{"id":66032,"date":"2025-03-07T23:40:33","date_gmt":"2025-03-07T23:40:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.totara.com\/articles\/collabortive-learning-that-works\/"},"modified":"2025-11-04T15:22:58","modified_gmt":"2025-11-04T15:22:58","slug":"collaborative-learning-in-the-workplace-building-a-culture-of-shared-growth","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/www.totara.com\/us\/articles\/collaborative-learning-in-the-workplace-building-a-culture-of-shared-growth\/","title":{"rendered":"Collaborative learning in the workplace: building a culture of shared growth"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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You\u2019ve probably heard the phrase \u2018collaboration in the workplace\u2019 many times during meetings, in strategy decks or in lists of company values. However, a survey has discovered that two-thirds of respondents (64%) claim that <\/span>poor collaboration is costing them at least 3 hours a week in productivity, with 20% claiming they are wasting as many as 6 hours per week.<\/span><\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For those organisations that collaborate well, a study by Stanford University found that employees are\u00a0<\/span>50% more effective at completing tasks<\/span><\/a>, boosting their intrinsic motivation and helping them become more engaged with their work.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Building a collaborative workplace culture requires the right strategies and tools. In collaboration with our partner Synergy Learning, this article draws on Totara\u2019s experience in supporting organisations to develop effective learning environments and explores practical approaches to collaborative learning<\/a> that drive productivity and engagement.<\/p>\n

What is collaborative learning in the workplace?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

Collaborative learning means building environments where people actively learn both from each other and with each other, whether\u00a0that\u2019s\u00a0through peer discussions, shared digital spaces or co-created content. A strong collaborative learning culture promotes knowledge-sharing<\/a>, innovation,\u00a0and collective problem-solving.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

According to social learning theory, people tend to learn faster and\u00a0retain\u00a0more when they solve problems together, share experiences, and reflect as a group. In other words, employees learn best by watching others, trying things out with support, and getting real-time feedback \u2013 especially when learning is embedded in day-to-day work<\/span>.<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In the workplace, this might look like watching a colleague solve a tricky customer problem, modelling how a manager gives constructive feedback or engaging in a discussion thread to discuss a shared learning topic.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Key benefits of collaborative learning in the workplace<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

Done well, collaborative learning is a catalyst for performance,\u00a0innovation,\u00a0and culture change. According to a study by the Institute for Corporate Productivity, businesses promoting collaboration were found to be\u00a0<\/span>five times more likely to be considered high-performing<\/span><\/a>. Here are three high-impact benefits of collaborative learning in the workplace for your organisation.<\/span><\/p>\n

Increased performance and productivity<\/h3>\n

When employees learn in isolation, valuable insights often stay siloed. Collaborative learning encourages team members to share\u00a0expertise, co-create resources, and solve problems together, making institutional knowledge more visible and accessible.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

One study by Stanford University revealed that\u00a0<\/span>working as a team can significantly boost performance<\/span><\/a>. Participants who were encouraged to work collaboratively continued with their task 64% longer than those working alone. They also experienced greater engagement, reduced fatigue and higher success rates \u2013 benefits that persisted for several weeks. This highlights how collaborative learning helps to bridge the gap between learning and performance.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Your LMS should allow organisations to create collaborative workspaces – areas where teams, job functions, project teams, locations or those with specific interests or skills can gather online to share knowledge and collaborate on projects.<\/p>\n

Improved knowledge retention<\/h3>\n

Social constructivist theory\u00a0tells us that learning is most effective when it happens in a social context, where learners engage in dialogue, co-construct meaning and apply knowledge to real-world scenarios. In workplace terms, this simply means that employees learn better when\u00a0they\u2019re\u00a0discussing challenges, applying new knowledge together and learning from each other\u2019s experiences.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

There\u2019s\u00a0a sweet spot between what a learner can do independently and what they can achieve with support.\u00a0It\u2019s\u00a0within this zone that learning really takes hold.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When teams collaborate through peer discussions or group workshops, they naturally engage in the kind of shared learning experiences that drive better outcomes. Working memory only has a limited amount of space. Collaborative learning distributes cognitive processing across the group, reducing the burden on any one individual. Learners\u00a0benefit\u00a0from seeing how others break down complex tasks, offering\u00a0different ways\u00a0to approach and simplify problems.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Your LMS should support group activities and structured peer discussions to help teams chunk information, clarify misunderstandings early, and avoid overwhelm, especially when tackling complex topics or compliance-heavy content. <\/span><\/p>\n

Creates a culture of trust and continuous improvement<\/h3>\n

When people feel safe to ask questions, share ideas and admit when they\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0know something,<\/span>\u00a0learning becomes part of the culture<\/span><\/a>. This is known as psychological safety, a term first coined by Harvard researcher Dr. Amy Edmunson, who defines it as \u201ca belief that one will not be punished or humiliated for speaking up with ideas, questions, concerns or mistakes\u201d.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When employees feel safe, they\u2019re more willing to experiment, give feedback and embrace challenges. High levels of psychological safety are positively associated with learning behaviour can promote creativity, and create an environment where team members provide feedback to each other. Google\u2019s Project Aristotle \u2013 a multi-year study into what makes teams successful \u2013 found that psychological safety was the number one predictor of high performance.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Collaborative learning in the workplace helps build this safety for the following reasons:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n