CHAPTER 1
Mobile Learning Overview
When I speak to audiences about mobile learning, I often jokingly say that ourphones and other mobile devices have become part of our DNA. Think about it fora minute. We never leave home without them. They are always on. We check them anaverage of 34 times per day; panic if we lose them; and a large percentage of ussleep with them within an arm's reach. Let's face it: mobile devices have becomea part of who we are and how we interact with the world around us.
Mobile Device Adoption Rates
It seems that everywhere we look, people are on their mobile phones and tablets,but how many people actually have mobile subscriptions? According to theInternational Telecommunication Union (June 2012), at the end of 2011, therewere approximately 6 billion mobile subscriptions. With the world's populationstanding at about 7 billion, 6 billion subscriptions represents more than 85percent of the world's population. Wow! So does that mean almost everyone in theworld has a mobile phone? Not quite. Many individuals have multiplesubscriptions, and Ericsson (June 2012) believes the actual number of uniquesubscribers as of the first quarter of 2012 was about 4.2 billion. So we arelooking at close to 60 percent of the world's population that owns and uses cellphones.
With the ever-growing global workforce, I'd like to take a moment and look athow mobile devices have been adopted worldwide by region.
Portio Research (see Table 1-1) has broken the mobile penetration landscape intofive worldwide regions, and, based on its 2011 data, the only regions thatdidn't exceed 100 percent penetration were Asia Pacific, Africa, and the MiddleEast. They forecast by the year 2016 the only regions not to exceed 100 percentwould be Africa and the Middle East with 91.3 percent.
Not only are we looking at more than half the world with mobile subscriptions in2012, and a future growth rate to exceed 100% worldwide by 2014, but mobiletechnologies (including devices and mobile software) are the fastest-growingtechnology in history to date.
Data Plan Costs
Currently in the United States, mobile carriers are doing away with theunlimited data plans. At the time of this writing, Sprint is the only major U.S.carrier that still offers an unlimited data plan to new subscribers. This leadsto an implication that data plan costs are skyrocketing. In reality, the costper MB of data has continuously dropped since 2008. Portio Research forecaststhis trend will continue, and by 2015, the cost will be a mere US$0.01 per MB(see Figure 1-1). Free Wi-Fi networks are popping up everywhere—from your localMcDonald's to your local gas station. The problem is not the cost of theservice, but rather, most individuals purchase a data plan that exceeds theirneeds, as the typical U.S. mobile subscriber uses less than 2GB per month.
Corporate Adoption
All this sounds great. Most people are hooked on their mobile devices, and datacosts are dropping. But will corporations adopt this technology, or is it allonly for personal use? According to Gartner Research, by 2014 it will becommonplace for organizations to support corporate applications on employee-owned smartphones and mobile devices.
In addition to supporting enterprise-wide corporate applications, organizationshave been using social media and mobile technologies as a way to reach theirconsumers. For example, if you "like" a company's Facebook page, the company maysend you coupons for discounted or even free products. Flip through the pages ofany magazine or newspaper, and you will see quick response (QR) codes, which, ifyou scan them with your smartphone, will give you additional product informationby sending you to the company's website or even redirecting you to watch avideo.
With the information I've shared with you in this section, it's easy to see thatmobile technologies aren't only the hot devices of the moment—they're here tostay. Corporations are quickly (or not) adapting their IT strategies to includemobile technologies as a way to support their internal applications as well astheir customer needs. As managers, we must explore how we can leverage thistechnology to aid in training employees, enable employees to achieve greaterperformance, and educate our customers.
What Is Mobile Learning?
While we cover this question in detail in Chapters 3 and 4, I'd like to brieflytake a look at mobile learning, also referred to as m-learning, from the 50,000-footview.
