Title: Towards extending traditional informal learning tools in the workplace with social functionalities

Authors: Carine Touré; Christine Michel; Jean-Charles Marty

Addresses: INSA Lyon, 7, Avenue Jean Capelle, Bâtiment Blaise Pascal, 501-224, 69621 Villeurbanne – France ' INSA-Lyon, 9, Avenue Jean Capelle, Bâtiment Blaise Pascal, 501-222, F 69621 Villeurbanne Cedex – France ' INSA-Lyon, 9, Avenue Jean Capelle, Bâtiment Blaise Pascal, 501-222, F 69621 Villeurbanne Cedex – France

Abstract: Companies commonly implement knowledge-sharing platforms to promote informal learning in the workplace. These platforms can suffer from lack of use. Enterprise social media (ESM) are other means of communication that are increasingly proposed to workers as a frame for collaboration and knowledge sharing. They nevertheless present risks of misuse that may threaten both effective learning and enterprises' return on investment. In this paper, we discuss the principles and features of social media and present to what extent they promote informal learning in the workplace. We then propose to implement, in a real context, a user-centred design methodology. Outcomes show positive feedback from users in terms of feature usefulness, user satisfaction and benefits. We are currently working on further evaluation to consolidate and generalise our findings on the value of comments, ratings and reflexive indicators to socialise traditional knowledge-sharing tools and sustain their use for informal learning in the workplace.

Keywords: informal learning in the workplace; knowledge-sharing tools; enterprise social media; ESM; user-centred design; UCD; adult learner profile.

DOI: 10.1504/IJLT.2017.086381

International Journal of Learning Technology, 2017 Vol.12 No.2, pp.119 - 150

Published online: 04 Sep 2017 *

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