Mlearning, or mobile learning, is a great way to learn. In this day and age, we have become so accustomed to our mobile devices. Most of us will probably feel pain when we are forced to go without these devices.
When it comes to education, mobility is the next step in learning. Thanks to the sophistication of the latest mobile devices and the ease of connecting to the Internet, it is now possible for us to learn via phones or tablets. What used to be for communication purposes can now be used to improve our knowledge and skills.
What you have to understand is that mlearning is different from elearning. While you can consider mobile learning as a form of elearning, there are specific characteristics that makes it quite distinct.
Microlearning
First of all, it can only support microlearning. You have to realize that people are most absorbed with their mobile devices while they are transitioning into something. For instance, while they are waiting in line or riding the bus or cab, or even while they are waiting to be served in a restaurant. If you notice, these are highly distracting situations. That means you can only use mlearning for bite-sized lessons. And we mean really bite-sized that it will only take 5 minutes at the most to complete it. Take note that this is not just because of the distractions. These people are in a transition stage. You need to fit into that window the course itself and the loading time too.
Informal and Self-Paced
Another key characteristic of mlearning is the fact that it is extremely informal and self-paced. The informal learning style means it can be understood while you are in the midst of another task. It gives the learners full control over the circumstances of the learning process. Since they are making these choices, they know when and where is the best time for them to absorb the lesson. That makes for a more effective learning experience.
On-demand Learning
Lastly, you need to use it for on-demand learning. You need to make the content flexible enough so it is relevant regardless of when or where it will be accessed by your learners. Take for instance how to videos. Learning how to cook or bake something can take on a mobile learning format because it will always be relevant. And here’s the thing, the learner will only access it when it is needed the most in their life. When someone needs to cook something special for a guest, they can simply look for a how-to video that will give them just that. This is also true in the work environment. Sales personnel can be provided with bite-size mobile courses that they can learn as they need it in the field.
Mlearning is indeed a great way to learn but you have to remember that this is something that is only applicable to specific lessons. If an in-depth learning is needed to completely understand the content, then you need to stick to elearning through a laptop or desktop.
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