The social learning approach: Definitions and success strategies

Does the value of your training diminish soon after employees complete it? We hear you. If your employees are stuck with passive content consumption, your culture might be (dare we say it) too siloed. And not just siloed between teams (we used it again, whoops!), but also within teams, where learning culture really begins. The answer? A social learning approach.  

In fact, social learning has been critical for every major tech movement in history. Before the Industrial Revolution, apprentices worked with skilled craftsmen before more standardized and mechanized processes took their place. And in the early days of Silicon Valley, easy access to computers inspired garage culture, where developers collaborated to create the early versions of software we still use today.   

Today’s workplace moves just as fast as historic tech transformations. To meet the moment, learning needs to move across teams, departments, and even entire organizations. Why? Because community is where better business outcomes are achieved.  

Today’s learners are: 

• Time-strapped 
• Overwhelmed with information 
• Used to on-demand, self-directed content 
• Craving meaningful human connection (especially in remote/hybrid work environments) 

Corporate training models still have their place, but they’re not enough on their own. To meet employees where they are, you need learning experiences that are flexible, fast, and social by design. When you tap into social learning, you’re not just transferring knowledge. You’re building culture, confidence, and collaboration at scale.  

We’ll show you how social learning is achievable, trackable, and how people drive digital transformation just as much as a course or certification.   

What exactly is the social learning approach?  

Social learning is the process of acquiring knowledge and skills through observing others, imitating behaviors, and engaging in group experiences. It isn’t just a buzzword or a trend. It’s a deeply rooted psychological principle that aligns with how people actually want to learn: through observing, sharing, collaborating, and doing.   

When you understand the brain science behind social learning, you design learning experiences that feel less like training and more like real growth. Psychologist Albert Bandura coined the term in the 1960s, but the concept is as old as humanity itself. We learn to speak, build, adapt, and improve by watching and interacting with those around us.  

According to Bandura, social learning happens in four stages: 

1. Attention: The learner notices a behavior. 
2. Retention: The learner remembers what they saw.  
3. Reproduction: The learner tries to replicate it. 
4. Motivation: The learner has a reason to keep doing it, often driven by social feedback or outcomes. 

You’ve likely seen this firsthand: the best learning doesn’t happen in isolation. It happens in a moment of connection. Like when a new hire asks a teammate for help, an employee shadows a more experienced peer, or a teammate learns something new and shares it on Slack.  

That’s the power of social learning, and it’s one of the most underutilized tools in the L&D toolbelt.  

Why social learning feels natural for learners

Think about how you learned your first language. Probably not from a manual. You likely watched someone else, mimicked their behavior, and learned by doing.   

Social learning mirrors that experience. Whether in a workplace, a classroom, or a study group, learning from others is baked into how our brains work.  

The core principles of social learning are: 

• Observation: We learn by watching what others can do. 
• Imitation: We try it ourselves, often copying those we trust or admire. 
• Collaboration: We learn better when we share knowledge, ask questions, and solve problems together. 

Social learning can also save money. It makes use of your internal experts and culture instead of relying on outside consultants.   

3 types of social learning

Let’s explore a few types of learning and how you can use these principles to make your training more effective.  

Observational learning  

Learning through social influence  

Seeing is believing. People don’t always learn best by reading a slide deck or watching a video. Sometimes, it’s as simple as watching a coworker handle a situation or try out a new tool. That’s observational learning, and it’s surprisingly powerful.  

Check out some examples of observational learning and peer influence in action: 

• A manager shadows another leader giving feedback in meetings and begins to adopt their communication style. 
• A new customer service rep hears a seasoned colleague handle a tough call with empathy and professionalism and begins to model the same tone with customers. 
• A team member watches how a peer organizes project files in a shared drive and adopts that same system. 

This kind of peer influence has a serious impact on organizational culture and upskilling. And often more of an impact than formal training. Why? Because when people see someone they trust and admire doing something well, it builds the belief that they can do it well.   

Role models & leadership development  

Learning through shared goals  

One of the most powerful (and underused) tools in leadership development? Role models. People are more likely to absorb and apply new behaviors when they see someone they respect doing them effectively. This especially holds true when that person is ahead of them in experience or status.   

In Bandura’s research, he found that modeling wasn’t just about copying behavior. Instead, it’s like a time machine helping you see yourself in the future through someone else’s example.  

Check out these examples of social influence in action: 

• A frontline manager shadows a director who runs inclusive, productive team meetings. They walk away with concrete takeaways and a new standard to aim for. 
• An emerging leader watches a video of a VP navigating a company crisis and starts to build their own toolkit for difficult conversations. 
• Employees participate in mentoring programs where leaders share decision-making frameworks and stories from their own career paths. They leave equipped with a structured decision-making process. 

