The rise of mobile technology has forever changed the way that we consume and engage with content. When you consider that 68.1% of all global website visits in 2020 came from mobile devices, it’s inevitable that our expectations for receiving information have shifted and the way we approach learning and development professionally must adapt to this trend.
In a world of minute attention spans and rapidly changing work environments, adopting a mobile learning strategy is crucial to keeping millennial workers engaged and productive.
Still not convinced? Here’s why you should consider building a mobile-friendly learning experience.
What is mobile learning?
As suggested by the name, mobile learning is a way to access educational content via mobile devices, allowing learners to complete courses anywhere and at any time.
By adapting to the needs of the 21st century workforce, mobile learning enables employers to provide corporate training through the platform that learners find most engaging, and where they are most comfortable consuming content.
M learning initiatives often incorporate a microlearning strategy, which involves breaking down information into bite-sized chunks that replicate the short-form content we are so used to consuming via social media.
Why is mobile learning important?
Today’s workforce has less time and less attention span, but still craves more opportunities for learning and development. Research actually shows that 74% of the workforce feels they aren’t achieving their full potential at work due to lack of development opportunities, which is also the number one reason why employees quit.
Finding a learning strategy that caters to employees’ busy schedules and preferred modes of consuming content is therefore crucial for companies who want to improve their retention rate, and mobile learning is a no brainer.
So, what are the concrete advantages of adopting a mobile-friendly learning experience?
The advantages of mobile learning
1. More time-efficient
In a working week, the ‘modern worker’ has just 1% of their time set aside for learning and development.
Providing educational content in 2-5 minute chunks enables workers to fit in learning around their busy schedules in the way that works best for them. In fact, mobile learners complete courses 45% faster than their desktop counterparts, while still retaining all the necessary information.
2. Accessible anywhere
Perhaps the biggest selling point of mobile learning software is its accessibility. Having a mobile-friendly training experience means employees can complete training on the go and within their own time, boosting completion rates and engagement.
It’s also worth noting the reduced cost that this model can offer, as there is no need to organise in-person training sessions and the logistics that are involved.
3. More engaging
Mobile learning platforms are proven to be 72% more engaging than traditional Learning Management Systems (LMS). Replicating the content that mobile users consume when scrolling through social media makes for a user experience that is more intuitive, interactive and tailored to learner behaviour, which means they are far more motivated to complete courses.
Utilizing these shorter formats is also proven to be more effective, as learners are 20% more likely to retain the information presented to them.
4. Builds loyalty
Having a consistent, engaging and accessible learning strategy is also linked to higher retention rates and builds loyalty among your workforce.
Creating a mobile learning system that’s catered to your employees’ needs shows an understanding of their role and a commitment to their learning and development which is invaluable when it comes to fostering company loyalty.
5. Encourages continuous learning
The gamification options provided by mobile learning not only encourages engagement, but also continuous learning and long term use of the training tools made available to learners. Including interactive quizzes and activities, as well as shorter form and more visual content in educational modules, encourages learners to incorporate learning into their day-to-day routine and easily pick up where they left off.
The ease with which mobile learning content can be created in comparison to traditional methods also allows for easy continuous editing and development of resources, empowering companies to adapt to industry changes and keep up to date with trends in the market.
Want to start building a more mobile-friendly learning experience but don’t know where to start? At eduMe we do the hard work for you, with our market-leading, mobile-based training platform that can be seamlessly integrated into your own software and tailored to your workforce’s specific needs. We’re experts in creating engaging, accessible learning content that produces real results.
Read our success stories here or get in touch below to see how we can improve your workforce learning strategy 👇
