According to a survey by the Brandon Hall Group, Mobile Learning now features among the top three business development priorities for companies and ranks only behind the need for seamless business alignment and improved data mining.
Loved by learners for the flexibility and control it offers, Mobile Learning is now the dominant mode for online training delivery.
- Its widespread adoption (across varied corporate trainings across different industry verticals) is reflected in the fact that we now use the terms eLearning and Mobile Learning interchangeably.
- This is not all – it resonates with diverse learner profiles, the multi-generational workforce that is a typical characteristic across most organizations today.
Mobile Learning in 2020
2020 marks the acceleration in its adoption as it moves from being a “good to have” to a “must have” option. As L&D teams step up the adoption of Mobile Learning in 2020, I share my list of Mobile Learning Trends you should adopt in 2020. However, before I list the trends, I want to highlight the changing learner and business expectations and how you can use various trends to meet them.
I use this lens (changing learner and business expectations) to make my recommendations. Additionally, I share tips on Mobile Learning Trends you must adopt in 2020 that will help you address what modern learners want and what business units seek.
The Changing Learner and Business Expectations
Modern learners do not like the traditional training formats that tend to be prescriptive and often mandated by L&D teams. They are typically “pushed” through an LMS with a focus on tracking. Let’s look at the changing learner expectations.
What Modern Learners Want
- Modern learners want training to be easily accessible and one that can be “pulled” by them.
- It also needs to sync with their lifestyles.
- They should have the control on when, how much, and at what pace they can consume the training.
- They want on-demand and instant access to training.
- They want L&D teams to focus on not only the Formal or structured training but also on the supporting training that includes avenues for just-in-time training, learning aids they can draw upon as and when needed.
What Business Units Seek
Alongside the changing expectations of learners, there are increased expectations from businesses on the ROI of the training investment. They want the training effectiveness and impact to be measured to ascertain how it impacted the key business KPIs.
Here are my recommendations on Mobile Learning Trends you should adopt in 2020. They will help you address what modern learners want and what business units seek.
Mobile Learning Trend #1 in 2020
Mobile Learning will be used extensively to address a majority of corporate training needs.
Tips to leverage this Mobile Learning Trend in 2020: Mobile Learning solutions enable learners to take the training seamlessly across devices. You can offer an entire spectrum of corporate trainings in this format now.
This gives learners the flexibility to consume it when they want to, move learning sessions across devices, and align it to their individual learning pace. As a result, you will see higher engagement, better completion rates, and more learners going back to review and refresh the learning resources.
Mobile Learning Trend #2 in 2020
Mobile Learning will feature different delivery formats to suit the content and the way it will be consumed.
Tips to leverage this Mobile Learning Trend in 2020: Depending on the way the content will be predominantly consumed, you can opt for one of the two following options:
- Mobile Friendly or Adaptive Mobile Learning: Opting for this approach makes sense where the content will be consumed across devices (from desktops/laptops to tablets/smartphones). Essentially, the learners want the flexibility to access it on mobile devices, but this may not be the significant mode to learn.
- Mobile First or Responsive Mobile Learning: In contrast, adopting this approach makes sense where the content will be consumed predominantly on smartphones.
Mobile Learning Trend #3 in 2020
Mobile Learning will be used beyond Formal Training to drive performance gain and behavioral change.
Tips to leverage this Mobile Learning Trend in 2020: As we know, learners learn through multiple channels and these include:
- Formal and structured learning.
- Social Learning or collaborative learning.
- Experiential – on the job learning.
You can leverage Mobile Learning to offer learning aids and resources that will help you supplement the Formal Training.
More significantly, this will help you see an application of learning, performance improvement, and behavioral change. Some of the techniques you can adopt are as follows:
- Add learning resources for Informal learning (for application, reinforcement, challenges that can push learners to refresh/review, triggers to change thinking, increase sensitivity, and spaced repetition to bring about behavioral change).
- Learning aids to support ILT/VILT (Pre-workshop reading, During-workshop exercises and assessments, Post-workshop learning resources, and learning aids/nuggets to sustain connect).
- Support Social Learning.
- Facilitate Self-Directed Learning.
Mobile Learning Trend #4 in 2020
Mobile Apps for learning will see a wider application.
Tips to leverage this Mobile Learning Trend in 2020: Mobile Apps help you offer highly personalized content to the learners. They also enable you to push Notifications and updates with ease. Leverage them for significant programs like Sales training, Leadership Development training, as well as to supplement specific Formal Trainings.
Mobile Learning Trend #5 in 2020
Mobile Learning will be delivered in a Personalized mode matching the learner’s proficiency or interests.
