The start of the year is a great time to create strategies for your mlearning goals. This year is expected to be a great year for mobile learning because the creation of courses that can be accessed through handheld devices is expected to increase. This growth is fueled by the increasing popularity of smartphones and mobile devices. As people increase their preference in using these devices, they would appreciate any form of mobility when it comes to elearning courses.
This is the reason why you need to focus on improving your mobile learning plans for this year. Prepare to take advantage of the developments and create a mlearning strategy that you will implement this year.
In creating that strategy, here are 10 steps that you need to follow.
Step 1: Set the objectives of the course.
As always, you need to start with your objectives. This will help you identify the general direction that the course will take. What skills or knowledge will you impart in this course? Is this a stand alone course or do you plan to use this as a prequel to an elearning course? You can also use mlearning to create bite-sized courses for an existing elearning course. Think about the purpose of the mobile learning course before you proceed to the next step.
Step 2: Know your audience.
Knowing your audience will help you understand how they want the lesson to be serve. It will help you align the objectives of your course with their own expectations. By understanding them, you will know how the course should be delivered and where to launch it. One thing is for sure though – the learners going through mobile lessons are always on-the-go and are pressed for time. That is one important consideration that will help you with your mlearning course creation.
Step 3: Find out your options to deliver your lesson.
Now that you know your goals and audience, it is time to decide how you will deliver the lesson. Will this be specific to a particular mobile device or operating system (e.g. Android or iOS)? Will you do it like an application or a link that can be shared via social networking sites? Will you use a video or slideshow?
Step 4: Create a mobile-friendly content.
Make sure you take into consideration the small screen of smartphones as you go through this step. Some courses can be easily seen on both mobile and desktop screens. Some appear distorted. You need to use a platform that will allow you to layout content that is visually appealing even through your mobile device.
Step 5: Think about how you will engage the audience.
Mobile learning is usually short and straight to the point. This is why you need to engage learners from the very beginning. One of the best ways to do this is by tapping into the emotions of your audience, you can successfully hook them and keep them interested in the lesson.
Step 6: Use social learning.
We are social individuals and we can learn a lot from each other. This is a great tool that you can use in mlearning to enrich the learning experience of the audience. One of the best ways to integrate this in your mobile lesson is by using social media as a tool or platform by which the course can be accessed.
Step 7: Secure the platform that you will use.
Mobile devices and smartphones have one danger in them – security. These devices have the ability to download information and that can compromise the security and accessibility of the mobile lesson. Using a password or an encrypting application should help solve this issue.
Step 8: Perform a thorough quality check.
Once you have reached this stage, your course should be almost complete. You may want to perform a thorough quality check on your course to make sure that all the elements are working harmoniously. Have someone test it for you so you get another opinion and a fresh perspective on the course. Make the necessary revisions as needed. You should try to access the course through various mobile devices and browsers to check how they will run.
Step 9: Launch the mobile learning course.
The second to the last step is to launch the course. Have a group of people that you know access the course before you fully launch it. That way, they can help spot improvements before the official launch of the mlearning course.
Step 10: Assess the audience reaction to the course.
After the official launch of the mlearning course, observe the audience and how they react to it. You should see where it is accessed the most, how effective it is in delivering the message, etc. Make sure to provide the learners with a portal where they can give their comments and feedback about the course.
As you watch your mlearning course be accessed by online learners again and again, take note of the revisions that you have to make to keep the course updated.
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