Mobile Learning Impacts on Corporate Training

It is not surprising that smartphones are selling more than notebooks and desktops. The millennial workforce is hooked to their phones and depend on them for almost everything – from calling and messaging, to shopping, to entertainment, and so on.

Why would learning be left behind? The Ambient Insight 2012-2017 Worldwide Mobile Learning Market report claims that 74% of the people surveyed use mobile devices for e-learning. Learners find mlearning convenient and an easy way to access information anytime and anywhere. There are other advantages too.

Think about these statistics, which clearly show that mlearning is gaining popularity and becoming the norm in corporate training strategies.

In 2018, 7 out of 10 professionals would prefer working on the move on their mobile devices.
60% of the employees surveyed feel that mobile devices are critical for work.
Almost 47% of companies worldwide have included mlearning in their training strategy.

Do not wonder any longer about whether you should offer mobile training solutions or not. If you want to catch the attention of your millennial workforce, it is critical that you let them learn the way they prefer to. This also ensures a return-on-investment for your training initiatives.

Here are five ways in which mlearning impacts your corporate training strategy.

#1: Easy access to information

The majority of your workforce belongs to the millennial generation. They have been born into technology. If you try to make them sit in one place and learn, the results will not be great. Instead, allow them the freedom to choose when they want to learn and from where. Since they are used to multi-tasking, they prefer to be able to access information while on the move. Mlearning makes this possible. Your employees can access content on their mobile device from anywhere and anytime. Of course, they need to be connected to the internet for that. Or, you may provide them the option of downloading content for offline viewing.

#2: Performance support at the point-of-need

One way to learn is through formal training courses. Another way to learn is while working on the task. This on-the-job training, which is growing in popularity, is quite effective too. Once your employees start working on their job role, they realize where they lack skills and expertise. When they get stuck doing a task, they need help to move forward. This is where mobile learning steps in as performance support tool. Your employees can access information just-in-time on their phone and move ahead with the task. This learning is considered a pull methodology because learners are taking the initiative to pull the information down when they need it, rather than training departments pushing it on employees whether they need it or not.

#3: Fewer training hours

Mobile learning does not require you to travel to the training venue and back. Since they can learn from anywhere, learners utilize their free time to access information, like while waiting for a client or traveling back home. This saves a lot of time. The employees do not need to stretch in their job role to accommodate training time. Also, a mobile learning format encourages short modules instead of long, drawn-out classes. This helps the learners assimilate, digest and retain the information better.

#4: Boosts collaboration

In this age of social media, people love to share their ideas and opinions. You can integrate the social aspect of mobile learning into your strategy. Encourage your employees to share knowledge and expertise. It is not essential for your employees to be present physically at the same venue to be able to share information. With mlearning, they can talk to each other via chats and discussion forums irrespective of their geographical boundaries. They can see each other through web-conferring tools and so on.

#5: Reaches all employees

Mobile learning content can be accessed by all your employees, no matter where they are situated. In remote locations, employees usually get late access to training or updates. But, if the information is updated online, all employees receive it at the same time.

Designing for mobile may involve a lot of work, but you need to invest the time and effort if you wish to keep up with the millennial generation. At Designing Digitally, Inc. we create custom mLearning modules designed for quick reference in the field, tablet and phone-friendly versions of our eLearning and serious game courses, and custom developed phone apps for Android and iOS stores.

To learn more about how we can create your mLearning solution, contact our learning solutions specialists through your mobile device!