Since social learning has been such a hot topic lately, I thought it was only fitting that this month’s Community Spotlight be on an organization that is doing something to highlight this.
When perusing the American Organization of Nurse Executive’s (AONE) Web site, I came across their Emerging Nurse Leader Institute (ENLI) and Nurse Manager Institute (NMI). Both of these programs offer interactive and structured opportunities that promote learning and interaction among attendees.
AONE makes it easy to recognize that there are social learning opportunities right on its Web site. For example, the description from the program overview for NMI states that it is a “three-day interactive program that combines lecture, discussion, experiential learning and self-assessment.” (Emphasis is mine.)
They also provide links to sample agendas for both ENLI and NMI so anyone interested in attending can get an idea of the different activities attendees can expect to engage in.
Beverly Hancock, director of educational programs at AONE, shared some details with me around some of the social learning methods/resources AONE uses to engage learners and shape their agendas:
Beverly also said that the effectiveness of social learning is really apparent in the feedback they receive at the end of their training sessions. “Participants often say that the best part for them was learning from their peers. We like to know that we have created an environment where that can happen.”
Remember that there isn’t one “right” way to deliver social learning (see Defining and Designing Social Learning) but it is important to continually learn more about it. A big thank you to Beverly Hancock for allowing me to share how AONE is using social learning in their organization.
Make sure to chime in if you have any comments, questions, or additional resources to share.
And if you haven’t already done so, make sure to check out our previous Community Spotlights: