Education Technology
Reasons Why Mobile Learning is a Trend that’s Here to Stay
By eLearning Inside
March 08, 2022
Since the digital boom in the early 2000s, there have been lots of discussions on mobile learning. However, as the smartphone became a necessary thing in everyone’s lives, there is no stopping mobile learning. In Fact, in today’s times, mobile learning is not just an industry buzzword but it became necessary to stay competitive and meet the expectations of the employees.
There are billions of people actively using mobiles and more than (1) fifty percent of the web traffic comes through mobiles. By this, you can understand the impact of mobiles in this day and age. This trend of using mobiles more than PCs is not going to slow down in the future as well. Many experts even predict that desktop computers might even disappear completely and people will only use the mobiles for work and personal purposes. There might be a higher chance that the size of the mobile screens would be increased so that it would be convenient for the people to go through it for longer periods.
In the last few years due to the pandemic, employees are relying more on smartphones. No matter where your employees are located, they are relying on mobile technology to get things done. They can travel and work parallelly with mobiles as mobiles are easy to carry and accessible to everyone. This remote working trend has only fast-forwarded the process of mobile learning even more.
How is mobile learning executed?
Mobile learning is nothing but learning on mobile devices. Mobile devices include any learning that allows online learners to leave the desk and learn while they are moving. Mobile devices include smartphones tablets, notebooks, wireless gaming consoles, etc. The online learner can learn through mobiles and share the eLearning content with other collaborators through mobile itself.
Mobile learning is widely used in corporate environments because employees seek flexibility and comfort while learning which mobile learning aptly provides. In schools and colleges, physical classroom training is preferred over online training. This type of practice still exists because younger people get easily distracted by mobiles and also some believe that physical classroom learning is more impactful than online learning. However, this trend might change and soon everyone would opt for mobile learning. Still not pleased? The following reasons prove that mobile learning is here to stay.
Mobile is stable and reliable
This whole COVID-19 pandemic has taught us that it’s important to adapt to any form of training- Be it online or offline training. We can no longer rely on physical spaces for work and learning purposes. You never know what situations you will be thrown into, so it’s better to adapt to online and mobile learning.
Organizations that were highly dependent on face-to-face were the ones that struggled a lot during the pandemic. Their training came to a grinding halt and other companies who adapted to online and mobile learning quickly breezed through the pandemic without many problems. Adopting mobile learning means that your employees should access the online training content even when they don’t have access to the internet and their computers are down. It helps your online learners to do their work irrespective of the influence of external factors.
Mobile learning is accessible
The other big reason why mobile learning is here to stay is because of accessibility and flexibility. Your employees can quickly access the eLearning content. Instead of digging the training manuals, it’s easier for them to access the online training content which is at their fingertips. Also, your employees can access the online training material wherever they are. Whether they are at the airport, traveling on a bus or stuck in traffic, they can always have mobiles at their disposal which makes it a very accessible source for learning.
Phones are ever-evolving
Most smartphones have a very intuitive user interface and that’s the USP(unique selling point) that they thrive upon. These interactive features can engage online learners and motivate them to give their best. Also, the mobile features are only going to get better and more advanced because they cannot survive without advancements. There are very huge competitions for every mobile company to keep up with the latest trends and advancements, if not people choose some other smartphone. It’s been predicted that smartphones may soon have these awesome features to offer the best eLearning experience to customers.
Virtual reality: Learning doesn’t only need to be reading, writing, and watching videos. Your employees can live the eLearning experience with the help of virtual reality.
Enhanced voice interaction: Your employees can hold an intelligent conversation with their mobiles by asking questions whenever they want.
Holographic displays: It is a type of display that utilizes light diffraction to create a virtual three-dimensional image. The eLearning experience would go to a whole new level of advancement if this happens.
People are getting more occupied with work
This fast-paced digital world keeps everyone on toes. You need to be quick, vigilant, and sharp all the time to be good at your job. With more expectations from managers, employees’ lives are becoming busier than ever. In such cases, your employees might not be interested in online training courses that are lengthy and require them to be present in a classroom or sit in front of the PC and learn. However, in these busy schedules, people still find time to scroll through social media which goes on to prove that mobile learning is the only option to engage online learners.
Mobile learning is cost-effective
Another big reason why mobile learning is here to stay is that it is very affordable when compared to classroom learning or desktop-based learning. No organization wants to spend a hefty amount on training when they have a more affordable option. In the past two years also the companies have been hard hit by the pandemic which meant that the training budget has gone down and will continue to go down. Mobiles are cheap to buy and the eLearning courses are also cheap to run on mobiles. Along with this, the online learners also prefer mobile learning which becomes a win-win situation for everyone concerned.
Conclusion
Mobile learning is no longer the latest trend, many organizations have shifted to mobile learning in the past five years or so. Thus, it’s high time that your organization also adapts to mobile learning and reaps the benefits of it.
Featured image: cottonbro, Pexels.
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