StoryQuest Blog

The Pros and Cons of Mobile Learning

Having the world in the palm in your hand. Though this has previously seemed like a lofty notion, these days, most people can schedule a meeting, check their email and find a four star restaurant all by using their phone.

With the mobility of this technology and the sheer accessibility, naturally corporations wanted to utilize this technology to empower their employees.

Mobile Learning, or M-Learning, is becoming more common within the training industry. With the widespread use of this new medium come some obstacles to overcome.

As Dr. Clark Quinn states in his article “In Your Pocket Learning,”

The first is the problem of having managed learning through the intermittent connection. While we prefer individuals to take responsibility for their own learning, many constraints suggest that there are benefits from having systems track and manage learning.

As we all have experienced in using Personal Data Technology (PDAs), or as Dr. Quinn refers to them IAs or Informational Appliances, the connectivity can be suspect. It is sometimes difficult to even talk to your loved ones, let alone consume content of an important training or seminar. And personal responsibility, though a standard in most businesses, is not always an attribute you can rely on either. Tracking these M-Learning modules IS becoming a part of the technology, though it has a great deal of development yet to be done.

Another issue noted by Dr. Quinn is that not all systems will work on all browsers or platforms on these IAs. This problem, though common, is sometimes unavoidable. The burden in this instance relies on the company developing the training and their production and information technology team. Testing the modules on several forms of technology is essential in the creation and testing phase and those companies that neglect this will most likely have more then there fair share of complaints.

Moving forward, most will agree, M-Learning is a viable tool that will become more prevalent in the corporate learning and training world. Though there are obstacles that will be faced by most providers and companies using their products, the technology will catch up with these issues thus making it easier for everyone involved.

Dr. Quinn predicts that,

…With these issues and challenges, what might we expect in the months and years ahead? I’ll go out on a limb to suggest templates and tools that populate learning object models will become prevalent and, in doing so, will address device-independent learning. I also think that the major E-learning vendors will come up with proprietary solutions to Learning, largely through downloaded helper-applications that manage what you’ve done while offline. Eventually a consortium or an independent group will develop an open solution that will drive adoption.

In the longer term, as we realize that learning should move from an organizational function to an individual necessity, M-Learning will likely move from a hosted service to device-resident applications we can carry with us wherever we go. Eventually, the learner will not know, nor care, where the learner model is kept, where the content resides, nor how the communication is handled. This will happen as cost drops, product power improves, and design takes into account a wider range of learning styles and lifestyle needs. And that will be true mobile learning.

To read more about StoryQuest’s M-Learning sales enablement programs go to: http://www.storyquest.us