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What can mobile learning do for a business?
The move toward mobile learning affects a number of business considerations, and the
workforce itself has become much more mobile in the last decade. It is becoming less frequent
for businesses to require training opportunities to occur in the office or in classroom facilities,
and staff members often have little time for formal training or e-learning that requires a computer
and an Internet connection. Mobile learning allows businesses to provide training to mobile staff
and to distribute materials quickly. It is a way to use short periods of time where staff members
are waiting or traveling.
The pace of business change and the need for constantly updated information has also
increased. Mobile learning can deliver key data at the point of need. This is particularly relevant
for workers who need access to updated product information, pricing details, or other time
sensitive information. Mobile learning can be seen as a form of performance support. Moreover,
applying mobile tools for education increases learners’ opportunities to interact with each other
and to share ideas and information. It is, in its own way, an active form of learning.
Mobile learning may be more cost-effective because many in the workforce are already equipped
with mobile devices in their pockets. This reduces the cost of technology-based learning
infrastructure.
Mobile devices are easily accepted by learners as devices for learning and, for many, are seen as
“cool” devices for training. This can increase learner motivation. For example, online
assessments may be more accepted using mobile devices because of the novelty of the method.
Other benefits of a mobile assessment include the increased speed of results to the learner and
instructor, efficiency of data collection, scalability, integration with an LMS, question and test
analysis, and reporting on test performance parameters.
Mobile learning can be relatively easily integrated with more traditional e-learning that uses
servers, desktop computers, and Web browsers.
All of this adds up to an interesting set of benefits to mobile learning when compared with other
forms of technology-based education and training.
14 © Brandon Hall Research