7 Ways To Boost The Effectiveness Of Your Mobile Learning Course

7 Ways To Boost The Effectiveness Of Your Mobile Learning Course
Summary: Thanks to the growing popularity of mobile devices in recent years, more and more learners are now turning to their tablets and smartphones to develop their skill sets and absorb invaluable knowledge on a daily basis. In this article I'll share 7 ways that can help you boost the effectiveness of your mobile learning course and take it to the next level, so that you can offer your audience a learning experience that they'll never forget.

How To Boost The Effectiveness of Your Mobile Learning Course

The simple truth is that learners today are used to accessing information when and where they need it. Their mobile devices give them the ability to explore new ideas or expand their educational horizons in a matter of seconds. In other words, a mobile learning experience is effective simply because it gives learners the opportunity to learn anytime, anywhere, without limitations. Here are 7 ways that you can use to boost the effectiveness of your mobile learning course.

  1. Create brief videos that offer bite-sized learning opportunities.
    When learners are on-the-go and pressed for time, the last thing they want to do is sit through a half hour mobile learning course in order to get the information they really need. Instead, you can create 2 to 4 minute videos that they can access on their smartphones or tablets anywhere, anytime. Embed the video into your mobile learning course to give them a quick and convenient burst of information that they will be able to rapidly digest, no matter how lengthy their to-do list might be. Also, bear in mind that your learners will be accessing the video in a variety of environments, so keep the audio narration to a minimum, give them the option to adjust the volume, and highlight key ideas using bullet points or bolded text.
  2. Encourage active discussion through mobile apps.
    One of the most amazing things about a mobile learning experience is that learners can collaborate with their peers and  receive support from their instructors whenever and wherever. To integrate collaborative elements into your mobile learning course, why not encourage your learners to use mobile apps, such as Twitter chat or Google Hangouts to interact with other learners. Ask them to engage in active discussions in which they can benefit from the experience of their peers and explore ideas at length. This allows every member of your audience to voice their opinions and ideas, even those who may be unlikely to do so in physical classroom settings, as they are able to work in smaller groups and still retain some sense of anonymity.
  3. Get them involved by placing them in the role of instructor.
    When you switch roles and let the learners become the instructor they gain the opportunity to absorb and retain information more effectively. They must explore the topic on their own and put core ideas in their own words. You can achieve this in your mobile learning course by inviting your learners to use various mobile tools, such as survey, poll, or quiz creation apps, in order to design learning materials to be shared with their peers. You can also encourage them to create blogs that delve into the topic, or audio lectures that explore a sub-topic.
  4. Boost group collaboration through project management apps.
    There are a variety of apps that are ideal for online collaboration, such as Google Apps, that give learners the chance to work together remotely. Assign them a group task, such as creating a website or video presentation, and then ask them to complete the entire project using only their mobile devices. This way, your learners can communicate, share documents, keep track of deadlines, and offer invaluable feedback.
  5. Develop exercises centered around online research.
    As any eLearning professional will attest, online research can make the learning experience more meaningful and effective. Whether your audience is made up of fifth graders or corporate executives, integrating online research exercises into your learning strategy gives learners the ability to expand their understanding of the topic and access invaluable information when and where they need it the most. You can even encourage them to explore the various apps that are available to find ones that relate to the subject matter and utilize them to supplement their learning.
  6. Send out announcements and reminders via their mobile devices.
    You can also keep your mobile learning course more organized by sending out course notifications and announcements. Learners can receive reminders, course updates, and even links to additional resources via push notifications on their mobile devices, which can help to enhance the effectiveness of their mobile learning experience.
  7. Get invaluable feedback by creating mobile suverys and polls.
    There are a plethora of mobile apps specifically designed for giving and receiving feedback for your mobile learning course, such as Poll Everywhere and Socrative. By using these apps, you gain the opportunity to get invaluable feedback from your learners so that you can improve your mobile learning course design and/or gauge their level of satisfaction related to learning activities, multimedia elements, etc. Given that they can complete these surveys and polls anywhere, anytime, they are more likely to actually provide you with their honest opinions and ideas that can help you fine tune your mobile learning strategy.
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Using these tips you can boost the effectiveness of your mobile learning course, and hence give your audience the chance to benefit from it when and where it's most convenient for them. Even busy adults or distracted learners can achieve their learning or performance goals, thanks to the fact that you've taken the time to give them a truly memorable mobile learning experience.

Looking for ways to move your corporate training mobile? The article Create Effective Mobile Training Courses offers 8 tips and tricks on how to create an effective mobile training course for your organization.

In addition, if you wonder how to develop a successful mobile training strategy, read the article 8 Steps To Create and Develop an Effective Mobile Training Strategy where  I'll walk you through the mobile training creation and implementation process, so that you can tap into the learning power that mobile devices can offer to your learners.