No other tool of technology has advanced and developed as much as mobile phones have in the previous few years. Every aspect of our lives is being altered by mobile phones. Everything from how we purchase to how we travel to how we exchange information has changed. With such enormous potential, mobile phones can also completely change the way we learn as well. Mobile learning can provide learners with unprecedented ease. With courses at their disposal, learners can pick up small amounts of information in their spare time. If you’d like to learn more about mobile learning, you can do it here.
Despite its flexibility and convenience, mobile learning has significant technological and social challenges that hinder it from becoming a widely adopted educational technique. Although there have been some advances in mobile learning, they have yet to have a substantial impact.
Here are some of the primary issues confronting mobile learning, as well as some potential solutions:
Screen Size Restrictions
Developing a course for laptops and desktop computers is not the same as developing an experience for any mobile device. Smartphones, for example, have substantially smaller screen sizes than computers. Although the size of the screen varies depending on the brand and type of mobile device, it is still modest.
Solution:
Modify the content. Making your eLearning content conform to small screen sizes will not suffice! Preferably, you should employ a progressive eLearning platform that automatically adapts the material to any device. The course developer should change the content by removing extraneous sections, modifying the experience, and even developing new content. All of this should be done keeping in mind that the content should be mobile-friendly. Concentrate on what you would like the individual to accomplish, retaining the key parts in mind at all times.
Data Usage and Response Time
Since not all devices include unlimited bandwidth, whether you’re considering a supplied devices strategy or Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) alongside your mobile training implementation, internet requirements should be considered. Employees will be hesitant to use big amounts of their own data because excessive usage might be pricey and a good WiFi connection isn’t always accessible.
Solution:
The solution is to use an LMS that was created with data use and load speeds in mind. A mobile-friendly LMS would be easily optimized for the optimum performance on any device, ensuring that no one is hit with a hefty phone bill.
Additionally, graphics, eLearning content, and other LMS elements can be compressed and the size of data files lowered without sacrificing the quality to ensure quick loading speeds. In our fast-paced environment, a slow-loading LMS can make a significantly negative impact on overall learning engagement.
Privacy and security of data
Mobile learning encourages users to complete training courses on their own devices. As the number of unmonitored mobile connections grows, so do the risks of security problems. Training programs may contain critical corporate data or expose the organization’s network to the outside world, raising the likelihood of data theft dramatically. Organizations must handle the security problems associated with all mobile data traffic on devices before beginning a mobile training session.
Solution:
Mobile internet security mechanisms are rapidly improving and will soon be as secure as computers. So, make sure that your mobile learning tool is ready to adapt these protocols as and when required. You can also require the learner to have antivirus equipment pre-installed in order to further secure your data.
The difficulty of learner supervision
The question of learners being able to complete training courses without supervision is big. Will they be able to complete the training properly or will they speed through it to check the box? Managers are usually concerned about both of the aforementioned issues. Fortunately, there are a few options for overcoming this obstacle.
Solution:
The first thing you can do is to use eLearning analytics to determine not just whether a learner has finished a training module, but also their scores and feedback comments. In the weeks and months following the completion of the instruction, you can also look for improvements in their productivity or a shift in their behavior. It can also help to create and maintain a learning culture in your organization, where education and professional growth are welcomed and encouraged.
Learners’ ability to focus is reduced
Your employees are used to juggling many tasks and thoughts at once. It’s perfectly natural. Due to the number of distractions nowadays, the human attention span has decreased. Examples of common distractions include social networking, online shopping, chat rooms, and so on.
This is a significant difficulty to address when creating your mobile learning programs today. This means that your material must not just be excellent, but the interface and design must also be intuitive and appealing enough to capture the participant’s attention from the start.
Solution:
Your staff will not be able to focus for 30 minutes, or 40 minutes, or an hour. Instead, small 3-7 minute lessons match today’s learners’ capacity for paying attention. Make sure you just include “must know” material – leave out all the history, additional details, and theories – and focus on providing actionable, practical information. Provide various content formats that are appropriate to the employee’s stage. Use a variety of media and resources to keep learners interested throughout the learning process.
Content Compatibility
Mobile phones rarely support content designed for classroom instruction or eLearning. Data files and formats suitable for a PC frequently cause performance issues on mobile devices. The chore of refurbishing or reproducing the content for mobile phones might cause havoc with your training schedule.
Solution:
Since phone sizes, as well as hardware capabilities, vary so considerably, various formats of the content must be generated. This will make sure that the mobile learning experience for the learners is a seamless one. The use of writing and authoring tools makes curating content for numerous devices and platforms simple. Identify the requirement for a mobile learning module curriculum early in the development process, and arrange your material accordingly.
Conclusion-
Mobile learning is set to become an essential component of employee training in the future. Whether you want to change your organization’s learning culture, increase learning engagement, or give your staff more flexibility, mobile is a terrific option to make a positive difference in your learning strategy. A mobile-friendly LMS can assist you in overcoming the challenges to mobile learning, which range from screen limitations to budget constraints.
