The Social Learning Theory by Albert Bandura focuses on the role of observation and mimicking behavior in learning. Bandura Social Theory brings together parts of Cognitive Learning (knowledge is stored by observing and processing information) and Behavioral Learning (knowledge is shaped by positive and negative reinforcement). We take a look at how Social Learning gets done in today’s fast-paced mobile workplace.
Social Learning emphasizes observation and modeling of tasks, behaviors, and emotions of those around us. In other words, we watch what people do and how they act and react to situations around us, then fuse those observations with our own experiences to inform our own actions.
It’s easy to see how the actions and attitudes of managers and longtime employees can shape what and how new business staff learns. The fast pace of today’s modern workplace, coupled with the technology that we all use daily, only serve to fracture the attention span of learning employees. With that in mind, here are Bandura’s four conditions for learning, and how they apply to the workplace:
Behavior Theory: Attention
Your employees need to be able to focus on the information they're learning. Old-school training was done in the office backroom with paper manuals or on an old PC. It’s not only millennials that are turned off by the old way of learning - everyone gets sleepy or distracted when they’re not engaged in the process and more so, it's just ineffective. Mobile learning and eLearning at the point of execution help keep the attention on the subject of the lesson and also with memorizing details.
Behavior Theory: Retention
As previously mentioned, it’s difficult for people to ingest and store information in an environment set off from where they actually work. There’s a disconnect that happens between the lesson and the workspace that negatively affects memory. When people learn at the point of execution, there are visual and audible cues that assist with recall, eliminating the need for retraining.
Behavior Theory: Reproduction
Employees who learn in place and watch the work being done in front of them have better recall when they need to duplicate the behaviors and actions they have observed. This doesn’t just include physical motions but also attitudes and company policies.
Behavior Theory: Motivation
For many people, a paycheck is the baseline motivation to do the work and get it right, reproducing the activities and disposition their job requires. Most people will also want to improve at their job and move up in the company. Training and career pathing are motivators for employees, along with positive reinforcement and sometimes the punishment that may come with mistakes.
When your business understands Social Learning Theory, you’ll be able to shape your training to take advantage of its benefits. This may require some changes to your current culture and possibly the addition of a mobile training platform or eLearning software, but don’t let this deter you from making a positive change.
Resources:
https://www.learning-theories.com/cognitivism.html
https://www.learning-theories.com/behaviorism.html
https://www.learning-theories.com/social-learning-theory-bandura.html
