Socializing Learning with Social Business Software

Editor's Notes

1. How many of you blog? How many of you tweet? How many of you participate in a discussion forum? How many of you use social bookmarking tools, like delicious? How many of you subscribe to content on the internet using RSS feeds?
2. Created by the combination of Invitrogen Corporation and Applied Biosystems Inc. in November 2008, Life Technologies (NASDAQ: LIFE) is a global biotechnology tools company dedicated to improving the human condition Our systems, consumables and services enable researchers to accelerate scientific exploration, driving to discoveries and developments that make life even better. Our customers do their work across the biological spectrum, working to advance personalized medicine, regenerative science, molecular diagnostics, agricultural and environmental research, and 21st century forensics. Brands and products in 90% of the research labs in the U.S. ~ 50,000 products used by ~75,000 customers worldwide ~ $3.3 billion in revenue ~ 9,000 global employees, doing business in 160 countries Over 3,900 patents and exclusive licenses Leading supplier of stem cell research consumables and products World’s largest supplier of tools for human identification testing and forensic DNA analysis
3. We’re going to spend some time today talking things like: Enterprise 2.0, Social Collaboration software Why Learning should be an early adopter so we can bridge the gap between informal and formal learning Understanding how you can achieve integration by using RSS and XML feeds and I’ll share with you our early efforts in this area Let’s get started by talking about Enterprise 2.0…
4. In its most basic form, Enterprise 2.0 is about communication. The premise is that the more easily people can communicate – with other workers, team members, customers, vendors, clients – the less information will be siloed. When information is free, people can get more feedback and input (collaborate), react more quickly (agility), and make better decisions. This is the opportunity inherent in Enterprise 2.0: a more efficient, productive and intelligent workforce.
5. Or social collaboration software?
6. Enables asking/answering questions, posting documents, tagging (to create folksonomies), user-driven content rating, seeking out expertise, generating/rating ideas, learning from each other
7. In the 21 st century, we face a “new” normal So let’s take a closer look at learning in this new reality.
8. Organizational Learning take place both formally and informally AND individually and in groups Only 20% of organizational learning takes place formally, with 80% taking place informally Learning 2.0, i.e. informal learning, comes to the workforce being driven by Enterprise 2.0 Jive – blogging, asking questions, posting documents, social bookmarking, social networking, RSS feeds, etc.
9. In 2008, Bersin & Associates reported on the rise of the emergent concept of learning on demand, whereby a learner could leverage a variety of resources to engage in self-directed learning. The Learning Portal is a major enabler of this approach, by bringing together the key technologies and content needed.
10. So…how do we get there? Let’s talk a little about the technologies
11. Instead of making users to go to multiple portals provided by SAP, customers can now syndicate content from multiple SAP business suite applications into a Web 2.0 workspace of their choice - thus improving the adoption of business applications and getting the most out of their investment in SAP.
12. Here’s an SAP Prototype which demonstrates some of the possibilities for a Learning Portal…..things like displaying mandatory courses, providing a personalized view of which courses you’re taking, and searching for courses. This particular prototype is built in Jive, but SAP shows examples of the same thing in Confluence and Sharepoint. Let’s go ahead and see a demo of what we’ve built so far at Life Technologies to support the global launch a few months ago of our brand new 2010 Global Curriculum.
13. Going back to my questions at the beginning of the session, these social media/social collaboration technologies are all around us. If you don’t build a strategy to leverage this new set of technologies and solutions social media collaboration technologies will still be used within, around, and by your organization.
14. Business Justification Learning • Supports just-in-time learning with immediate access to answers using collaborative discussions with peers and experts • Reduces costs for learning with always-available communities that do not require time away from daily tasks or travel • Increases learning retention and the value of formal learning products using social channels to conduct follow-up discussions after learners have attended class • Organically grows knowledge at lower cost with all collaborative exchanges captured and available for re-use as well as inclusion in formal learning programs New course development scenario – collaboration between ISD and SME’s. Employees and partners can initiate collaborative discussions for just-in-time conversations to find answers to specific questions, brainstorm how to solve problems, and share insights and experiences. Social channels facilitate these conversations across geographic and time barriers to extend the learners’ reach. • With the ability to capture conversations, the organization can organically build useful learning content to make learning initiatives more effective and scalable. Content generated through social business software can be made available for immediate re-use as well as incorporated into formal learning programs. • Scheduled collaborative discussions and expert forums can enhance the effectiveness of formal learning programs. During and after a class, learners can ask questions and benefit from the knowledge of fellow learners to reinforce what they have learned. Follow-on learning driven through social business software can also provide a value-added service for formal learning programs sold to customers. Move from Learning as an Event to more self-directed learning on demand. Consider creating communities as a follow-on to formal training. Wherever there are cohorts, the ability to connect and support can be enabled by social learning platforms. There are many things to learn when starting with a new company or after promotion to a new management role. The ability to connect with others on the path to competence can accelerate performance while providing emotional support.