Mobile learning: what is it and how do you apply it?

What is mobile learning

To use mobile learning successfully, we first need to look at what mobile learning actually is. By definition, this form of online learning uses a laptop, tablet, or smartphone, with the smartphone by far the favorite. Almost everyone has a phone in their pocket these days, easy to pull out when you’re standing in line or on the go.

Why mobile learning and micro-learning go hand in hand

Learning on a mobile device does call for a different approach to your training, though. Participants have a shorter attention span. In a 50-minute module, they get distracted. So keep each module to 15 minutes at most. We call this highly focused form of learning micro-learning. So although mobile learning is about the medium, this form of e-learning also shapes the content of your training.

6 ways to do mobile learning

If you want to take advantage of mobile learning, you need to know its possibilities and its limitations. Here are 6 ways to use mobile:

• Break your training into smaller pieces of content (micro-learning). Make sure each piece, each module, is logically structured with a beginning, middle, and end. This helps participants absorb the material and apply what they’ve learned.
• Combine e-learning with mobile learning. For example, send participants a link to a case study between two modules. A case study like that is easy to read on a mobile device, when people are on the go. This keeps your participants engaged with the training.
• Let your participants reflect along the way on the knowledge they’ve gained, through a summary or a quiz. This type of content is ideally suited to m-learning.
• Send your participants a reminder of what they’ve learned, or have them complete an assignment. That way, they’ll get used to their new skills or knowledge faster.
• Make supporting resources easy to access, such as checklists, blogs, videos, protocols, or wiki pages that participants can consult at any time.
• Let your participants learn from each other too. To do this, link social media platforms to your e-learning that participants can visit on their mobile devices.

Another point to keep in mind is that the number of people who own a smartphone keeps growing. As a result, the number of apps grows too. This makes it harder to capture smartphone users’ attention. Add to that the fact that almost all apps are built to solve a specific problem or provide an answer, and you can see that the competition for mobile learning is fierce.

Final thoughts

If you want to make your mobile learning a success, then besides the 6 points above, you need to make the material short, relevant, accessible, and verifiable. Above all, make sure your participants can easily access the training on any mobile device. If your training is “responsive” too, you’re in good shape!