Effective Strategies for Designing Mobile Learning

About Mobile Learning

Mobile devices have become an ubiquitous part of our society. People are constantly checking their devices for the latest news and updates. People are engaged with their mobile devices, which makes them an excellent resource to deliver training. . This allows learners the freedom to access training materials regardless of where they are. They can take advantage of time that would otherwise be spent doing activities such as waiting in line, riding on the bus, or flying on an airplane to learn the material.

Mobile Learning Design

Although mobile devices provide an excellent opportunity for training that occurs in small doses, not all content is appropriate for the mobile environment. Examples of lessons that work well for mobile training include microlearning modules of 2 to 3 minutes, short quizzes, learning games, and video content. More complex content is not suitable for the mobile environment. Even if all of the content is not mobile friendly, mobile learning design can supplement other training methods, depending on the material. One of the most important factors is that when mobile learning is incorporated, the learner must have an idea of how the information fits into the  course as a whole.

When designing content that may be viewed on mobile devices, it is important to make certain that graphics are simple and uploaded as a PDF document. The graphs must be designed in such a way that they are legible regardless of the screen size. You must also consider whether the material is easy to read in both portrait and landscape screen modes. Of course, file sizes should be kept to a minimum, especially if learners will be using their own device. You do not want to provide content that will become expensive to your learners.

In addition to the training on mobile devices, the same content should be available both online and offline to view on computers. A mobile connection is not always available and sometimes can go out of service. Your learners need to be able to access the information even when a mobile device or internet connection is not available.

Bottom Line

Learning on a mobile device can be an effective way to deliver short bursts of information and allow trainees to take advantage of time that would be otherwise nonproductive. However, designing courses for mobile devices differs from designing them for PCs or formal training settings. You need experts in the field who are familiar with course design for mobile environments.

It is important to consider what devices you are designing for and their limits. The lessons must be able to render just as well on the smallest devices as they will on the larger ones. You must also know what is suitable for your target audience and understand how they may enjoy learning. The design must also be intuitive and easy to understand with as little effort from the student as possible. The lessons must be an engaging and pleasant experience.

Effective course design must provide materials that are cognitively, emotionally, and socially engaging to allow the greatest retention of the material. Learning that uses games and requires the learner to actively engage with the material are the most effective. It is always a good idea to present only the main material on a mobile platform. The details can be filled in using more traditional eLearning via computers or other instructional platforms. The most important information should go at the top of the page with the least important information at the bottom. Brief versions of the material should link to longer explanations. Another important consideration is that the material and program must be tested extensively on a number of different devices before launch.

As you can see, there are a lot of considerations that must go into creating an effective mobile learning design. Designing Digitally has experience creating engaging custom content specifically for mobile learning. Their approach uses a partnership model that seeks to target the specific learning objectives and aligns them with the business purpose. Training design using this approach allows the client to be actively engaged throughout the entire curriculum and development of their product.

Designing Digitally, Inc. provides custom training solutions to help you provide the best mobile learning environment for your organization. Contact our Learning Solutions Specialists today to plan your mobile training strategy.