Mobile technologies and web platforms are advancing faster than training methodologies so keeping up with the trends is getting more and more difficult. There is a growing need to develop training initiatives for a technology landscape that is evolving at a remarkable pace without having to redevelop content for each device or platform.

Making the move to mobile can be overwhelming. There are many obstacles organizations fear that give them pause about making the shift. Some organizations doubt they have the budget, design, and delivery skills, or even the devices required to support multi-device delivery. The good news is that most of the perceived obstacles to making the move to multi-device learning can actually be easily overcome.

A number of different documents are distributed to learners during an instructor-led course. In many cases these documents exist as PDF documents, which creates a number of challenges. Distributing the documents securely may eliminate external resources like USB drives. When the documents are stored locally, there is no central way to update them and keep them up-to-date. Most critically, it is extremely challenging for workers to take notes on PDF documents.

There is an overemphasis on mobile technologies in the mobile learning conversation. That may sounds strange, but it’s true. Mobile strategy isn’t really about mobile devices; it’s about taking your existing learning strategy and extending it so it can be supported optimally on whatever device the leaners have in front of them, wherever they are. Organizations should not have to reinvent their learning strategy to go mobile.

mLearning is about much more than just mobile technology. mLearning is a different experience than desktop-based eLearning, coming with its own unique set of design considerations and challenges. Organizations considering making the move to mobile need to understand the challenges of creating content for mobile devices if they want their mobile learning strategy to be successful.

In a fast-paced environment with lots of information flying at learners, it’s difficult to retain information. Forgetting often begins as soon as learning ends, leaving you hoping that the learner retains as much as they can. Learning professionals need to find ways to bridge this gap, and mobile technology provides us with an opportunity to do so.

Mobile is the new way of learning. Learners want it, and companies want to provide it. However, app development can be expensive, especially if you are starting from a mostly print or standard eLearning model of training. Finding a way to give learners and organizations the mobile learning they want without breaking the bank is a must in today’s training market, especially for companies with populations of mobile learners (e.g., sales).