The top 10 reasons why mobile learning is the future of education
Mobile learning has grown exponentially in recent years, coinciding not just with the rise of smartphones and handheld devices, but also the level of dependency individuals place on the technology. According to Marketing Land, 65 per cent of all digital media is viewed on smartphones. And according to DScout, the average person spends nearly three hours on their smartphone each day, touching the screen more than 2,600 times and glancing at it roughly 221 times. With these numbers in mind, it’s no surprise that learning has found a niche market in the mobile world. According to ReportLinker, the global mobile learning market will hit over US 78.5 billion by 2025.
With the increasingly remote nature of education and work, academic institutions and employers have needed to rely on online learning platforms to help train employees and teach students. According to Forbes, in 2017, 87 per cent of higher education institutions in Canada and the U.S. reported using some form of eLearning platform. And according to a market analysis by Global Industry Analysts, Inc, 77 per cent of American companies have already used online learning to train their workforce.
Here are some reasons why mobile learning is worth investing in.
1. It’s flexible
Today’s students are juggling multiple jobs, and employees are increasingly ‘deskless’ and remote. The success of mobile learning can be credited to its flexibility and is a defining feature of why it is so effective. Mobile learning allows participants to chose when they want to conduct modules or lessons and can be done anywhere at any time. It’s the perfect platform for the student or employee on the go.
2. It works with microlearning
Courses that incorporate microlearning can sometimes see their completion rates rise from as low as 15 per cent all the way up to 90 per cent. When paired with mobile learning, it has the added benefit of allowing for push notifications, cloud distribution and translation. As the name implies, microlearning is when complicated information is broken down into bite-sized chunks. These ‘chunks’ are highly-targeted lessons that are easier to digest and therefore, easier to retain and remember later. It can be combined with gamification and spaced repetition, plus, the courses remain easily accessible and available to participants on a device that’s already used frequently.
3. It’s personalized
We all learn at different rates. In brick-and-mortar classrooms, everyone is expected to follow at the same pace, which is unrealistic and doesn’t account for individual learning needs. But with a mobile learning app, each participant is in control and can learn at a pace they are comfortable with, while also focusing on areas they know they need to improve or have a harder time with.
4. It merges best practices with technology
The face of teaching and digital learning has changed dramatically over the years, fueled by access to handheld devices, more sophisticated technologies, and research in effective learning techniques. Mobile learning, unlike in-person training sessions or eLearning software, can be quickly adapted to reflect the newest technology or latest research, and immediately updated to hundreds or even thousands of users to reflect new industry trends.
5. It’s cost-effective
Trying to gather employees from different locations in order to attend the same training in the same room given by one instructor can be expensive, time-consuming, and ineffective. Mobile learning significantly reduces these costs, because no one needs to move in order to give a lesson, and training can be done on the participant’s own time on their personal or work device.
6. Learning is immediate
Is your employee struggling with a task or having trouble remembering specific product information? With conventional learning, they would have to potentially wait until the next organized training session. But with Mobile Learning, they can select the modules in which they want to improve their skills and immediately go through them. In this way, mobile learning makes learning immediate, when employees need it most.
7. It makes learning fun
Nobody likes to feel as if they are being tested or forced to learn something. So make learning fun! By incorporating elements of gamification into your mobile learning platform, you’ll engage your audience through play and increase the likelihood of them continuing to participate, while also encouraging engagement and positive feelings towards the platform and the experience. Ultimately, this will result in higher completion rates and much more satisfied participants.
8. It’s more engaging
People are more likely to retain information that they learned if they are engaged with the content. Reading a wall of text is long and isn’t an effective means of retaining information. According to the Social Science Research Network, over 65 per cent of people are visual learners. Mobile learning allows you to incorporate video, have a responsive design and include a whole array of other visual elements. By incorporating stats, graphs and other visually appealing designs, not only are you more likely to grab and keep your participant’s attention, but they are also more likely to remember the information.
9. It’s versatile
Mobile learning is versatile. By drawing on a wide selection of available templates, you can choose the one that best fits your needs and that would be best received by your audience. It can be completely adapted to fit your specifications and include elements of spaced repetition, gamification, and microlearning as needed.
10. It’s the preferred method for users
Employee turnover is expensive for employers and over a quarter of surveyed employees cite a lack of opportunities for growth as a key reason for leaving an employer. When it comes down to it, employees like to be offered training, but in-person training sessions are often seen as long, tedious and unproductive. Mobile learning allows users to take the training they want when they want it. Instead of having to plan their day around it, they can instead incorporate it into their routine seamlessly.