12 Essential features of mobile learning you need to know
Published
November 15, 2023
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Mobile learning (or mlearning) is the method of teaching using mobile devices. However, there is a large variety of mobile learning management systems and they vary greatly in terms of user experience and features. So what should you look for when it comes to features for mobile learning?
1. Microlearning
Microlearning is made for mobile. It’s a method of teaching that distills information into topical, easy-to-digest, bite-sized chunks. Accessing it on smartphones or a mobile device means effective learning can take place anywhere at any time.
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2. Spaced repetition
Distributed practice is the process of repeating learning over increasing intervals. It’s important not to repeat it too soon or too late – a scientific schedule should be used. It’s a great dedicated feature to have with mobile learning because small, mobile-friendly lessons can easily be repeated.
3. Peer learning
Most eLearning comes from third parties and is often hard for learners to engage with. Peer learning sees colleagues teaching colleagues for a unique learning experience. Getting your best and brightest to quickly create microlessons from learning materials that are dripping with expertise will be highly engaging for learners who can better relate to both the teacher and the context.
4. Just-in-time training
When learning takes place on a mobile device, employee training can be performed anywhere. This makes it great for learning on demand – or JIT Training. Learners can dial up a lesson minutes before going into an important meeting making accessibility and usability great features of mobile learning.
5. Multimedia support
Multimedia support in mobile learning is a powerful tool for engaging learners in employee training. Incorporating various forms of media, such as videos, audio, and interactive elements, lets you create dynamic and interactive learning experiences for your teams.
This approach caters to different learning styles and boosts understanding and retention. Whether it’s watching instructional videos, listening to audio presentations, or participating in interactive quizzes, multimedia support adds variety and interactivity to your training programs. It keeps your learners engaged and enhances the overall effectiveness of the learning experience.
6. Gamification
Learning works best when it doesn’t feel like learning. Transforming lessons into games is a great way to improve engagement and retention. Offering real prizes only makes matters more effective.
7. Push notifications
Reminding people to perform their training or telling them about a new course can be a real pain point for L&D professionals. Push notifications appear on learners’ own devices’ notification screens where they are most likely to see them and react to them. It’s a useful mobile learning feature to have.
8. Mobile-focused authoring tool
A great deal of eLearning is authored in separate software and by different people compared to a company’s own LMS. However, by using a mobile learning system that has an integrated easy-to-use SCORM authoring tool, it’s simple to create interactive lessons simply by uploading questions and answers to existing templates.
9. Group training
People access social media on their mobile devices all the time, so it makes sense to add the option for learners to engage with teachers and respond to/comment on lessons in an effort to improve them and make them more effective. Both the feedback and ideas generated are great features of mobile learning.
10. Responsive learning
The rise of mobile and the smaller screen means all software should be designed mobile-first. A responsive mobile LMS will work better within a larger computer’s web browser than having large-screen content and learning objects being squashed onto a mobile-sized screen. The poor user experience is fiddly and distracting which leads to poor engagement.
11. Offline access
With offline access, you can guarantee that your learners have access to course materials, videos, and assessments even when they’re not connected to the internet. Regardless of their location or the availability of Wi-Fi or cellular data, your learners can continue their learning journey without any disruptions.
It doesn’t matter if they're traveling, in remote areas, or facing connectivity issues. You’ll be able to enhance the flexibility and accessibility of your training programs, and your learners can enjoy uninterrupted learning experiences anytime and anywhere.
12. Learn anywhere
Company computers represent mental barriers to absorbing new ideas. Workers are more comfortable with their own mobile phone and they can easily perform online training in their downtime or when commuting. Adding incentives makes this more agreeable. Some vendors even have competitions for who can take a picture of the weirdest place to do mobile training – which motivates entire teams!
Why not try one of our mobile microlessons yourself from our content library? You can enroll here for our popular course from Marley Spoon on Sustainable Eating.
Which features of mobile learning do you want?
If you’d like to know more about how SC Training (formerly EdApp) can help your internal training practices with mobile learning features, get in touch at enquiries@edapp.com. You can also try SC Training (formerly EdApp)’s Mobile LMS and authoring tool for free (up to 10 users) by signing up here.
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Author
Guest Author Daniel Brown
Daniel Brown is a senior technical editor and writer that has worked in the education and technology sectors for two decades. Their background experience includes curriculum development and course book creation.