This blog delves into the benefits of mLearning and how it could be used to impart highly effective training.
According to American Ambient Insight Report, 2011, 39% of organizations were already using mLearning. They also reported a growth rate of 29.3% among U.S. corporations buying mobile learning including market bigwigs such as IBM, Pepsi and Kraft. Why are mobile devices extensively used by companies to impart training? – Because these devices allow.
Learning to go wherever the mobile goes
Most of us carry our mobile devices wherever we go. Don’t we? These highly portable devices allow learners to access courses anytime, anywhere. They facilitate learning even in “dead time” – in hours considered generally unproductive such as time spent in travelling. This makes mLearning ideal for employees who are often hard-pressed for time. Indeed, learning goes wherever the mobile goes!
Power of mobile apps to be unleashed
Mobile apps could be used to easily and effectively present the learning content to learners. You can convert your existing PDFs, PPTs, audio and video into mobile applications. Organizations can develop learning apps that could be accessed on all mobile platforms thanks to an incredible paradigm in technology – HTML5. These cross-platform mobile apps make mLearning very cost effective because organizations can use a single app could be used to deliver content to “mobile learners” worldwide.
Workers to perform better
It is common knowledge that learning is useless if it cannot enhance the productivity of employees. mLearning helps enhance workplace performance because bite-sized lessons can be delivered efficiently on mobiles. Bite-sized lessons are very useful to reinforce learning in classrooms, virtual training sessions and eLearning programs. These lessons of very short duration (10-15 minutes) can be used by workers as ready reckoners because they provide relevant information at the right time and go a long way in providing just-in-time (JIT) support.
Gen-Y workers constitute the bulk of the workforce
mLearning is the learning format of “screenagers”. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Gen-Y employees make up 25% of the workforce. This figure is likely to reach 40% by 2020. These tech-savvy personnel are very comfortable and adept in using mobile devices. So, it is no surprise that these workers prefer mLearning to other learning formats.
M-learning is green learning
Mobile devices can be used to impart training that is environmental friendly. These devices help organizations to reduce their carbon footprint. It is well known that extensive use of paper is a major cause of deforestation. mLearning helps impart effective training with minimum usage of paper leading to minimum damage to environment. Mobiles bring learning into the pocket of the learner, reducing the need to travel and reduced travel leads to reduction in emissions from vehicles.
Thus, mobile devices can be used to impart highly effectual and environmental-friendly training that enhances your organizational performance by improving employee productivity. It is truly the future of corporate learning.
