Mobile Learning this, mobile learning that. Most often, we come across articles, blogs, infographics and eBooks that boast about the benefits of mobile learning, about how it helps in future proofing, its cost effectiveness, the multi-device angle and what not. We ourselves have written a lot about mobile learning-benefits, misconceptions, implementation strategies, challenges etc. But, before getting into the nitty-gritty of any of these, there is often a fundamental question that needs to be answered. Does your organization really need mobile learning?
Planning, analysis, good instructional design etc. can be of very less impact if the organization’s learning strategy doesn’t accommodate mobile learning at all. Say for instance, an organization with in-house employees alone and all restricted to on-desk profiles, mobile learning would have very less to offer in such a scenario. So, how do you check your organization’s mobile learning readiness? Here are a few questions that can assist.
Q1: Are Your Employees Tech Savvy?
Priority question indeed. Mobile learning becomes an important component for organizations with large number of millennials joining the workforce. They usually come with the expectation to undergo training the same way they experience social media and mobile games. They also tend to advocate the inclusion of BYOD policy in the organization.
Sub-questions to be asked here:
- What kind of devices are being used?
- What are the various roles of employees- which requires mobile learning the most?
- Is BYOD policy accepted in the organization?
- If so, what are the security guidelines and does mobile learning really fit in?
Q2: Are They Pushed for Time?
Irrespective of the demographic, if the general analysis points towards lack of time for training and general dissatisfaction towards traditional training methods, mobile learning can sure be a welcomed option for change. The flexibility offered by mobile learning can be helpful in utilizing downtime for learning instead of consuming time allocated for regular tasks.
Q3: Is Training a Stand-alone Process or an Assistive Process?
Well, could be a tough one to answer as it requires need analysis at various levels. Break it down to sub-levels:
- Does the employee profile need on-the-job assistance?
- If so, will mobile learning be the best option?
- Learning strategy? - Microlearning or Custom eLearning?
- Does the learning have immediate application/implementations?
Mobile learning offers great on-the-job support (performance support), and microlearning is considered to be a great way to refresh knowledge or impart small packets of information as a part of routine tasks without overly interrupting the workflow.
Q4: How Often Does the Content Need Updating?
This mostly depends on the training content. Compliance standards, software specifications, product (that are regularly modified) etc. require training content that has to be tweaked every now and then. In such situations microlearning modules or small mobile learning content can be easily updated in comparison with holistic eLearning models.
Training time, time taken for content updates etc. are factors that also influence the business turnaround time which also paves the path for adopting mobile learning. Long standalone training too often needs refreshers or revisions for better retention which is best delivered through microlearning on mobile devices. Undoubtedly mobile learning and microlearning is a match made in heaven.
Mobile learning tends to give easier and faster access to information, which in turn benefits both the end-users and the organization. The checklist above can assist you in taking the right decision. And if you still need help, the Knowzies team is just a click away.
Below are some of the blogs for your reference on mobile learning which might help you to firm up your decision on mobile learning-
- mLearning – Dos and Don’ts
- Mobile eLearning Development: 6 Tips To Consider
- Custom Mobile Learning for Enterprise Users – 7 Key Benefits
- The Top Tools for Mobile eLearning Development
- The Comparative Degree: mLearning Vs eLearning
- Importance of Mobile Accessibility in New Age eLearning
- Challenges of Mobile Learning in Corporate Training