Mobile Devices are an integral part of our lives both professional and personal. An average man starts the day with the mobile device (alarm, news, social feeds) and ends the day with it too. In 2017 BrightEdge research found that 57% of its online traffic came through mobile and tablet. Must add that those devices almost like a magic wand that pulls out tricks each time it is waved, in this case, clicked/tapped. For users, the attraction towards mobile devices mostly owes to its handiness and the ever-expanding functionalities that it offers. So, from work to learning everything runs smoothly with the right mobile device. No wonder that Mobile Accessibility is an important aspect of New Age eLearning too.
Essentially a mobile can handle anything from texts to calls to even complex software apps, and thanks to the application of AI and machine learning it is now capable of assisting users more than ever. So how can these affordances, the mobile devices, and the inherent features make learning easier for learners?
Micro-Learning
Delivering learning in smaller chunks makes learning easier for learning. Complex concepts can be divided into mini-courses, designed as videos or interactives that can easily be accessed on mobile devices. While using microlearning helps the learners learn easily, accessibility on mobiles helps them connect better due to the prevalence of device usage.
Reinforcement of Learning
We are all used to push notifications, one of the best ways to keep us updated, and more than often it acts as a reminder too. This feature can also be used to reinforce learning in form of revision modules, small assessments etc. Additional learning in form of case studies, live examples, tips, etc. too can be easily delivered using mobile devices. This improves both learning and retention without making it too much of a compulsion to learners.
Just-in-time Learning
Mobiles are devices we keep by our sides all the time. This aspect makes it the best device to deliver just-in-time learning or on-the-job support. While the course can be in any form, availability at the right time, ease of use, and understanding would make it effective. Club this with other features like AR and VR, mobile devices can sure take performance support to the next level. Imagine a learner working on product installation and suddenly gets confused about a component, all he/she has to do is scan the image and search for answers. Mobile devices bring pretty much everything to your fingertips.
Social and Collaborative Learning
Social Media is quite an influence these days. From knowledge curation to sharing and discussions social media tools act as the platform for learning. And with the flexing policies in organizations, those are now accepted as a part of knowledge sharing and collaboration. Mobile devices make this easier as most users consume a greater portion of data on mobiles than on any other device.
Apart from the four main features of learning on mobile devices, it also assists in the personalization of learning, improved tracking, feedback, and analytics. For learners, mobile devices make content sharing easier and even allow them to share self-generated content. Learning can be made more interesting and impactful by integrating the in-built features of mobile devices as used in many popular mobile games.
Mobile devices can also be used to nudge the learners towards learning using triggers, simple notifications, etc. It can also be used to initiate the Flipped classroom model wherein the concept is introduced forts through a course and then discussed to gain clarity and understanding. While this is mostly a mix of classroom training and eLearning, the discussions can also be done on mobile devices making it a completely mobile activity. Not to forget that the delivery format would essentially influence the impact too.
Mobile devices and learning definitely make learning easier for learners. With the advancing technology very soon, mobiles may be the only device we need to handle all our tasks.
So, is your organization ready to adopt the mobile learning strategy yet? Need assistance? Just drop us a message.