Mobile Learning Solutions: What’s In It For Corporate Training?

Mobile devices have had a huge impact on our personal as well as professional lives. Take the case of the ubiquitous mobile phone. It was first introduced to enable people to talk, even while on-the-go. Who would have thought that one day mobile phones would be used as tools to facilitate learning? But, in today’s technologically advanced world, mobile is the new normal, and hence mobile learning solutions are increasingly popular in corporate training.

For corporate training to offer real value, you need to have a clear strategy and implementation plan in place. It is not necessary to spend millions of dollars to provide an effective online training program for the employees in your organization. Here’s what corporates gain by taking the mobile route, and implementing mobile learning solutions.

Flexible Training Methodologies

The young workforce of this century is looking forward to learning on their terms.

• They do not want learning to be restricted to the classrooms.
• They like to use technology to learn.
• They want to stay in control of their learning.

Whether your employees are working from home or commuting to work every day, mobile learning solutions make it possible to deliver training wherever they are. The flexibility offered by mLearning modules, makes it possible for learners to go through the training content at their own pace. They can also review the training material as often as necessary.

Performance Support Tools

It is a fact that most of the learning at the workplace, happens on the job. It is only when we get started on tasks, do we realize the skill gaps and start working on closing that gap. Mobile learning solutions act as excellent performance support tools. Imagine you have to train salesmen on certain products. It is impossible to remember all the features of a product. In order for salesmen to make a good sales pitch, you could consider providing product training through mLearning. This information is available to your employees, right when they need it.

Just-in-time learning acts as a pull mechanism. You do not have to follow up with learners to make them take the training. Instead, learners voluntarily look up information at their moment of need.

Consider this scenario, where you have already conducted a training for employees on the shop floor, on operating a new machinery. Two months later, they get to lay their hands on the machine. Chances are that employees would have forgotten more than half of what they have learned. Provide short, step-by-step instructions to operate the machine, through a mobile learning solution (video). Presto, operating the machine has never been easier.

Collaborative Learning

Collaborative learning encourages employees in your organization to share knowledge and reach out to one another to get better at work. Knowledge is more effective when shared.

It is not necessary to attend a classroom training in order to interact with other learners. Employees who are located in diverse geographical areas can share their knowledge or post questions on online platforms and forums.

Mobile learning solutions can encourage the use of instant messaging and web-conferencing tools that can be installed on learners’ mobile devices. This helps foster a learning culture in the organization. Establish a corporate learning community in your organization. This can help employees expand their knowledge, thereby improving employee productivity.

Improved Training ROI

Mobile learning solutions offer a wider reach of training programs. Employees in remote locations are able to catch up with the training programs in their organizations through mobile devices. M-learning fits into the busy schedules of employees, and can reduce training time by almost 50%.

Since learning is delivered in small packets, there is better retention of information. The use of mobile devices in training increases employee engagement with learning.

Implementing mobile learning solutions increases productivity, thus boosting the organization’s revenue. For training managers and L&D professionals who are focused on delivering training using the best methodologies, mobile learning offers the perfect solution to train employees wherever they are.

Have you used mobile learning solutions to train your employees? If yes, please do share the positive changes that it has effected in your organization.