When Collaborative Learning Matters: The pH Scale for Learning

May 16, 2018 by Robert M. Burnside

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At Nomadic we’re firm believers in collaborative learning. If you get it right, collaborative learning can be the driving force behind many strategic initiatives in your organization, from digital transformation to developing a leadership culture. But after years of working with successful companies, from Fortune 500’s to start-ups, we also recognize that learning happens along a spectrum, and not all skills can be taught the same way. Learning strategies need to include a mix of top-down training methods, individual learning, and collaborative learning with and from peers.

So when should we use collaborative learning approaches, especially digital collaborative learning?

The answer is pretty simple. If what you want people to do (or do better) in the workplace is collaborative, then there’s a pretty good chance you need to use a collaborative learning approach. Leadership is a undoubtedly a collaborative activity. Personal time management isn’t (for the most part). Leadership cannot be learned in isolation. Personal time management skills can.

Here’s a handy pH chart of collaborative activities. The higher the number the more collaborative the activity is (P.S. it’s not a definitive list and can easily be argued that some of these should be moved around on the scale. It’s just a guide).

Use the guide to see if you are using the right learning approaches. If you are using only individual, personalized learning for something that’s highly collaborative (like Teamwork!), see if you can add a little collaborative learning into the mix.

Book a demo to find out how Nomadic Learning can help you develop collaborative learning approaches to address your organization’s biggest challenges.

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