Mobile Training: How Mobile Is Changing The eLearning Game
Do you remember when cell phones were limited to making calls and playing snake? Not long ago the mobile device was just another tool to carry in your pocket (along with your camera, map, calculator, flashlight, iPod, and Gameboy… were pockets bigger back then?). Fast forward to 2018 and we’re using our phones to book flights, watch movies, and invest in Bitcoin – all while ordering dinner. And it won’t stop there.
We are going to show you why mobile is the future of eLearning and how it is going to change the training game, for the better.
Everyone’s Battery-Operated Best Friend
150. That is the number of times the average [1] person looks at his phone each day.
Shocking? Not when you consider the sheer amount of things we use our phones for on a daily basis. From calling an uber and organizing our schedules, to learning a new language and keeping us connected to the social network, smartphones have become an integral part of our lives.
And for the very first time, we’ve reached a point where mobile internet use has surpassed desktop use [2]. This trend comes as no surprise since the shift to mobile internet use has been slowly climbing as the preferred device by users worldwide for years.
This statistic is important because it highlights the fact that mobile has the power to support activities previously reserved for desktop use – including eLearning. We’ve reached a point where websites and programs are being offered with full functionality on both desktop and mobile, meaning users are no longer limited to one device for their day to day activities.
And let’s not forget mobile’s incredible power of maintaining our attention! Unlike virtually every other business tool on the planet, mobile’s usability is not restricted by simple limitations such as location, business hours, financial constraints, or learning curves. Nor is it influenced by basic human obligations like hunger pangs, family life, or even sleep. Nothing – not even the elements – can come between our attachment to our mobile phones.
This phenomenon is unprecedented and should not be ignored by anyone wishing to engage an audience! Always within an arm’s reach and maintaining attention spans from dawn ‘til dusk, mobile is the most direct channel to reach and engage your learners.
Learning In The Palm Of Your Hands
The mobile device gives way to countless opportunities when it comes to frequency of smart human interactions during training courses. Mobile applications will inherently encourage more social interactions simply because the user is able to receive notifications and quickly respond, which is an advantage over desktop.
And since we know human interaction is the key to learning [3], the ability to react and respond within the community of learners instantaneously is arguably the biggest value-add of mobile.
Another game-changer made possible by mobile is the arrival of learning-on-the-go. Portable learning is flexible learning, which means your team will be able to access relevant training material exactly when they need it. Think of a salesman brushing up on demo material right before a meeting, or a recruiter opening a video tutorial to use as a guide the first time she uses your new HRIS software – access to information will become unconstricted.
Mobile can take your existing course material and transform it from a static resource that is used once and never touched again, to a dynamic tool that is referenced frequently.
Introducing Mobile Training 2018
A recent study [4] shows that 60% of companies are already using the mobile phone as a business tool in the workplace, which is a step in the right direction! However, this number should be put into perspective with a study performed by the BrandHall Group which argues that 49% of companies that use the mobile phone only do so by using simple web browsers like Chrome or Firefox.
This means that the state mobile in the professional realm isn’t great at the moment, as it’s being used in a basic, limited function – and most companies aren’t leveraging the potential of mobile!
While companies who have deployed a mobile eLearning strategy remain in the minority, we continue to see eLearning and LMS applications emerging into the market, which shows that the mobile training initiative is gaining momentum!
Sadly, many of the eLearning apps that exist today seem to constitute a mere file repository with very minimal interactive functions: think PowerPoint presentations, file viewing, and little-to-no sophisticated development for a user-friendly experience.
It seems that all the ingredients for a great mobile training experience are there but many of today’s players are missing the target. To maximize the value added by mobile and truly change the eLearning engagement game, mobile training strategies should focus on taking what we already know about mobile browsing behavior and aim create a similar interactive experience within the courses.
Create A Mobile Experience That Would Engage YOU
How do you create something like this within your own eLearning strategies? You can start by asking yourself what kind of app would you want to learn with?
Would you want to scroll through PowerPoint slides on your train ride home? Or would you be more engaged by replying to a colleague’s comment on your most recent post, or answering a question from one of your new hires? It’s a no-brainer which of the two sounds more appealing.
The social interactions made possible by mobile are the drivers to engagement – and you can harness this in your eLearning courses! The constant connectedness of mobile makes it easier than ever before to engage with other learners, leave feedback, and ask questions within the course.
Take for example the 360Learning app (available for both iOS and Android ) which was designed with human interaction in mind. Inspired by web practices that have become habits, we’ve leveraged human behavior to generate exchanges that will ignite your learners and promote dedication to your training programs.
The 360Learning application features a timeline to generate a maximum amount of interactions between learners focusing on our training courses. And engaging with the platform is effortless, thanks to the ability to like and comment on relevant content, similar to Facebook.
Learners are encouraged to interact with one another and the ease of communication leads to a more dynamic environment, and a deeper learning comprehension. These simple functions can take a stagnant boring course and turn it into an engaging, active community.
Show Your Learners You Speak Their Language
Two things are clear: eLearning courses should aim to become interactive communities that encourage user-generated content and learner interactions. And mobile is the key to driving engagement among your learners.
Knowing that smart human interactions are the key to learning, this is an incredible opportunity to create an active community within your learners through mobile.
Show your learners you speak their language by giving them an interactive experience on their preferred device. You will be surprised at how much your engagement rates increase simply by introducing the value of mobile. 😊
To discover the best practices for leveraging mobile learning for your training strategies, download the eBook Mobile Learning – How To Leverage Mobile Learning For Your Training Strategies.
References:
[1] Which Generation is Most Distracted by Their Phones?
[2] Mobile and tablet internet usage exceeds desktop for first time worldwide
[3] How Human Interaction Increases Learner Success [New Scientific Study]
[4] Formation digitale: une croissance exceptionnelle du e-learning en 2015
Originally published at blog.360learning.com.
