Have you noticed the line between learning and communication fuzzing up and becoming confusing? It's getting harder to disentangle the information we receive from the learning we need to do.

As we see informal learning and social media networks being promoted for learning, learning and communication is blurring between channels. Social media channels started out as a means of communication and networking commonly used for self-promotion among peers rather than as a means of acquiring skills or knowledge.

It seems this is how we learn now; unbundled, deconstructed, unstructured, and informally. Often we see information presented in an online format as eLearning (e.g. a PowerPoint presentation converted into an online tool). And that may be fine, if conveying information only is actually the intended purpose. However, is it still okay if the intention is for the audience to learn something from it, i.e. acquire skills or knowledge? Possibly not. How well does it work without the instruction and study part being part of the 'learning' scheme?

Don't assume that because you have created a finely crafted, fantastic piece of communication full of 'useful' information, that the people you have 'communicated' to are learning from it.
Learning by definition is the acquisition of skills or knowledge by instruction or study and the subsequent alteration of behaviour as a result of individual experience. Presenting information is giving facts and details about a subject; which does not make it a learning experience.

Communication of information on its own is not learning.
Something else needs to happen in order to make it learning.
If your communication is actually intended for the people you are communicating with to learn something, then it needs to be tied into an action that will facilitate learning. All alone, your lovely piece of communication providing beautiful information is an orphan with no home to grow in.

Left to ourselves, we still learn; taking longer as we bounce around the networks foraging and scanning for what we need to know amidst the many distractions along the way. Sure we suck up the information, filtering as it goes in, and then what? We are in constant communication mode, without the pause to absorb and reflect on all this information, study it, and synthesise it into something meaningful that we are able to apply in a useful way.

I like this thought:

Nicholas Carr from How To Be a Smart Innovator,
Wall Street Journal, September 18, 2006

This statement could also be applied to learning - replace creativity with informal learning, which is great, we all do it, and it tends to be a messy process. However businesses do not have time for everyone to be 'messy learners'.

Do we still need the instruction and study aspects to concentrate our efforts and help us focus on learning the specific skill or knowledge and consequent behaviour change?

I think we do! Especially in the context of work based learning where people need to adapt to changes efficiently and perform their role competently in order for the business to operate effectively. This still requires a learning process for people to acquire and practice the skills and knowledge required to perform. A communication of information on its own does not translate itself into a person learning something from it. Without a 'learning action' being consciously taken by the person receiving the information to transform into 'doing something differently'; or knowing something that enables us to think differently; it's just static and floats through our mind without catching our attention radar.

We need to smooth the lines between learning and communication to prevent fuzziness messing with our learning and facilitate ease of learning. We can do that by ensuring our communications do not become homeless orphans by surrounding them in a 'learning home' environment.