Smartphones have become our extended hand. Most of us probably don’t go a single day without checking our phones. We do however go through days without picking up the big fat book that is full of the knowledge we want to or are supposed to acquire. (If you don’t, nice job!)
When it comes to learning new skills, why don’t you use that addiction we have to our phones, and get your employees to use them as a tool to learn?
Results of a recent study show that learners & instructors perceive mobile learning as positive, believing that it enhances the process of teaching and learning (Rana Alhajri, 2016). Around 47% of organisations around the globe are already using mobile learning and seeing higher learning engagement as a result.
These are the advantages that mobile learning can bring to your organisation:
- Instant access to extensive libraries of knowledge at the palm of our hands
- Absorption of easily digestible, bite-sized learning content anytime, anywhere
- Motivation through effortless tracking of learning progress
Being able to learn whenever and wherever employees are willing to can really enhance people’s interest in learning due to its advantageous convenience.
So now we know why mobile learning is the way to go, we need to make sure that we secure these advantages when implementing mobile learning into the organisation.
Implementing Mobile Learning
Taking the following 3 steps will ensure a smooth implementation of mobile learning for your organisation:
1. PLAN
Ask yourself the following two questions: WHY are you choosing mobile learning, and HOW are you implementing it? These need to be leading you through the process of creating a plan for implementing mobile learning in your organisation.
Take a closer look at the existing training methods your organisation uses and analyse which of these serve their purpose. Moreover, which learning needs do your employees have and how can mobile learning add value to fulfil these needs?
- Which devices will employees use and what will they be used for?
- In what way will mobile learning support the achievement of organisational goals?
- How would your employees like learning courses to be formatted to maximise their learning according to their preferences?
- Which measures will indicate success?
2. HOLISTIC LEARNING STRATEGY
To this point, how are people acquiring skills in your organisation? How will mobile learning fit into your overall training strategy?
It is not enough to make people sign up for a mobile learning app and expect that this alone will serve the purpose of acquiring skills that are needed for advancing as an organisation.
Mobile learning needs to be part of a holistic training strategy which could be including eLearning or face-to-face training or both. While mobile learning serves as a platform for people to acquire knowledge and skills wherever and whenever they like in a fun and engaging way, other learning methods can include blended learning, getting the best of both worlds with mobile learning and face-to-face training sessions.
3. REASON WHY
Which purpose is mobile learning supposed to fulfil for your organisation? Which problems is it meant to solve and which goals are you trying to achieve with it? Make sure to analyse your motivation for implementing mobile learning in order to shape it in a way that serves your organisation's needs.
To give you some direction, mobile learning can serve as a tool and platform for effective, on-the-go learning, consisting of the acquisition of learning content, long-term retention of information, practical application back to the workplace and evaluation of learning application effectiveness.
Once you have gone through these 3 stages of integrating mobile learning into your organisation, you will be well-equipped to embark on a digital learning journey together with your colleagues in the midst of a rising digital age.
Want to know more about embracing mobile learning into your organisation? We are always here if you want to contact us.