Tips to leverage this Mobile Learning Trend in 2020: This is a trend worth investing on as overwhelmed employees will invest on trainings that offer relevant content and can help them do better in their career progression aspirations.
Mobile Learning Trend #6 in 2020
Mobile Learning will leverage on Microlearning to offer learning pathways and specialized career pathways.
Tips to leverage this Mobile Learning Trend in 2020: Microlearning based training is one of the widely adopted techniques to offer both Formal and Informal Trainings.
- Not only can it be used to offer Formal Training (as a series of learning nuggets connected over a learning path), but it can also be leveraged to offer a valuable supplement to Formal Training (online or facilitated).
- As Performance Support Tools (PSTs or Job aids), you can use the Microlearning nuggets to:
- Reinforce learning.
- Push the acquired learning to application on the job.
- Challenge learners and push them to review/refresh primary learning.
- Drive changes in thinking or behavior.
- By adding elements of Personalization and Curation (particularly, recommendations based on learner’s consumption/ interest or career progression aspirations), you can step up the learning pathways to be very focused career pathways.
- You can further enhance the impact by opting for Video Based Learning or Interactive Video Based Learning.
Mobile Learning Trend #7 in 2020
Mobile Learning will feature more varied formats of immersive learning strategies.
Tips to leverage this Mobile Learning Trend in 2020: Today, you are spoilt for choice in terms of the learning strategies and the combinations thereof that can help you create highly sticky learning experience.
You can deliver this in Microlearning formats or use some of its best practices to enhance the impact of Macrolearning (longer run length courses for complex concepts).
Notable immersive learning strategies worth investing include:
- Gamification for serious learning (Fully Gamified or sprinkling of Gamified elements in the learning path).
- Virtual Reality (VR).
- Augmented Reality (AR).
More interesting application is through combinations like:
- Gamified Mobile Apps for Learning.
- Gamified Microlearning.
- Gamified Virtual Reality (VR).
- Gamified Interactive Videos.
Mobile Learning Trend #8 in 2020
Mobile Learning will feature Video and Interactive Video Based Learning to enhance learning, its application, engagement, and drive behavioral change.
Tips to leverage this Mobile Learning Trend in 2020: A versatile medium, Videos and Interactive Videos are great tools to help L&D teams for corporate trainings. Their true value is in using them to increase motivation, drive performance, as well trigger behavioral change.
You can integrate Video Based Learning or Interactive Video Based Learning as:
- Teaser Videos to engage and motivate learners.
- Conceptual Videos.
- Videos to set the context.
- Videos to accelerate change management initiatives.
- Videos featuring Scenario Based Learning (SBL) to trigger change in thinking and drive behavioral change.
Mobile Learning Trend #9 in 2020
Mobile Learning will be used to foster a culture of continuous learning.
Tips to leverage this Mobile Learning Trend in 2020: Organizations acknowledge the fact that discrete and Formal Training is not adequate. There must be additional measures in place that encourage learners to explore and keep coming back for more.
You can leverage Curation to offer recommendations of additional, relevant content (based on user surveys, their proficiency, the way they have consumed content, or based on their interest). This would go a long way to foster a culture of Self-Directed and continuous learning.
Mobile Learning Trend #10 in 2020
Mobile Learning will be used to enrich the existing knowledgebase.
Tips to leverage this Mobile Learning Trend in 2020: Close to Curation is another measure, User Generated Content (UGC), wherein learners can make contributions to the knowledgebase.
Not only does this make room for continuous learning, it also helps you keep the existing knowledgebase current and relevant.
Anticipated impact if you adopt these featured Mobile Learning Trends in 2020
When leveraged right, the featured trends and their combinations will help you:
- Meet the learner and business expectations.
- Increased learner motivation and engagement.
- Create sticky learning experiences.
- Facilitate the application of acquired learning on the job
- Offer reinforcements to offset the Forgetting Curve.
- Offer challenges to learners so that they review or refresh the learning.
- Provide practice zones that can help learners achieve higher levels of proficiency.
- Trigger change in thinking.
- Influence or drive changes in behavior.
- Foster a culture of continuous learning.
I share a few stats that re-affirm the impact and provide good reasons as to why you should invest in Mobile Learning:
- According to the findings of the Asia-Pacific Skillsoft survey, 72 percent of the participants reported increased engagement with mobile learning.
- 43% of learners see improved productivity levels compared to non-mobile users. (Source: Towards Maturity)
- 70% of learners felt more motivated when training on a mobile device, as opposed to a computer. (Source: LearnDash)
I hope this article goes beyond the typical listings of Mobile Learning trends and gives you a better perspective on how you can leverage the featured Mobile Learning Trends in 2020 to create a successful L&D strategy in your organization.
Meanwhile, if you have any specific queries, do contact me or leave a comment below.
