Combining Mobile Learning & Microlearning Approaches - The Need is Evident

Today, Learning & Development (L&D) departments have realized the potential of personalized learning through mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. The current e-learning strategy is providing the new-age workforce an edge with the flexibility to access online courses at their own pace. The demand for short and crisp content is rising and mobile learning has made it more convenient for the organizations to provide training on the go.

Mobile Learning & Microlearning- Their Key Benefits

Before, you look at the combined benefits of microlearning and mobile learning: let us outline their individual benefits. Talking about mobile learning first, it allows the learners to access online courses anytime and from anywhere. There are different kinds of mobile learning apps, which help learners to download the course and access it later when offline. Few benefits of mobile learning are outlined here:

• It supports multi-device support, which means that the same course can be accessed on multiple devices, from desktops and laptops to tablets and smartphones.

• It proves as an effective e-learning approach to cater to the diverse corporate training needs including onboarding program, compliance training, soft skills and more.

On the other hand, microlearning is the process of delivering content in the form of short learning nuggets. The trend is fueled by the learners who want to consume bite-sized information on the go. Few benefits of microlearning are outlined here:

• Short content chunks are created to cater to specific learning needs.
• They are shorter in length (between 2-7 minutes).

Why to Choose the Combination of Microlearning & Mobile Learning?

With the broader adoption of mobile learning, microlearning also serves the following benefits:

• Formal training - A learning path can be created by combining shorter bites of content. Considering the short attention spans, learners tend to access more courses on their mobile devices, without any hassle of going anywhere.

• Performance Support Tools (PSTs) - These help to optimize the effectiveness of formal training through just-in-time aid. PSTs help enterprises to boost their performance and leave a strong impact on the entire business.

With technological advancement, organizations are adopting the blend of mobile learning and microlearning to offer a highly engaging experience. The prime reason behind this is that content nuggets can be easily accessed on the go. Several other benefits of this combination are highlighted as follows:

• Delivery of continuous learning experience rather than providing discrete forms.
• Organizations can offer personalized learning experience as per the varied needs of diversified audiences. Some learners grasp quickly, while others may take time, so this enables them to choose the time and place to undergo training. 
• This also increases the number of visitors coming to the learning platform, as they can review the same courses time and again. 
• Short nuggets in the form of videos, audios and images are easier to digest, thereby helping to improve learner engagement and retention levels.

Certainly, the rising scope of mobile learning and microlearning has overcome traditional training challenges such as engagement, flexibility, real-time accessibility and retention. With this combination, organizations can witness more engaged employees with the rise in business growth and overall workplace productivity.

Following Effective Practices To Deliver On-demand Training Using Modern LMS

With an ever-evolving need to impact online workplace learning, organizations are banking on modern Learning Management Systems (LMSs) to cater to the needs of diverse audiences. LMS serves as a one-stop solution for organizations to deliver the right type of content to the right learner and at the right time. Today, employees want to access courses that are aligned to their personalized learning styles and preferences. This ensures delivery of on-demand training to impart e-learning solutions in real time.

To deliver on-demand training experience is easier with the use of next-generation LMSs, keeping in mind the demands of diverse workforce. Using the right blend of tools and technologies, the quality of the overall training program can be improved. Outlined below are some of the key practices that are followed to enhance the overall experience of on-demand training:

1. Give assistance whenever required

It is important to focus on the changing needs of learners and address their day-to-day workplace challenges. Instead of asking employees to get away from their desks and attend training, the online learning platforms help them to access courses at their point of need and at their own pace.

2. Boost learner collaboration

When employees undergo training, they face ample challenges related to their organizational roles and responsibilities. So, it becomes crucial to connect them with industry experts who share valuable ideas, providing an opportunity for learners to improve their performance and overall business productivity.

3. Adopt an effective strategy

Traditional methods of training fail to address moments of need, affecting the overall employee engagement, business growth, long-term productivity and retention. Before organizing an on-demand training session, it is essential to plan an effective e-learning strategy. With an optimum use of online resources, focus can be shifted towards the improvement of long-term career plans of the workforce, so that they can continue to progress. Creating digital resources in modern LMS allows learners to access courses anywhere, saving their valuable time, because of the ease to update content as per the requirement.

4. Give feedback

To improve the overall effectiveness of an on-demand training program, it is essential to ask for timely feedbacks from learners which may include:

• Did online resources address their workplace challenges?

• Were the courses relevant as per their need?

So, it is important for organizations to strive for innovative ways that ensure delivery of impactful on-demand training at workplace. Following the above mentioned tips and using a robust LMS, organizations can certainly move on the right track towards transforming their on-demand training programs.