Workplace Learning & Technology Trends 2020 (Part 5): Mobile Learning

As weslowly come closer to the end of 2019, it’s that time of the year again to lookat what ‘was’ and what ‘will be’ in the year to come. Every year brings with ita flurry of new trends, mostly driven by emerging technologies and innovations,which transform employee training just a little bit every time.

With the global eLearning market on a growth trajectory and poised to touch $15.72 billion by the year 2021, it is up to organizations and L&D leaders to get ahead of the curve and start planning and strategizing to leverage the newer learning and learning technology trends for the coming year/s.

Over thenext few weeks, we will take a detailed and comprehensive look at what L&Dleaders must embrace and what they need to let go of in 2020 and beyond- be itin terms of eLearning, learning delivery, employee engagement, new and emergingtechnologies and more.

In Part 4of this series we explored the role of Online Content Libraries inmodern learning. Today, we explore the rising value and continued dependabilityof Mobile Learning and how L&Dleaders can leverage mobile devices to better engage their workforce.

The Rising Value of Mobile Learning

It’sanything but surprising to learn that the value and importance of mobile devicesand telecommunication technologies isn’t fading anytime soon, if at all. Moreand more people around the world find themselves immersed in their mobilescreens, feverishly scrolling and tapping away on all kinds of apps, social,business, banking and what not. If this isn’t evidence enough, let’s glancethrough some of these statistics.

Latestfigures indicate a rise in the number of smartphone users, with the amount of worldwide smartphone users expected to touch3.3 billion (up 10% from 2018); and the world’s population of nearly8 billion people means a penetrationrate of 42.8%. So, simply put, four in every ten people are currently using asmartphone. 

The statsonly reiterate an already established fact that mobile devices are now omnipresent,and have become an indispensable part of our lives. And, just as everything hasbeen impacted by mobile, learning is no exception. Mobile Learning or MLearning madea blockbuster entrance in the 2000s and has been a superstar of the ELearningspace since. Why? Because we use smartphones and other mobile devices all dayand night long for all kinds of work, so it only makes sense to use it forlearning.

A largepart of the world’s mobile users also forms the global workforce, and for aworkforce that’s multi-device and mobile-friendly, their learning needs are alsomobile. There is no dearth of benefits of Mobile Learning and the modernworkforce prefers technologies that make learning more convenient and easier.Here are some more stats to drive home the point.

Accordingto Towards Maturity-

• 64% learners find it important to access training content from a mobile device
• 89% download apps (50% for education)  

There area number of factors that have led to the rise in value of Mobile Learning,especially the growing population of working-age Millennials and the growth ofgig economy. As more people leverage the option of working from the convenienceof their homes, coffee shops etc., it makes it critical for organizations todeliver learning to where their employees are, which means anytime-anywhere and any-device learning. The gig economy has seen a rapid growth in the past decade,making MLearning a solution almost tailored for this kind of workforce.

Moreover,Mobile Learning is indispensible for Performance Support and helping employees with on-the-job support, just-in-time.Mobile Learning provides continuous training supporteven after training sessions are over or while the employee is in themiddle of a challenging professional situation.

Inessence, Mobile Learning is no longer a ‘good-to-have’ tool, but rather a ‘must-have’ for delivering training effectively to the workforce.

Role of Mobile Learning in 2020 & Beyond

Theadoption of Mobile Learning has been driven by a number of factors, and some ofthese factors are sure to dominate the business landscape in 2020 and beyond,pointing to Mobile Learning as a major trend.

With 56 million labor force participants aged 21 to 36 working or looking forwork, America has the largest pool ofmillennials. But not just the Americas, latest stats around the world indicatethat millennials are set to rule the workplaces of 2020 and beyond. Having comeof age during a time of technological change, globalization and economicdisruption, the millennials possess a different set of behaviors andexperiences than other generations. They are the first digital natives andtheir natural affinity for technology helps shape how they do or don’t dothings. And, Mobile Learning forms a huge part of their workplace.

Furthermore,increasing availability of high-speed Internet around the world, coupled withwider mobile penetration has made mobiles truly ubiquitous and removed thelimitations on time, place and device. The traditional 9-5 work hour culture isslowly giving way to flexi work schedules and freelance jobs (read The Gig Economy). So, it’scritical now than ever to create better Mobile Learning experiences thatcomplement this workforce and make learning accessible wherever and wheneverneeded.

Speakingof hardware, the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) movement has gained a strongerfoothold worldwide, with the BYOD market estimated to reach $367 billion by 2022. It has beenalso reported that personal devices for work activities save employees moretime each day, providing an evident increase in productivity.

So,Mobile Learning in the form of a Mobile LMS Apps or a Multi-device Responsive LMS easily deployed on employees’ personal smartphones andtablets can do wonders to their engagement and productivity.

Takeaway

It’salmost common sense that the workforce of 2020 and beyond calls for trainingand performance support to be delivered on their mobile devices; and mobilityin the workplace is more powerful and its applications in L&D continue togain a strong foothold.

LeveragingMobile Learning in your organization can be a critical decision as it hasmultiple paybacks, from talent development to business outcomes. So, it’s abouttime organizations adopt Mobile Learning and free-up their workforce from theshackles of traditional learning methods now more than ever.

Get moremobile learning insights by downloading our Mobile of Workplace Learning Infographic.

To knowmore about UpsideLMS’ Mobile Apps please visit https://www.upsidelms.com/mobile-learning-lms-app