Learning on the Go: Mobile learning for a BYOD environment!
There was a time when organizations or companies provided all the resources for employees to get their job done. From the basic infrastructure to training and persistent development of every individual, everything was the exclusive responsibility of the organization. That era of corporate responsibility has changed with the development of smartphones and devices; enter Bring Your Own Device (BYOD).
We are now living in the era of BYOD, an age where employees are enhancing their knowledge, developing new skills, and finding resolutions on their own. Organizations that can support this era are optimizing on their employees’ own devices. Offering employees a larger infrastructure, resources, and financial support helps advance their knowledge and consistently evolve them as professionals.
In the age of eLearning, the era of BYOD has seen the huge growth of mobile learning. With the world’s information at the disposal of a mobile phone or tablet, eLearning and on-the-job learning materials are accessible in a matter of seconds. While mobile learning and BYOD are changing the way employees work, it is also necessary to utilize the practices to their fullest potential.
Here we list three key elements to consider when deploying mobile learning for a BYOD environment:
1. Include Necessary content only
When converting eLearning courseware for mobile learning, you need to consider what content is absolutely necessary. Images and unnecessary content will take up valuable space and need to be removed for mobile deployment. Remember that the display screen on mobile devices and tablets is a lot smaller than on a laptop or PC. Avoid including images, graphics, and charts for aesthetic appeal; only include images and content blocks that are deemed important and necessary to the content.
2. Break the course content into bite-size chunks.
Your BYOD learners want to access training content quickly and conveniently. Content needs to be broken into bite-sized chunks so it can be easily accessed and absorbed. Keep content blocks short and summarize text using bullets and simple forms.
3. Be careful when integrating audio elements.
Your BYOD learners will be accessing mobile learning courseware in a variety of different environments, which needs to be considered when adding video and audio elements to content. Adding subtitles to video and audio elements is a simple way to overcome difficult environments, allowing your learners to turn off audio as required.
By encouraging BYOD leaners and deploying courseware suitable to mobile devices, organizations can eliminate setup or training times associated with company-owned devices. By removing the training need to operate an unfamiliar device, BYOD learners can immediately access and focus their attention on specific training requirements. A BYOD mobile learning policy also gives employees access to performance support materials, wikis, or instructional videos around the clock. Having access to this information anytime, anywhere provides employees with additional flexibility and allows them to choose a time that is most convenient for them to complete training.
At PulseLearning, we develop effective, mobile learning solutions for the BYOD training environment.
Our learning solutions have helped organizations to:
• Create a positive work environment
• Increase productivity
• Reduce costs