In all of these scenarios, leadership growth is caught rather than taught. Social learning can showcase leadership in action through shadowing, storytelling, or recorded sessions so that emerging leaders can see the path before they walk it. 

Gamification & motivation 

Learning through reinforcement  

Gamification taps into our innate desire for immediate acknowledgment of our efforts. Some want to show off that they beat a difficult level of an app game on their lunch break, while others appreciate a kudos at the team huddle. And what about that feeling when you’re finally close enough to the finish line? Knowing you’re in the last steps can motivate you to get the job done.  

It works because it connects to two key motivators: 

• External motivation: Points, badges, status 
• Intrinsic motivation: Feelings of progress, mastery, and fun  

Gamification can make peer engagement more appealing and even create healthy pressure. Learners will want to keep up, level up, and show up.  

Here are some examples of what gamification can do: 

• A leaderboard shows which sales reps have completed the most learning modules this quarter, encouraging others to catch up. 
• Badges reward employees for sharing tips in discussion forums or mentoring others in the LMS. 
• Progress bars, participation streaks, and weekly learning challenges drive repeat engagement in onboarding programs. 

Gamification isn’t just bells and whistles. It’s a science-backed way to energize social learning moments and sustain engagement over time. When you make progress visible to the learner and their peers at the same time, you’ll boost learner motivation, create accountability, and normalize learning in the flow of work.   

How social learning works in a modern LMS  

So, how do you bring this to life? A modern LMS acts as the digital home for social learning, making it easier to scale, track, and evolve over time.   Look for LMS features that support: 

• Peer-to-peer interaction: Think discussion threads, reactions, mentions, and comment sections within learning modules. 
• User-generated content: Let employees upload videos, share knowledge or articles, or record demos others can learn from. 
• Recognition and badges: Build in lightweight rewards for sharing, contributing, or helping others learn. 
• Group learning spaces: Create learning cohorts, Slack-style channels, or mentorship matches inside your LMS. 
• Leaderboards and gamified metrics: Celebrate top learners publicly (but thoughtfully) to inspire participation. 

Social learning is a critical approach for developing a strategic learning system (SLS) that meets planned (and unlocked) business objectives.

Whether you’re hoping to increase adoption, improve team efficiency, or drive innovation, social learning brings colleagues together. It instills a shared definition of purpose to support organizational goals.  

Why prioritize a social learning approach in training? 

Good ol’ social learning can bust through widely held opinions about the drudgery of corporate training. It’s time to retire any preconceptions like “mentoring is only for new hires” and “it’s hard to get tenured employees to share their knowledge.” Today’s workforce spans generations, each with different skills, needs, and ways of learning. Modern training has to meet learners where they are to help teams grow, adapt, and move forward together. 

But will your training benefit from the social learning approach? Consider the conditions where social learning makes the difference: 

• If learning happens in isolation: After a course is completed, the learner has no way to discuss or apply their insights. 
• If there’s no mentorship or coaching: Entry-level employees or new students are left to overcome steep learning curves on their own. 
• If collaboration tools are underutilized: Learners are discouraged from sharing learnings within and across teams because learning achievements go unrecognized. 

Does this sound like you? Your traditional learning might not have the best reputation. It can feel boring, disconnected, and easy to ignore. But it doesn’t have to be. That’s where social learning can help.  

Check out these examples of L&D outcomes with social learning:  

HR outcomes: An employee engagement renaissance 

Inspire intrinsic motivation over mandatory completion  

Learner engagement is more challenging than ever. Employees have less time, are resistant to growth, and are subjected to content that doesn’t exactly compete with their TikTok feed. And sure, HR can host as many lunch and learns as they want, but many traditional engagement initiatives are too broad to make a real impact on employees’ potential.  

When learners feel seen, heard, and connected, they participate much more. And that leads to higher retention of not just knowledge, but of employees themselves. That’s why the social learning approach is about offering programs that speak to the uniqueness of individual employees. When it resonates, they’re more likely to participate.  

How HR metrics improve with a social learning approach: 

• Employee engagement scores: Employees feel a sense of belonging when they’re learning with peers. 
• Retention rates: When people feel they’re growing and supported by their peers, they’re more likely to stay. 
• Onboarding completion and satisfaction: Peer-led learning pathways and real-world examples help new hires ramp up faster and feel less isolated. 

Why it works: Social learning builds psychological safety and team cohesion, two factors that drive long-term retention and performance.  

L&D outcomes: Encourage high-value collaboration & knowledge sharing 

Leverage networking to support a learning culture  

L&D teams benefit most directly. Social learning adds momentum to learning programs and creates a feedback loop that makes content more relevant and user-driven.  

How L&D metrics improve with a social learning approach: 

• Course completion rates: Learners are more likely to complete coursework when they’re part of a group or can interact with peers. 
• Knowledge retention: Learners retain more when they engage in discussions and share perspectives. 
• Learner satisfaction scores: Social components like discussion threads, recognition, and peer shoutouts drive a sense of progress and visibility. 

