mobile-learning.jpegAs smartphone and tablet use continues to rise, so do our expectations for mobile adaptability in eLearning. The training industry is constantly talking about responsive learning, mobile compatibility, and best practices. Mobile learning is more than just content: it’s an entire experience, and it’s important to consider that as you develop your modern training program. Here are a few tips to consider.

1. Keep your lessons brief

Mobile learning can be completed anywhere from on the bus to on the couch. Depending on where students are, they may have different amounts time in which they can dedicate to a unit or lesson. Students can always keep going after they complete a lesson, but with habits in mind, it’s a good practice to maintain short pieces of content and use a system that bookmarks progress. This creates a learning environment where students can start and stop, and come back for more when they’re ready.

2. Test your content on mobile

As you go through testing your content, don’t forget to test it on mobile as well. You’ll want to make sure that everything looks right when condensed on a smaller screen, but you’ll also want to evaluate how optimal the content is for a mobile learner. If there are several different browser tabs that need to be open at a time, or labs, you may consider letting the learner know that the content is best completed on a computer.

3. Advertise mobile-optimized content

Just as you notify students when content is best for computer consumption, consider doing the same for mobile. You can create a ribbon or filter on your course catalog, and let your students know when a specific course is great for on-the-go learning. If you get in the habit of surfacing this possibility, your students may incorporate learning more throughout the day when they’re on the go. This is especially useful for text-based coursework, like articles or case studies, or audio.

4. Experiment with podcasts

Podcasts or audio lessons are a great way to get your training into students’ lives while they’re commuting. As you create your content, think about what information is best for an audio format. While this is fairly untraditional, you may be surprised at how much can be transferred to this format for either initial education or reinforcement through storytelling.  

5. Remind students of any calls to action

When you catch your learners in unconventional learning environments, it may be difficult to get them to complete a call to action. They may find themselves thinking that they’ll get to something later, when they are in a more convenient place, like back at the office. One way to remind them to get back to it is to link your training platform to a marketing automation tool. In doing so, you can send them an email reminder or two with your specific call to action after they’ve completed a course.

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