5 Misconceptions about Micro-Learning
1) Smartphone learning is only for easy topics
Mobile learning is not for simple information only, on the contrary. It is great for breaking complex knowledge like e.g. an insurance product into digestable , bite-sized pieces, in an organised sequence, preventing people from getting lost and switching off. Bite-sized learning on the smartphone allows you to progress at your personal pace, in your own time. And it gives you ability to go back and revisit any time.
2) Creating content for smaller screens is a lot of work
No – the big thing is only the mindset shift. Content creation and time to market is actually much faster than e.g. web-based e-learning as mobile technology is much easier (think of learning to use a phone compared to learning to use a computer).
Also, conversion of powerpoint and other files into ‘bite-sizes’ is easy & fast for experts like us. We are building a new breed o mobile instructional designers who can turn complex content into engaging interactive learning journeys in less than 2 weeks.
3) Employees do not like to use their personal phone for corporate learning
There is actually a growing trend towards BYOD (“Bring your own device”), driven one one hand by millennials who rely on their mobile devices and want to seamlessly move between work and play. They do not seek a distinction between work and private life, on the contrary. They love engaging on their gadget, and training on the smartphone gives them a very personal learning experience: They can learn when tHEY want it, how fast THEY want it, where they want it. The second driver towards BYOD is of course the opportunity for the employer to lower cost and improve efficiency -whilst at the same time boosting effectiveness and morale!
4) Mobile learning makes trainers redundant
Face-to-face training done in an interactive way is in many instances the best training you can give your employees. However, it is expensive, not easy to scale, not just-in-time and not appealing to everybody (e.g. millennials dislike the classroom experience). In comparison, mobile learning is delivered anywhere anytime and can sustain learning over a period of time. What I recommend is to mix and blend the best of both worlds:
For example, Move complex product knowledge onto a mobile platform and use the trainer time that’s been freed up to do what they do best: Facilitate cross-functional group discussions, project ideation.
5) The content is not secure
Mobile learning uses the same data architecture as web-based learning and thus faces the same data security risks as any web application. 10 years ago, when few used the web to store data, there were no standardised cryptographic methods to safely transfer and store the data and yes, data security was a concern. But with modern browsers, the rise of the smartphone, heavy web traffic and the cloud, huge progress has been made and there are solutions in place to manage the risk. Today, all data traffic is encrypted. ….. Salesforce, Microsoft Office, Dropbox … these are all web-based applications offering huge convenience for a mobile work force. What remains is the risk of employees leaking data … but this is a challenge for any digital content, no matter where the content is stored – in the cloud or on premise.