Applying Social Tools to Learning

Social learning is an inevitable response to the incredible increases in knowledge work over the last 70 years. Mature economies have effectively transitioned from manufacturing powerhouses to human capital powerhouses. According to the 2010 McKinsey Global Survey, “Economic Conditions Snapshot,” knowledge workers have driven more than 70 percent of the economic growth in the United States over the past three decades, and 85 percent of the new jobs created in the past decade have required complex knowledge skills.

While the nature of work has been changing, so too have the technologies and cultural norms that underpin worker expectations and skills. Smartphones, tablets, Internet access, and social and professional networks are no longer hallmarks ...