Next Generation Training - Mobile Learning?

Manager's Guide to
Mobile Learning

When designing training, does it matter if you are training a traditionalist, baby boomer, gen X, or millennial?  Will some embrace mobile learning concepts and others shun it?  Like any other training, it depends on how it is designed and introduced.  According to the “Manager’s Guide to Mobile Learning” (on Amazon #ad) by Brenda Enders, there are four good reasons to use mobile learning to increase productivity and employee performance.  These are:

1. Transform dead time into productive learning time
2. Provide immediate access to critical information for better decisions
3. Improve the application of on-the-job training for targeted education
4. Increase collaboration among employees

I agree with Enders suggestion for dreaming big about what your mobile learning solutions can do for you and your business while being sure to implement those solutions in small chunks.  By keeping modules small and training time short, you reduce both risks and costs while quickly increasing business value related to training and collaboration.  Below are some suggested questions from page 93 for defining mobile learning content.

• What content do your employees need to increase their knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA)?
• When do they need this content and what will they be doing when they need it?
• What is the smallest amount of information you can provide to them to increase their KSAs?
• Is the content broken down into short learnable moments to support how they use their mobile devices?
• Does this content already exist in another training format?
• How does your mobile learning content blend or augment other training programs?
• What opportunities exist for providing mobile learning tools to support your staff?
• Does the content encourage collaboration and knowledge sharing among employees?

Since mobile learning requires both instructional design and software development expertise, useful methodologies you may want to review include ADDIE, SCORM, and SDLC.   If you are going to be part of a mobile learning team and are not a training professional, you may also want to check out ASTD Glossary of Terms so you will not get lost in the flow of training acronyms.