Misconceptions About Mobile Learning
When it comes to mobile learning, myths and misconceptions abound. The domain is still new to many, so confusion is to be expected. These myths, however, are holding back widespread adoption of mobile learning in the workplace. Here are some of the more common misconceptions we’ve encountered –
SMARTPHONE LEARNING IS ONLY FOR EASY TOPICS. If the lesson is on Project Management or Strategic Thinking, it might not be suitable for the platform, right? Mobile learning is not for simple information only. On the contrary, it is great for breaking complex knowledge into digestible, bite-sized pieces, following an organized sequence that prevent people from getting lost and switching off. Bite-sized learning on mobile allows you to progress at a personal pace and it gives you ability to go back and revisit any time.
SMALL SCREEN IS NOT SUITABLE FOR LEARNING. Unless you are planning to deliver large programs or 150 page documents on mobile, screen size should not be an issue. When your staff needs just-in-time information to perform better, screen sizes will not matter much. What will really matter is the ease in which users access information, how it is presented, and how usable it is in for accomplishing job performance.
CREATING CONTENT FOR SMALL SCREENS IS A LOT OF WORK. Content creation and time to market on a mobile platform is actually much faster than web-based e-learning. Mobile technology is much easier, and conversion of powerpoint and other files into ‘bite-sizes’ is easy and fast for learning and development experts. Besides, the new breed of mobile instructional designers can turn complex content into engaging interactive learning journeys in less than 2 weeks.
EMPLOYEES DON’T LIKE USING THEIR PERSONAL PHONE FOR CORPORATE LEARNING There is actually a growing population of individuals who rely on their mobile devices to seamlessly move between work and play; they do not distinguish between work and private life, and love engaging on their gadget. Training on the smartphone gives them a very personal learning experience – they can learn when they want it, how fast they want it, and where they want it.
MOBILE LEARNING MAKES TRAINERS REDUNDANT. Self preservation, you have to love that! Face-to-face training done in an interactive way is largely the best training you can give your employees. However, it is expensive, not easy to scale, not just-in-time and not appealing to everybody. In comparison, mobile learning is delivered anywhere, anytime and can sustain learning over a period of time.
There is no rule saying that you or your learners have to be fully committed to mobile learning. Of course you could offer mobile only courses, but you could just as easily allow your students to access their courses from both their desktop and their phones. But you can also use mobile learning as a complementary side-channel to your face-to-face learning offering. Mobile learning, in the end, is what you make of it, and this also depends on what the needs of your learners are.
