Some organizations think they are “doing mobile learning” simply if their employees can access training on a mobile device, says Scott McCormick, cofounder of Float Mobile Learning. Instead of focusing on the device, however, “the focus should be on content and how it can help the target audience.”
While traditional e-learning is “a very linear experience”—with a start and a finish and multiple steps in between geared toward a broad audience—mobile learning delivers small nuggets of information tailored to individual learners at the moment they need it, ideally, he says, within two touches and 10 seconds.
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McCormick offers the following advice for ensuring the success of mobile learning initiatives. First, “reimagine how you train people, and take advantage of mobile learning,” he says. Mobile learning should not replace all other modes of training; instead, it should complement them.
Trainers also should “get mobile smart,” he says. “There are so many places where you can get information about mobile learning,” including books, blogs, conferences, and social media sites such as LinkedIn and Twitter.
In addition, as with any type of training, “you need to have a strong business case” for mobile learning and a process to measure success, McCormick says. He also recommends adopting the design philosophy that “less is more.” That is, with mobile learning, you don’t need animation and other bells and whistles. “It needs to be much cleaner [than traditional e-learning modules] and much more intuitive.”
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McCormick suggests designing new training modules for mobile training first and then using those as a basis for developing other types of training on the same topic. In addition, he recommends trying a prototype with a small group of employees, acknowledging that the learning and development team might need to learn new skills and assume new roles related to mobile learning, and implementing proper security measures.
For more information, see Float Mobile Learning’s blog at www.floatlearning.com or download the free “Float Mobile Learning Primer” from Apple® or Google Play stores.