Why it works: Learning becomes a two-way street. When people contribute, not just consume, they take more ownership of their development.  

Management outcomes: Build stronger teams and surface talent 

Meet multigenerational learners where they are  

Managers gain visibility into team learning while creating a culture of growth and trust. Social learning tools help them coach more effectively and recognize informal leaders.  How management metrics improve with a social learning approach: 

• Team performance scores: Peer learning fosters real-time problem-solving, improving how teams execute.  
• Internal mobility rates: Managers can spot rising talent based on who engages, shares, and supports others in learning. 
• Feedback quality and frequency: Built-in social learning tools like comment threads and peer assessments normalize feedback loops. 

Why it works: Social learning brings hidden strengths to the surface and makes skill-building part of everyday culture.  

Executive outcomes: Reduce training costs while increasing impact 

Scale the strategies already working for you  

For execs, social learning is about more than softer skills. Better learning is a way to speed up knowledge sharing, reduce silos, and keep people aligned to business goals.  How executive metrics improve with a social learning approach: 

• Time-to-productivity: Knowledge spreads faster when it’s shared socially, especially across regions or business units. 
• Cross-functional collaboration: Social learning breaks down silos by encouraging teams to learn from each other. 
• Training ROI: Higher participation and retention lead to better long-term performance without increasing the L&D budget. 

Why it works: Social learning turns your LMS into a strategic asset. It shortens feedback loops, reveals emerging leaders, and keeps teams agile.  

Explore more social learning outcomes  

5 ways to implement a social learning approach in an LMS 

Here’s our tactical micro-guide to turn social learning into outcomes in an LMS.  

1. Use discussion forums & knowledge sharing boards 

Create virtual spaces for employees to collaborate and turn static learning into conversation. They give learners a space to reflect, ask questions, and learn from each other, rather than just the content.  

What to try in your LMS: 

• Add a discussion thread to every course module 
• Launch a “Tips from the Field” board where employees share job-specific hacks 
• Create role-based Q&A spaces for new hires, managers, or technical roles 
• Run weekly challenge prompts (ex. What’s one mistake you learned from this week?) 
• Highlight top contributors each month to reward participation 
• Encourage user-generated content 

Leading global professional services network, Baker Tilly International needed a knowledge sharing solution for 43,000 professionals in 145 territories. After implementing Absorb LMS, they’ve onboarded 10,000 active users accessing more than 2400 pieces of content, drop-in sessions, and shared learning journeys.   

2. Enable gamification & peer recognition 

Use rewards to drive social learning engagement. People love feeling seen for their growth, and social recognition is a powerful motivator. Gamification helps build momentum and celebrate small wins.  What to try in your LMS: 

• Award badges for contributing to discussions, sharing resources, or completing challenges 
• Set up leaderboards by cohort, team, or role to inspire friendly competition 
• Use emoji reactions or upvoting in comment threads 
• Let peers nominate each other for a “Learning MVP” badge 
• Add streak tracking to reward consistent participation 
• Share a weekly peer tips carousel to highlight the best comments 
• Shoutout exceptional progress in the dashboard 

According to Gallup, employees who receive regular recognition are 4x more engaged. And when that recognition comes from peers inside your LMS, it becomes a learning tool and a culture booster.  

3. Incorporate video-based social learning 

Video makes learning personal. When learners share their own stories or demos, it builds trust and spreads knowledge faster than static content ever could. For busy SMEs and employees, video recordings provide a convenient way to share best practices, tutorials, and company town halls.  

What to try in your LMS: 

• Allow learners to record and upload short video tips 
• Create a “Talk Like a Leader” series with peer-recorded leadership moments 
• Offer peer screen share walkthroughs of workflows, tools, or sales calls 
• Use a video reflection journal where learners talk about how they applied a skill 
• Host monthly “Show What You Know” video challenges 
• Offer live training sessions with chat 
• Shadowing with a screen recording 

Video training and demo videos are key strategies for global companies with thousands of learners. Baker Tilly's success depended on an LMS that could adapt to language, regional compliance, and its growing online learning community. And since introducing live sessions, promotional videos, and recorded demos, they’ve issued over 4,900 certificates to participants in over 60 territories.  

4. Promote learning circles & peer coaching 

Learning is stickier when it’s social and sustained. Circles and coaching help people reflect, share, and apply what they’ve learned in a safe, structured way.  

