The days of bulky textbooks and slow-moving Learning Management Systems are long gone (LMS). Smartphones have become an integral part of our daily lives, and education is no different.

How often have you grabbed for your phone when a thought occurred to you? We already use our cellphones to learn when we need to, and mobile learning aims to capitalize on these habits and provide continuing learning and upskilling possibilities.

We’ll go over what mobile learning is, its major characteristic, the advantages of mobile learning, and how to build up your mobile learning plan for success in this tutorial.

1. Mobile learning: definition

“Education (learning) over the Internet or through a network utilizing personal mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones to access learning resources through mobile apps, social interactions, and online educational hubs, It is versatile, allowing students and learners to access education at any time and from any location.”

A prevalent misunderstanding is that mobile learning just means learning on your phone. The most significant aspect of mobile learning is that it emphasizes the learner’s mobility by allowing them to learn anywhere and at any time.

It’s just as important to consider the learner’s context as it is to consider the device they’re using. As a result, we’ll refer to mobile learning as the principle of employing technology to learn when and where it’s needed.

2. The benefits of mobile learning

Smartphones are currently used by 80% of the world’s population. Mobile phone usage has increased to 97 percent among millennials, who now make up more than half of the worldwide workforce. Millennials, on the other hand, don’t merely use their phones; they are enslaved to them. 90% of people have their smartphone with them at all times.

It’s understandable that the most effective method to contact a modern student is through the device that they use – and rely on the most, but how does this affect learning?

According to studies, mobile learning boosts productivity by up to 43%, with students finishing courses 45 percent faster than those who learn on a desktop. This is primarily owing to mobile learning elements like micro learning modules and gamification. Condensing vast amounts of material into little chunks provides for a speedy and easy learning experience, while adding interactive components like quizzes and leaderboards keeps learners engaged and motivated.

Better still, having instant access to tiny bursts of knowledge makes studying a habit rather than a work. Learners may pick up their phones, finish a 2-3 minute lesson, and then return to their previous activity. This implies that learning may be integrated into their current process, and users will quickly see its worth, resulting in increased employee engagement. From a commercial standpoint, mobile learning is also advantageous. More than half of business executives report increased growth as a result of incorporating mobile learning into their staff training, since it not only increases productivity but also increases retention. According to LinkedIn research, 94% of employees would stay at their current firm longer if it invested in their professional growth.

3. Top suggestions on how to achieve with mobile learning

We understand why mobile learning is advantageous for workforce training, but what can we do to make the most of it?

Here are some of our best recommendations for developing a successful and impactful mobile training plan.

• Make it simple for people to get started.

Learners will assess whether the smartphone learning platform is worth the time and effort in 4-5 clicks. Reduce friction throughout the onboarding process and make it simple to restart learning once signed in using seamless learning, which provides learners with immediate access to learning content without the need to log in.

• Make sure your mobile learning is mobile-friendly.

Mobile learning is more than just scaling down current desktop e-learning to fit on a smartphone screen. Consider how you and your students use their phones, and then build on that to create a fun and dynamic mobile learning experience. Replicating common activities from their favorite apps will aid in the creation of a user-friendly, intuitive interface.

• To improve retention, use micro learning.

Micro learning combined with a mobile approach is a winning combination for enhanced engagement and long-term knowledge retention. Condense large paragraphs of material into short, snappy courses that only contain the knowledge that individuals need to succeed in their careers. 2-4 minute spurts are the sweet spot.

• Make use of audiovisual content.

There’s a reason we prefer YouTube lessons to textbooks these days: we’re 95 percent more likely to remember knowledge delivered in video format because our brains interpret it better. Try using video in your mobile learning material with a personal greeting from the CEO, a safety demonstration, or a ‘day in the life’ type ride along, emulating the bitesize video content we’re used to seeing on social media.

• Play around with gamification.

Applying game mechanics like points, leaderboards, and the ability to ‘level up’ allows for a more engaging experience for end users and encourages repeat usage – it’s why we become addicted to game applications on our phones, and it’s what’ll help you increase training completion rates. Companies who use gamification aspects into their training experience a 60% boost in engagement and a 50% increase in productivity.

• Use a conversational, light-hearted tone.

Most people’s warning bells go off when they hear the words “business training.” Use a light-hearted, conversational tone in your mobile learning programmed to combat this impression – it’s more engaging, it makes training feel less like a ‘task,’ and it’s a better match for a more informal platform.

• Encourage lifelong learning.

The beauty of mobile learning is that it gives end users with 24/7 access to training that they can finish at their leisure, and it doesn’t have to end with onboarding. Encourage continual learning by offering new ways for them to upskill and improve performance, such as putting up prompted and contextual notifications that direct them to the appropriate training course.