Curious Minds Unite: The Power of Social Learning through Scaffolded Strategies

The webinar, Curious Minds Unite: The Power of Social Learning through Scaffolded Strategies, led by Julian Stodd, was an engaging dive into the evolving landscape of learning, collaboration, and sense-making. In this session, Julian shared profound insights on how we can harness the energy of social learning to navigate complexity and build shared understanding within teams and communities.

Let’s recap the highlights and actionable takeaways from this session.

What Is Scaffolded Social Learning?

Julian began by defining scaffolded social learning as “a dynamic interplay between structure and creativity, formal systems, and the emergent knowledge of communities.” This approach leverages tribal knowledge—the tacit understanding embedded within social groups—by pairing it with structured activities that drive engagement and reflection.

“Scaffolded social learning is not just about teaching—it’s about facilitating spaces where people can discover together,” Julian emphasized.

To illustrate, he described an organization fostering cross-departmental innovation by pairing formal workshops with open storytelling sessions. These informal conversations allowed employees to exchange narratives, making the structured learning resonate in real-world contexts.

Key Resource: Social Learning Guidebook (Free resource)

Sense-Making in Complex Spaces

We explored how groups create meaning in dynamic, often ambiguous contexts—a process Julian calls sense-making. He noted: “In a world of noise, sense-making is the act of collaboratively finding the signal.”

Participants discussed examples of how their teams tackle complexity, with Julian recommending that organizations provide reflective frameworks to encourage iterative understanding.

One standout example came from a participant who described a healthcare project in which interdisciplinary teams used shared whiteboards to track evolving challenges and solutions in real time—a living map of collective sense-making. To follow the entire discussion, we recommend watching the full webinar recording here.

Further Reading: Blog Post on Reflective Surfaces

The Role of Dialogue in Shared Learning

“Dialogue isn’t just about talking—it’s about listening, connecting, and shaping ideas together,” Julian shared.

Dialogue was framed as the cornerstone of scaffolded social learning. To foster meaningful conversations, Julian recommended creating psychologically safe environments and using structured prompts or provocations to spark dialogue.

For example, he highlighted a remote learning program where employees used reflective journaling alongside virtual discussion boards. This allowed asynchronous yet deeply connected conversations.

Tip: Experiment with creating reflective prompts like: What assumptions are we carrying into this conversation? What questions are emerging for you as we move forward?

Reflective Surfaces: Tools for Thoughtful Action

Julian encouraged participants to explore reflective surfaces—tools or frameworks that enable individuals or groups to process experiences and refine understanding.

“Reflection is the bridge between action and meaning. Without it, learning risks becoming transactional rather than transformational.”

Examples included simple tools like shared journals or advanced digital platforms for real-time feedback loops. He noted that reflective surfaces can also include informal check-ins or post-project storytelling sessions.

Integrating Generative AI into Learning

In response to questions about AI’s role, Julian explored how tools like Generative AI could complement scaffolded social learning. He shared ideas such as:

Using AI to generate tailored discussion prompts based on group goals.
Creating reflective exercises where AI summarizes key points from dialogue to highlight emergent themes.
Experimenting with co-creating learning content by blending AI-generated insights with community feedback.

What’s Next?

Julian closed the webinar by encouraging participants to act on their reflections:

“The true power of social learning lies not just in the ideas we explore, but in the actions we take together.”

Here are some steps you can take to integrate scaffolded social learning into your environment:

Design a scaffolded learning activity for your team.
Experiment with tools like journaling or shared dialogue boards to foster reflection.
Dive deeper into Julian’s resources, such as the Landmarks of Learning Science project.