What to try in your LMS:  

• Organize cohort-based learning paths with scheduled check-ins 
• Use modern mentoring techniques to pair learners with mentors or peers for guidance and support 
• Assign peer partners to reflect on each learning module 
• Create a rotating peer coaching calendar with each course 
• Use group projects to practice skills and collaborate on solutions 
• Provide a circle facilitation toolkit for employees to run their own micro-groups 
• Integrate Zoom to host events with breakout rooms for small group collaboration 

Peer learning is a high-impact solution for your most ambitious goals. Before the Louisiana Office of Public Health (OPH) launched its successful mentorship program, 23% of employees considered leaving within a year or retiring in five years. That’s an operational crisis.   

As a solution, they offered structured peer cohorts, targeted matching, and diverse learning resources to regain control. The payoff? 100% participant satisfaction, with all mentees gaining competency in their area of expertise. Now, the program is a key tool for attracting and retaining talent at the organization.  

5. Track social learning engagement with LMS analytics 

You can’t improve what you can’t measure. Tracking social engagement helps L&D teams fine-tune learning design, reward contributors, and show impact.  What to try in your LMS: 

• Measure forum activity, comment rates, and response time 
• Track peer-to-peer feedback frequency 
• Identify top contributors and most active discussions 
• Correlate social engagement with completion or performance 
• Share monthly social learning dashboards with stakeholders 

Pro-tip: What’s better than meeting your training goals? Setting more ambitious performance goals. Integrate your platforms with your LMS to better understand your learners' needs and experiences when engaging socially with your organization. From Zoom to BambooHR, there are no limits to how you can streamline your processes and tracking.   

While a CRM integration can help you determine gaps in your sales teams or customer support, an HCM/HRIS integration can solve problems that are hidden between learning and HR strategy.    

Frequently asked questions  

What is an example of a social learning approach in the workplace?  

A great example is peer-led learning circles. This is when small groups of employees meet regularly to discuss key topics, reflect on shared challenges, and support each other’s growth.   Other approaches include collaborative cohort learning, where teams progress through training together, or use an LMS with discussion boards to ask questions and crowdsource answers. Even encouraging employees to upload short video tips or reflections after completing a module can support peer-to-peer exchange.  

How does social learning improve corporate training outcomes?  

When you choose social learning, go ahead and add the word “more” in front of each of your business outcomes. More increases, more time saved, and more time better spent. That’s because social initiatives work in tandem with training to boost goals across business functions.   Here are some examples of how different departments benefit from social learning: 

• HR can track and measure how social learning increases employee engagement, satisfaction, and retention. 
• Technical teams (ex. developers) will see improvements in knowledge retention, critical thinking, and communication. 
• Compliance teams can close high-risk gaps faster by creating a culture of learning. 
• Employees become more in tune with their strengths and areas for improvement. 
• All teams benefit from a deep leadership bench. Modern mentoring improves internal mobility by transferring knowledge from experienced leaders.  

And this is just the start. Learning metrics are bolstered by social learning in every corner of your organization. You can start with a simple report and a pilot mentoring program or live discussion. Once engagement data begins to trickle in, you’ll find even more opportunities to make social learning an asset to your training.   

How does the social learning approach compare to microlearning in employee development?    

Social learning and microlearning are different but very complementary for modern L&D. Microlearning focuses on short, digestible content, making it ideal for just-in-time learning or reinforcing hyper-specific skills. It’s great for scalability and convenience, especially in time-constrained environments.   

On the flip side, social learning emphasizes interaction and collaboration. This includes learning by watching, coaching, discussing, and sharing with others. It builds deeper understanding, creates accountability, and strengthens team culture.  

The most impactful learning strategies combine both: 

• Use microlearning to deliver essential knowledge quickly 
• Use social learning to contextualize that knowledge, reflect on it, and apply it with others 

Together they’re a high-impact learning ecosystem that supports fast-paced development without losing the human element of learning. 

Start a business case for the social learning

Your LMS is more than a mere content repository. Yes, managing the ins and outs of corporate learning development is a good starting point. But social learning taps into how people naturally grow through observation, conversation, and community.  

Social learning scales with your organization’s growth, building momentum from one successful peer learning group into a regional and global learning culture. It’s momentum built from the inside out.  

To make a case for social learning, start answering these questions: 

• What problems could social learning help us solve? Are we trying to speed up onboarding, improve knowledge sharing, or boost engagement? Maybe all of the above? 
• How are people already learning from each other? Are there any gaps or missed opportunities we’ve noticed? 
• Where do projects tend to get stuck? Are there silos or repeat questions that could be solved if people shared what they know more openly? 
• What tools are people already using to connect and collaborate? Could we build on what’s already working, like Slack or Teams? 
• How will we know if it’s working? What would success look like in a pilot or rollout? 

Absorb LMS was built to create learning experiences that are active, personal, and scalable. From real-time collaboration to peer recognition and insights-driven dashboards, social learning becomes a culture-building must-have. For many organizations, it’s the foundation of a learning culture that moves fast, adapts easily, and grows with your objectives.