How to Ensure Higher ROI For Your Mobile Learning

According to the Association of Talent Development (ATD, formerly ASTD), organizations in the US invest more than $125 billion per year in upskilling and training their employees. But, the moment there is a cash crunch, the training budget takes a hit. This means that learning departments have to calculate the costs and carefully weigh benefits to costs before they get approval for their training budget. The return on investment (ROI) is crucial. ROI is dependent on the cost incurred and the gain accrued (ROI = Gain or Return/Cost). A successful mobile learning should bring gains that are greater than the investment.

Mobile learning has several unique benefits. It is accessible anytime and from anywhere. It is most used as a performance support learning format. The learning is available on demand and right when the learner needs it to perform a task or resolve a problem at hand. Here are a few ways in which mobile learning ensures a higher ROI.

Better savings: Traditional training for multi-campus organizations requires an investment in travel and accommodations for the learners and instructors. You have to book a training venue,rent training equipment, and pay for participant workbooks to be printed. In mobile learning, you can eliminate these costs. It is a self-paced learning format. Your employees can access it from the comforts of their desks or even their homes. Plus, you can assign the training to new employees without investing any additional time or money. Mobile learning is almost always a cost savings over classroom or Instructor-Led Training (ILT).
Less time: For traditional training, your employees need to take time away from their job roles to physically attend the classes. There is a limit to the number of participants in a class. But, with mobile training, your employees do not need to carve out time in their schedules. They can learn during their free time or when their workload is lighter. There is no limitation in terms of how many participants can attend the training simultaneously. As a result, it takes less time for the organization to train their employees.
Higher productivity: Mobile learning is accessible anytime you need it. It is a great performance support tool. Suppose an employee is creating a report in a newly-launched reporting tool. They get stuck at one point. The employee can pull up the relevant tutorial to understand how to resolve the issue and finish the task at hand. They do not have to wait for their manager or the helpdesk to respond and resolve the issue. As a result, the employee saves time and enhances productivity.

To ensure higher ROI for mobile learning, it is important for learning designers to keep these tips in mind.

#1: Analyze the training need

It is important to do a thorough training need analysis that will help you understand the gaps in learning. Your learning must have a clear impact on the business. The analysis should focus on what is lacking in terms of employee skills, and then plug that gap.

#2: Focus on application

The content of the mobile learning should focus on application. Most learners will not retain information by simply reading about a topic. The content should include exercises, games, case studies and interactions that encourage the learners to demonstrate their grasp of the knowledge. Consider creating resources such as templates, checklists and job aids to ensure that there is an application along with an impact.

#3: Create an effective assessment strategy

It is important to evaluate if the mobile training has met the required needs of the learners. You need to assess how much knowledge your employees were able to grasp. For this, you need to design an effective assessment strategy. You can choose a gamified approach with points and leader boards. Instead of using multiple-choice questions, consider using scenarios or simulated activities that will keep the learner engaged.

#4: Ask for feedback

It is important to be open to constructive criticism. Ask for feedback from your learners and act on it. Most learning management systems have analytics embedded. You can easily extract reports that provide metrics on how many learners completed the training, which modules were easier, where the learners stumbled, and so on.

When you want to convince your top management about the benefits of mobile learning, then it is important to show them the ROI of their investment. They want results and assurance that their investment will have a significant impact. With these few tips, learning designers can ensure a high ROI for the learning they design and develop.

At Designing Digitally, we create custom eLearning designed specifically for your training objectives. Our courses ensure strong retention of information and provide innovative ways to change learner behaviors.

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