The need for mobile learning (mLearning) alternatives has grown exponentially in the last ten years. This rise is primarily because learners increasingly travel everywhere with wireless mobile phones, which implies that learners may obtain training materials, download crucial information, see video lessons, and participate in online workshops anywhere they have internet connectivity. This convenience is one of the factors why mLearning is quickly growing in importance for producers of higher learning.
Here in this article, we will include five core elements you’ll want to incorporate into your mobile learning strategy as quickly as possible. But before that, let’s understand what mLearning is and how it differs from eLearning.
What is mLearning?
mLearning, often known as mobile learning, is eLearning optimized for mobile devices like smartphones and tablets. It’s a method of learning that makes the most of the benefits of owning a mobile device to produce improved and more targeted educational materials for your employees.
What Distinguishes mLearning from eLearning?
Below is how mLearning and eLearning are similar yet different from each other.
Mobile Learning
With a smartphone and internet access, we can now study anywhere. While it is not entirely new, the pandemic has undoubtedly played a significant role in making it popular.
Thanks to smartphone technology, users may now access data at any time and from virtually any place. This sort of education aims to facilitate learning for those who find it challenging to sit still for extended periods in a class or participate in other conventional teaching methods.
The critical distinction between eLearning and mobile learning is that the latter offers more sophisticated characteristics and facilitates faster learning. While eLearning enables learners to have a thorough knowledge of a subject without sitting in a four-walled classroom, mobile learning successfully makes high-quality material accessible to learn those subjects.
eLearning Courses
eLearning programs are intended for those with reliable internet access at their residence or employment. Although smartphones and tablets are used in mobile learning, eLearning is not just for these devices. They can be found online. You can enjoy eLearning courses on a variety of platforms.
Anyone can join eLearning courses on a desktop computer, tablet, laptop, or smartphone, allowing you to study wherever, at any time.
eLearning programs are frequently created for specific programs. These courses are designed to provide the optimum learning experience for learners and fit into a course’s overall structure.
More emphasis is placed on providing and effectively delivering data to learners in mLearning. Indeed, mobile learning gives employees the information they need. But without the proper support, they won’t be able to finish their program effectively and efficiently.
eLearning programs are created for continuous learning and offer learners excellent content and direction for their lives. There is no time limit on how long learners can attend a program.
What are the major mLearning advantages and disadvantages?
mLearning modules won’t be helpful for every training topic, but when appropriately utilized, mLearning offers training that is:
- Exactly-in-time
- Handy and portable
- Quickly-accessible
- Interactive
The following situations are ideal for mLearning for employee training:
- Tools that support performance, including checkpoints, references, or spreadsheets
- Games, drills, or simulations used in pre-workshop or ongoing instruction
- Issues for formal instruction that are brief, sometimes known as micro-lessons
- Casual, on-the-fly lessons and videos
- Utilizing cutting-edge technology in business training, such as augmented reality
But mLearning does not replace eLearning or in-person instruction. A simplistic approach, activity, or objective must be the center of mLearning for it to be successful. This circumstance implies that it may be unsuitable for extensive beginning modules or complex subjects that require a great deal of description and exercise.
Similarly, displaying intricate images or flowcharts on a mobile device is challenging. Although mLearning can and ought to supplement these more general themes, it isn’t the best method of instruction in these situations.
However, there are ways to make mobile learning more effective. Below are the five essential components you should incorporate into your strategy.
1. Social Learning
Employees have become more and more sociable at work because of the rise of social media sites and devices, particularly while using their mobile devices. Therefore, if you wish your mLearning tactics to continue to be effective, be sure to combine social learning experiences with mobile learning opportunities.
2. Microlearning
Microlearning will guarantee that educational materials are suitable for on-the-go, easily influenced mobile learners. But for it to continue working, you must ensure you apply it correctly. You must choose relevant topics and use a suitable microlearning format to ensure effectiveness.
3. Interesting Video Material
It’s time for your company’s mobile learning method to incorporate and utilize compelling video content. Whether or not you provide it, your learners will look for video because it is simple to access on portable devices. Additionally, video content is simpler to organize, disseminate, and repurpose and may improve the retention of information.
4. Participatory Activities
Ensure that learners’ tools and learning experiences are engaging to maintain your mLearning tactics relevantly. Include gamification components, offer tests and questionnaires, hold live webinars or podcasts, and more. Introducing monetized educational content is another option.
5. Mobile-First, Learner-Focused Apps
Most workers and employers currently use mobile phones for learning, anticipating personalized and engaging mobile educational experiences.
Therefore, if mobile learning apps are to be successful and continuously produce a high return on investment, they should be created and implemented with the user in view and using a mobile-first strategy.
Conclusion
Your workforce is already adopting mLearning. The most effective mobile learning programs are reference materials or targeted, brief micro lessons that your staff may access anywhere. While your employees are preparing for a conference to begin, while they’re in a line someplace, or while they are on the floor interacting with clients, you can record essential training opportunities. However, make sure mLearning is matched correctly to your topic of study before diving in.
Mobile instructional strategies must be well-organized to remain adequate to make mLearning more successful. For the student to get interested in the material being presented, they must also be engaging and fun to use. We hope this article helped you better understand the five core elements of a successful mobile learning strategy.