7 Awesome Advantages Of Mobile Learning
Mobile learning is rapidly becoming the norm of eLearning! mLearning has invaded the eLearning scene, regardless of the age of the learner. A successful eLearning project caters to mLearning by default. In this article, we discover the top 7 advantages of mobile learning and why mLearning is the preferred method of learning.
Performance support or collaborative eLearning environment, mLearning has all the cards. Throw in the favorite handheld device (the smartphone) and your eLearning course becomes a favorite pastime!
What’s with the enormous success of mobile learning anyway? Why are learners more motivated to browse through screens and screens of mobile courses, but not the same ones on the desktop?
Here are a few takes on that question:
1. Shift in Learner Profiles
In a given organization, there are traditional learners, baby-boomers, Gen X and Gen Y. Most learners prefer using tablets and smartphones for learning.
2. Shift in Learning Patterns
More and more learners now prefer multimedia to stay engaged in a learning environment, for example videos, podcasts, audio as well as access to bite-sized learning, or microlearning on the go. They also appreciate more control over their learning sessions, i.e. being able to select which modules to complete first and which ones later.
3. Shift in device use pattern
Initiatives like BYOD (bring your own device) have created a mobile device-based learning environment. Maturing educational technologies and tools have also added to the trend of using mobile devices in a learning capacity. The ease of development and use of mobile learning apps and platforms – among other mobile learning tools – are also major contributors towards mLearning.
4. Shift of legacy courses to the mobile platform
Older courses can be migrated easily to the mlearning platform with minimal effort. This can create a better learning experience and provide the flexibility for learners to access the courses on the device of their choice.
What Are The Advantages Of Mobile Learning?
So now you have it all – the reasons why mLearning is gaining swift popularity. Let’s explore the mobile learning benefits now. We guarantee, you will become an mLearning believer!
1. Flexibility to learners
Flexibility is not limited to any one place or time anymore! Flexibility in mLearning also involves learning using videos, podcasts and other popular multimedia assets on smartphones.
2. Better completion rates and higher retention
The content presented in the mobile platform is chunk-sized and concise. The flexibility offered by the bite-sized mobile learning content is immense, as it enables learners to complete courses and initiate the next course as well. This fact eventually leads to a seamless, successful mobile learning user experience.
3. Collaborative learning
Engaging learners towards the establishment of online learning communities is more effective using mobile devices. This is one of the biggest mobile learning advantages, as learning as a process quite often suffers from lack of collaboration among eLearners.
4. Higher engagement
Extant research and statistics reveal a higher engagement rate when courses are delivered using the mobile format. One of the advantages mobile learning offers is that of personalization, which adds to the sense of engagement and motivation of the users. Moreover, the fact that mobile learning is accessible any time, any place by the users, helps learners stay on track with their training, which results in less dropouts.
5. Multi-device support
Perhaps one of the most significant benefits of mobile learning in education is that of multi-device support. In a mobile learning environment, the same course is available on various devices ranging from PCs, laptops, tablets and smartphones.
6. Performance Support
Learners prefer methods that are as unobtrusive to their daily routine as possible. This creates a learning habit that yields higher quality of performance. It also facilitates easy access to information while at work. And this part here is probably one of the biggest advantages of mobile learning education. When learners are able to find and retrieve just-in-time information easily using their personal mobile devices, this facilitates their overall learning experience.
7. Learning path
Phone based reminders and organizers are integrated with the mLearning platforms. Learners get ongoing notifications and updates on their courses, which they check anywhere and anytime. The can also resume their course easily, without unlearning previous content. The learning path established in an mLearning platform is more personalized and continuous.