With more and more learners using mobile devices today, if you are using on-line learning these are some ways you can support these mobile learners.
- Use mobile as a medium to deliver just-in-time learning.
This involves sending short, microlearning modules (Modlettes) at designated intervals. This looks on the surface like chunking larger courses into smaller pieces. In designing this type of distributed learning, appropriate repetition and practice need to be considered. Each piece of learning will then remain comprehensive, and learners will be able to easily assimilate, digest and retain information as they consume small amounts at regular intervals.
- Allow some quick reading/watching/listening before a formal training session
Want learners to come prepared for a face-to-face training session? Or need them to be familiar with a case study before they take a formal course? No problem. Just send them a Modlette a day or two before.
- Send follow-up content/quizzes after a course
Mobile is a great medium for post-course follow-ups. These follow-ups can range from simple pointers reminding learners of what they learnt in the session, or quizzes that they take based on the concepts covered. Other forms of retrieval practice can involve success and failure stories, case studies, additional examples, tips and tricks, or content updates.
- Reinforce learning through reflection
Similar to follow-up content, retrieval practice can also include questions that prompt thinking and reflection, and can be sent via learner’s mobile devices. Reflection is believed to have a great benefit for learning, so why not use an available medium to prompt and encourage reflection.
- Use mobile as a trigger to promote desired behaviours
Mobile devices, because of their personal and ubiquitous nature, lend themselves to be used for prompting action on the job too. After all, the purpose of learning is to change behaviour. So why stop with just helping people to learn, especially when we can support behaviour change on the job in real-time? Triggers could include simple reminders to do a task, or reports designed to encourage learners to perform something.
- Just-in-time Support
This is possibly one of the most recently used formats in the learning and performance context. Learners can access support in their moment of need, and this can be in any of the following forms:
- Searchable databases of information
- Expert videos organised in a library
- Blogs and wiki pages full of useful content and links
- Guidelines and checklists
- Animations or videos explaining how a task is to be performed with a quiz to test comprehension
- Job aids containing factual/conceptual/procedural information
- Let user generated content take centre-stage
This is a useful strategy for new and novel topics, which special material experts in the organisation can become authors and develop their own modules of learning (Modlettes). This enables specialised knowledge to be spread throughout the organisation.
Need to know more about Modlettes : www.modlettes.com and take the free trail.