Designing Digitally
12/07/2017
Constant innovation and advancements in technology has driven people to depend greatly on mobile devices, such as tablets and smartphones, when it comes to their day-to-day activities and work. Today people shop for a variety of things, including groceries using smartphones and tablets. It is understood that businesses around the world have picked up on this new trend. This trend has provided all the necessary reasons for businesses to migrate their learning content to these devices, and making content more easily accessible and portable.
When it comes to mLearning, business organizations have begun offering learners unprecedented and streamlined access to trendy content, which provides them with a massive competitive benefit. Before implementing strategies to integrate mLearning throughout different mobile devices, there are significant factors that need to be taken into account to ensure a successful launch.
The meaning of mobile learning may differ from person to person. However, a majority of people have the same perspective on it, which is that it is a platform for learning whose content can be accessed via tablets and smartphone. Mobile learning is essentially learning that occurs when using mobile devices, without being geographically restricted or without dependence on PCs.
Because mobile learning and e-learning programs are designed to initiate varying objectives, they have to be designed differently as well. You have to understand that when it comes to mobile learning, your target audience will be viewing everything on small screens. Another aspect to consider is the impact of mobile learning on the user’s data plans.
What does that tell you? You need to design learning that is easy to navigate, doesn’t take a lot of time to access, has easy to tap icons and the content should be to the point, concise and relevant. You don’t want learners to waste their data plans accessing information or to waste time searching for what they want to see, which results in a loss of productivity.
When it comes to mLearning in business, you have to understand that there is a high degree of device variability in these modern times. Smartphone and tablet design companies continue to launch newer shapes, sizes, screen resolutions and the OS. This is where your mobile learning developers, as well as designers, need to stay updated in regards to launching and rendering content across a multitude of smart devices.
For instance, if you have a mobile learning module that is designed to easily be accessed and seen on a smartphone screen size measuring 960 x 540, do you have any idea how the same content would look on a screen resolution measuring 2560 x 1440? Are you thinking about launching your mLearning module on a single OS or multiple OS? If you are, how would that impact learners who don’t use that particular OS? These are analytical aspects that designers need to take into account.
Assessments and authentic analysis are two major ingredients when it comes to gauging the response and results of any program whether it is eLearning or mLearning. Not only does this encourage your learners to invest wholeheartedly in the training provided, but also it is an effective measure to collect vital feedback about the authenticity and effectiveness of the mobile learning program.
Always keep in mind that your learners are not children. They are adults, which means they will not take too kindly to being actively monitored. They aren't taking an examination. But it is also important to check and see whether any foul means were used in order to obtain authentic feedback. Is there a safe way to observe them without being involved? Yes, there is. It is quite possible to configure the smartphone cameras on their devices (both front and back) in order to see if there was any cheating in mobile based tests.
All in all, these are some important tips for businesses to implement for designing a more streamlined mLearning module and to help their target audience access exactly the content they need, when they need it.
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