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Blueprint for M-Learning Success
November 24, 2009
By Robert Gadd
According to recent surveys and research reports, the majority of training and development departments already have considered implementing mobile learning as another component of their blended learning offerings. But since the arena is still relatively new and involves various moving parts, organizations have been cautious in implementing full-scale mobile learning initiatives, opting to undertake one or several pilots first to test the waters.
OnPoint has years of experience with m-learning implementation and support. We have created a "blueprint for success" that can help organizations better plan, deploy, and measure their first Mobile Learning Pilot Programs and fast track their own project success. The key to success is using the following five elements to map out your pilot project.
1. Learning and Business Objectives
It is critical to determine exactly what objectives your organization is trying to achieve using mobile learning technologies. Does your company want to cut the cost of traditional training? Or to provide another learning option for next-generation workers who prefer not to sit in a classroom, but like to consume their learning on their time and in non-traditional ways? Without a firm understanding of the reasons your company is exploring the mobile learning world, your decisions on what content types to explore and what metrics to track and measure for success will be harder to determine.
2. Device Selection Criteria
Does your whole company have one type of device, or do your mobile workers have a variety of cell phones and smartphones that you need to work with for your pilot? Answering this question allows you to fully pilot with all the devices you would need to support for a full roll out.
3. Length of Pilot and Mix of Pilot Participants
A mix of mobile users with a variety of skill levels, different devices, and potentially from the different departments your mobile initiatives are going to support, will give you the best pilot group.
4. Appropriate Content and Authoring Tools/Vendors
Based on your business objectives, you may choose to pilot with all or some of the available content types listed below (in order of easiest to most complex):
Level 1: Triggered Notifications and Reminders: Sophisticated notification templates automatically can generate and send personalized SMS or e-mail messages based on predefined business rules and conditions. For instance, an SMS can be sent to mobile learners asking them to confirm their understanding of a current policy or procedure, or reminding them to complete an important assignment. Scheduled message-based content can be used as learning reinforcement to help keep new concepts fresh and top of mind, or to deliver serialized training campaigns such as "Sales Tip of the Day." This type of content can be delivered to virtually any kind of mobile device across any carrier network.
Level 2: Interactive Messaging: The CellCast Solution enables two-way messaging campaigns used to support initiatives where a user response is desired, such as mobile testing, surveys, and basic data collection. Questions are sent one at a time via SMS, and once the user answers the question, the next one is sent until all questions have been answered to. As above, this method works on any mobile device supporting SMS.
Level 3: Voice-Based Content and Tests: Authors can upload and manage audio-based content, and immediately make it accessible to mobile users anytime/anywhere. Organizations can deliver audio-based content for just-in-time learning or traditional learning tracks. To measure understanding and knowledge retention, CellCasts can include spoken word assessments (e.g., tests, quizzes, surveys). Content can include voice recordings, music files, and podcasts. This content is generally fast, easy, and economical to produce and package. Assignments can be delivered to any voice-enabled mobile phone.
Level 4: Reference Materials: Delivery of referential materials to mobile devices is useful for supplemental learning and performance support (check-lists, process documents). Reference and performance-related material can empower an employee to perform tasks with a minimum amount of external intervention or training, and when deployed via a mobile device in "drip-feed" format, has the potential to significantly increase information retention. Supported content types include PDF, Text/HTML, even Dreamweaver files. This option represents a cost-effective means of distributing m-learning content; existing content often can be utilized, and the effort required to create and deploy the content to a mobile device is minimal. This content can be delivered to any smartphone, netbook computer, and most data-enabled cellular phones.
Level 5: Content and Courseware: The explosion of the smartphone market has resulted in a mobile audience equipped with devices capable of receiving and processing more complex courseware. Training departments now can expand their mobile learning offerings beyond simple reference documents and page-turner modules to include engaging, fully interactive courseware. Courseware in both Microsoft PowerPoint (with animations, transitions, and embedded audio) and HTML (with graphics, animations, and stylesheets) formats can be used, as well as other third-party mobile content tools.
Level 6: Media-Based Content: Rich-media formats such as podcasts or video allow authors to deliver the media-based content they need to support their learning initiatives. Larger organizations already may have libraries of existing rich media content that can be converted to mobile-friendly content. This type of content is targeted at the smartphone/netbook audience.
5. Measurement of Pilot Outcomes and Success
What you choose to measure will be based on the objectives you determined in Step 1. With OnPoint’s CellCast Solution, all user interactions are tracked, including who, when, what, how long, frequency, and every response given to questions in any modality (Web, IVR, or message). Results are mined through basic reporting, dashboards, and analytics features, and can be used to determine the success of the pilot program.
By investing the time and effort upfront, you can crystallize a viable approach to your m-learning pilot•saving you time and headaches and reducing the production and delivery costs associated with any mobile learning effort.
Robert Gadd is cofounder and President of OnPoint Digital, a leading supplier of e-learning and m-learning solutions to enterprise and middle market organizations. He oversees OnPoint's technology and strategic direction in the design and delivery of diverse learning models enabling knowledge transfer through desktop applications, mobile devices, and informal learning portals. E-mail him at robgadd@msn.com
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