about leading into a connected world." This book teaches us how learning from everything and everyone is possible.
March 24, 2016
This is the second version of the original I downloaded on Kindle. This time I bought the physical book and used it as a reference book. I reread the whole lot and took notes through it. Constant reference and must read. Love the case studies too.
November 13, 2015
Wow! A useful 'go to' handbook on using social media as a resource for knowledge sharing and just in time learning. Some great case studies interwoven with some academic comments. Everything you'd need to to help you start or re start your social media learning projects.
November 22, 2010
The Federal News Radio Book Club selection...
http://federalnewsradio.com/index.php...
http://federalnewsradio.com/index.php...
August 4, 2015
Interesting material, but it all seemed a bit obvious.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews