For the purposes of this blog post, I'll take "mobile learning" to mean learning that occurs via a handheld, highly portable device (like a smartphone or a tablet) and while the individual is away from a typical office environment where they would have access to a more robust personal computer. As organizations look to mobile learning to extend their learning and development initiatives and provide solutions to business performance challenges, a natural question arises. Who is likely to benefit from mobile learning first? That is, who has learning and development needs that aren't being met ideally through traditional approaches? Who are you helping by providing a mobile learning solution?
The following is a list of some typical characteristics of individuals who I think can benefit most from mobile learning today:
- Mobile job environment: These are people who, as part of their job role, travel or otherwise work "on the move," spending significant amounts of time away from their desk or other locations where they could use a laptop or desktop computer.
- Very busy work schedules: People who have busy schedules struggle to find time for traditional learning approaches (instructor-led training, whether in a classroom or virtual, or even lengthy e-Learning modules).
- Learn when convenient: Some people want to make better use of short periods of otherwise wasted time in their day, when they have their handheld device ready at hand.
- Want shorter learning content: Some people prefer learning content to be available in shorter chunks, and this is ideally suited for delivery to mobile devices.
- Seek just-in-time learning or require performance support on the job: Virtually everyone can benefit from some measure of performance support tools or content, but some job roles can benefit from this more than others.
- Comfort with technology: Many are already familiar with smartphones or tablets, so there won't be a significant learning curve or resistance to the hardware when getting started.
- Have a range of devices: Increasingly, many people have multiple devices, and would appreciate being able to access learning or support content on both their smartphone and their tablet, depending on the context.
Who in organizations today most often have some or all of these characteristics? Through both research and conversations with many of our customers, here are some of the most common job roles:
- Leadership: The highest levels of leadership in most organizations are extremely busy, travel often, prefer concise communications, have long been comfortable with smartphones, and often were the very first in an organization to get an iPad or other tablet device.
- Sales executives: People in field sales organizations are very busy, travel frequently, often require information quickly in response to customer queries, can benefit from easy access to product information, and were often among the first in their organizations to adopt smartphones and tablets.
- Field engineers and repair technicians: Like sales personnel, such "in the field" employees are inherently mobile and can use performance support content provided on the most convenient devices possible. In some cases, using a smartphone or tablet could be easier than a more robust laptop computer.
- Retail employees: In this case, mobile learning can help overcome a couple challenges presented by traditional approaches to training -- either the lack of a convenient personal computer for e-Learning delivery, or the desire to not "take the individual off the floor" for classroom-based learning activities. Providing targeted training modules or performance support content on a smartphone or tablet device could be an ideal solution to either of these business problems.
That list is far from complete as of course many others can benefit from mobile learning -- today and in the future. It depends on context, and the business needs of each organization. For each job role in an organization, ask yourself: what benefits would providing learning and development opportunities via a smartphone or tablet device provide those individuals? Or better yet… ask them!
— Thomas Stone (Tom_Stone@elementk.com and on Twitter @ThomasStone)
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