Is Social Learning Stickier?

Right now, I'm facilitating conversations in a virtual book club. As everyone explored various curation tools, Brette shared that she had completely forgotten about her iTunes U account.

#uglpd Reviewing my professional teacher curation tools, is it time to bring iTunesU forward?Mine's got cobwebs on it.
— brette lockyer (@brettelockyer) January 9, 2013

Hmmm. I happened to be in the same situation as Brette. I haven't even logged into my iTunes U account in the last six months. Simple information delivery just isn't enough to keep me engaged anymore.

@kristenswanson #uglpd Aha! Interaction! We now expect this vital ingredient! Hmm, so social learning is potentially deeper learning?
— brette lockyer (@brettelockyer) January 9, 2013

Yes... social learning. It's a must for me. But.... is it deeper? Stickier?

@brettelockyer Without a social or personal connection, I can't persevere when things get sticky or tough. Social learning persists. #uglpd
— Kristen Swanson (@kristenswanson) January 9, 2013

Without people to help me, cajole me, and coach me along the way, it's hard for me to persist when things get murky or cloudy. I need to share my ideas, brainstorm, and get feedback regularly. When those elements are present, my learning feels unstoppable. My Twitter network, my work network, and my publishing network give me social ways to learn and grow.

But does that mean the learning's deeper when it's social?

I think so.

Learning is an active, connected process. Sharing and feedback facilitate learning, especially for adults.

So, I'm going to keep finding the tools that help me share, interact, and connect. It's a journey worth traveling.