This post originally appeared on the SkillStorm blog:


If you’re looking for a way to get recruiters more involved and engaged in your training, workshop, or break-out session, consider using social media as learning tools. Most trainers and recruiters associate social media application like Twitter and Facebook as a way to market their company, find candidates or post job openings. Social learning can be a fun, educational and professional way engage participants. It can also provide them with opportunities to apply what you’re teaching to their learning in real-time.

Using social technologies creates opportunities for participants to build:


1. 

2. Scalable solutions

3. Skills in customer service

4. Social engagements that mirror real-world experiences

5. Collaborative learning environments


Social media offers facilitators innovative learning platforms, while simultaneously helping to build competencies of participants. It can also help level the learning field for those attendees who are less skilled or experienced and are too embarrassed to admit their deficiencies.


3 Social Media Activities To Add To Your Next Training Session


Facebook

Facebook is all about engagement. Sadly, most employers and their employees don’t know how to engage their customers. Using Facebook as part of your teaching method can help professionals learn how to build engagement – professionally.

Start by creating a Facebook page or group for attendees to join prior to your session. Use the page to build excitement and interest prior to the start of your training. Consider using posts to break the ice between users, to ask questions, share material, and solicit feedback.

One advantage to using Facebook in this way is that you can build group cohesiveness prior to the training, giving members a feeling of being a part of something. In this way, Facebook as a learning tool is helping to break down some of the barriers often associated with a new group. Another advantage is the opportunity to engage the group members in discussions before the professional training actually begins as well as modeling what engagement looks and feels like.


Twitter

Twitter is all about peaking interest in as few words as possible. It is a great way to teach participants to really think about the value of their messaging and potential for being misunderstood.

Set up a Twitter account prior to the training. In your materials, give participants the class’ user name and password for the Twitter account. During the training use the Twitter account to provide hypothetical problems which they will have to resolve. This will help participants build their repertoire of solutions.

For example, simulate a tweet from an unhappy candidate, client, coworker, etc. Then ask members to break into smaller groups and come up with scalable solutions. Have groups take turns tweeting possible solutions their group members came up with. Finally, ask those participants that are not in the particular group what they think of the solutions.


LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a professional networking tool. It is also a great way for people to demonstrate their subject matter expertise.

As a teaching tool, LinkedIn can be used by participants to connect with one another, source potential candidates, or clients. It can also be helpful for participants to get feedback on their professional profile, update their profile with incorporating the training and for those not yet using LinkedIn, setting up an account.

Social media is a great way to enhance as well as reinforce the learning of everyone involved. Have you used social media in your training? If yes, how have you used it? If you haven’t do you think you would give it a try? Share your thoughts.


Source:
Mashable.com


Tune in every week for more blogs like this. Our blog topics include hiring trends (especially in IT), corporate culture and tech news, reviews and opinions.