Mobile Learning

Abstract

In this chapter, you will review various definitions of mobile learning and be able to differentiate mobile websites from native mobile applications. You will then review common platforms for mobile learning and design principles for mobile learning solutions. Finally, we will discuss the development process and key considerations for developing mobile websites and mobile applications, along with features mobile learning development tools.

Professional Practice Case Study 7

Designing a Mobile Learning Experience Using Experiential Learning Theory

Daniel Staten, XYZ Inc.

When a flagship training program for a sales organization no longer aligned with the business’ goals, several solutions were considered. Ultimately, a mobile learning website designed to provide experiential learning opportunities for participants was implemented as an augmentation to direct instruction in a classroom.

The goal of the project was to provide participants with opportunities to receive hands-on product knowledge that could be immediately applied to their everyday work. Analysis of the existing classroom materials showed that much of the information that was presented in the classroom was also presented in self-paced online courses available to the participants. Many participants mentioned the remedial nature of the content they experienced during the hands-on training. The sales organization realized that they could improve the training and create goodwill between the participants and the organization by increasing the perceived benefit and value of the training experience.

To prepare for the new training, I observed the existing classroom training and took the self-paced online courses. I also facilitated focus groups with participants of the classroom training. After gathering their feedback, I met with subject matter experts who represented the sales and marketing teams. This meeting helped me understand the business goals and translate those goals into learning objectives.

One of the first solutions for this project was to augment the classroom portion of the training program by creating a mobile learning application that provides participants with a set of challenges related to their daily work. Being in an authentic environment challenges the participants to orient themselves to real-world problems and make decisions for authentic outcomes. Each of the experiences was created with a business goal in mind and participants were free to choose the experience that they thought would benefit them the most. The element of choice, where participants could select their preferred experience from a menu in a mobile learning application, paired with the variety of experiential learning opportunities available to participants increased the locus of control for the participants.

Several challenges were presented in regard to the implementation of the mobile learning application. First, in order for the project to be successful, each participant or group of participants would need access to a smartphone. Our analysis indicated that a majority of participants use a smartphone on a daily basis, and should a participant not have a smartphone, the activities that reside in the mobile app are flexible enough that participants could work in groups.

Next, the program would move from a classroom setting to an outdoor setting so that the participants could fully experience the product. Free, high-speed WiFi is available throughout the training location. Care was taken when developing the mobile application to ensure photos and videos were used appropriately as to not require too much bandwidth for a cellular connection should WiFi become available. Additionally, since participants would use the mobile learning app as a guide to augment the real-world environment they were navigating, stakeholders agreed that photos could be minimal in order to encourage the participants to interact with the real-world environment rather than focus on the digital component.

Finally, given the variety of demographic groups who could participate in the training, user-interface testing prior to implementation to ensure acceptance by the end users. A small orientation for the mobile learning application was added to the classroom portion of the training in order to familiarize participants with how to launch the app, navigate the app, and find assistance should assistance be required. This hybrid design utilized mobile learning with an experiential approach. Since the implementation of the mobile application, facilitators have commented on the quality of reflection conversations that occur with participants. Anecdotally, the training department has seen an increase in requests for training that target the needs of sub-demographics as a result of the participants’ performance in the course. Mobile learning enabled a more customized and user-directed learning experience that the previous classroom-only approach did not accommodate (Fig. 7.9).

Fig. 7.9

Mobile screen from case study 7