THE SOCIAL MODELS OF LEARNING
Dalma Lilla Dominek*
Ludovika University of Public Service and Learning Institute, Budapest, Hungary
∗ Correspondence: dominek.dalma.lilla@uni-nke.hu
DOI : 10.66538/DH.2026.2.1.
Abstract
The study examines the social models of learning from an interdisciplinary perspective, with particular emphasis on how the conceptualization of learning has shifted from individual cognitive models toward social, network-based, and digital learning systems. The central aim of the study is to explore how different theoretical approaches—namely Social Learning Theory [2], constructivist and cultural-psychological perspectives [21], and connectivism [15] —interpret the emergence, transfer, and social embeddedness of knowledge. The study particularly addresses the paradigm shift brought about by the information society and the widespread adoption of digital technologies. In contemporary learning environments, knowledge can no longer be understood as a static entity but rather as a continuously evolving phenomenon distributed across networked structures [4]. As a consequence, learning increasingly becomes a collective, decentralized, and dynamic process in which the role of the individual is not limited to that of a passive recipient, but extends to that of an active network builder. The research is based on a theoretical and literature-driven methodology, and its aim is not empirical generalization but rather the conceptual systematization and critical interpretation of social models of learning. The findings indicate that a common feature of 21st-century learning theories is the central role of social interaction, communication, and technological mediation. The study concludes that the most effective learning models are those that integrate traditional pedagogical structures with collaborative and network-based forms of learning, thereby bridging individual knowledge and collective intelligence.
Keywords: learning, society, model, collective intelligence, digital learning