Building learning programs can be a complex endeavor, especially in a multi-device environment. Simply porting eLearning and traditional face-to-face experiences to mobile often isn’t a viable solution. There are other ways to effectively facilitate mobile learning. 

“There’s an app for that.” We hear this all too often and there’s definitely some truth in this statement. So how does this impact learning as a whole? We have to go beyond responsive design and develop learning that matches the way the learner uses their device, whether that’s at a desktop, tablet, or smartphone. Developing responsive content can be time-consuming and expensive.

Current studies show that more than five billion people will be using mobile devices by 2017, making smartphones and tablets more prevalent and accessible than desktop or laptop computers. Mobile learning has the ability to be a truly global solution for education delivery. Many companies who embraced the eLearning movement years ago are now facing new challenges in reaching mobile learners. 

From the first desktop PCs to today’s cutting-edge smartphones, technology has a history of fundamentally changing the expectations of learning and development programs. We are now on the cusp of another technological advance, one that will once again change some of our definitions and how we address performance issues: wearable technology. This technology will come in various forms, but the one that many expect to serve as a quantum leap forward is Apple Watch. 

One of the most powerful catalysts to engagement is involving employees in the decision process when solving your organization’s most pressing challenges. By opening up these important conversations, employees feel as if they are an important part of the business and have contributed to the achievement of meaningful results. Mobile technology provides us with an excellent portal for engaging learners and having them co-create learning content.

When organizations make the move to mobile, one of the first barriers they encounter is how to handle all of their existing content. Many organizations have large amounts of legacy content that needs to be accessible on mobile devices. Just republishing for mobile without redesigning the content does not make an effective mobile learning experience.