Mobile learning isn't really about the technology or the device, and itshouldn't be a primary mechanism to deliver your e-learning courses. Rather,think of mobile learning as a way to provide your employees or customers withthe right content at the right point in time. Consider allowing them and,indeed, encouraging them, to create their own content to support peer-based andsocial learning opportunities. Look for ways to maximize the devices' uniqueattributes to augment and extend the learning process. Last, support yourlearners on the job with performance support tools accessible from their mobiledevices. Make your m-learning tools a prominent component of your corporateteaching tool kit and part of a well-thought-out, long-term employee andcustomer support strategy.
Devices Used for Learning Today
Today, a variety of mobile devices deliver mobile learning experiences, and thelines between these technologies is blurry. While many of us have a variety ofmobile devices close at hand, soon we will own only one that accomplishes allour goals. Let's take a moment to look at some of the technologies that delivermobile learning experiences today.
Portable Digital Assistant
The portable digital assistant (PDA), a long-time staple for many executives, ison the verge of extinction. They are often called a palmtop computer, and theirprimary focus is on personal organization and office productivity. PDA softwaretypically includes a calendar, address book, notepad, e-mail, and picture and/orvideo display. PDAs contain memory cards to save data and use Wi-Fi or Bluetoothtechnology to connect to the Internet. Since they do not connect to cellularnetworks, their Internet accessibility is tremendously limited compared toother, more modern technologies.
Feature Phones
I often refer to a feature phone as a dumb phone since it does not run on amobile computing platform. Typically feature phones are used to communicate,either via voice or SMS. These phones are often overlooked as a deliverymechanism for a mobile learning experience due to their lowtech feel. However,as we discuss later in the book, SMS is a viable way to distribute learningcontent to your employees and customers, so do not dismiss feature phones as apotential delivery vehicle.
Portable Media Player
The portable media player isn't just for listening to your favorite music. Manyorganizations are creating podcast series as a way to deliver learning contentto their audience. By leveraging a subscription service, the company can postnew content to the Internet for employees (or customers) to listen to or view attheir convenience—whether that's on the subway, in the gym, or while you'rewaiting for your next appointment.
Smartphone
Thanks to the smartphone, no matter where you are, you can check and sync youre-mail from multiple accounts, listen to music, take and share pictures and/orvideo, utilize GPS location services, and download applications for pleasure andbusiness. While the majority of existing phone owners have a feature phone, thatis quickly changing. According to Nielsen, as of February 2012, nearly 50percent of U.S. mobile owners have smartphones, and more than two-thirds of newphone buyers in 2012 opted for smartphones over feature phones. Smartphones havea tremendous potential to change the way companies deliver training toemployees, both as a communication tool and as a user-generated content-creationtool.
Tablets and e-Readers
I think of tablets as the bridge between the smartphone and the laptop. Besideshaving many of the capabilities of a PC, most tablets include wireless Internetbrowsing functions, potential cell phone functions, GPS navigation and locationservices, video camera functions, and a battery life of three to ten hours. Thetablet's larger screen size, touchscreen technology, and long battery life makeit one of the most interesting devices for creating highly interactive mobilelearning. A subset of the tablet is the e-reader, such as the Kindle, usedprimarily to store and read books. The power of the e-readers is the very largeamount of text-based content that can be held on one device, which is accessiblefrom any location with a screen size designed specifically for reading.
Handheld Gaming System
Handheld gaming systems, such as the Nintendo DS or Sony PSP, can be used todeploy highly interactive serious learning games that allow us to learn from ourmistakes in a safe environment. This all-in-one portable device has a built-inscreen, traditional game controls, speakers, and replaceable or rechargeablebatteries. As with other technologies discussed here and the high adoption rateof smartphones, this technology may be at risk of extinction, at least as alearning platform.
Myths vs. Realities of Mobile Learning
There are many misconceptions or myths about mobile learning. Unfortunately,many managers allow these myths to limit their ability to see and envision thepower of mobile learning. So let's address some of the most common myths.
Myth: Screen and Keyboard Are Too Small
At the heart of it, this myth assumes all mobile learning takes place on amobile phone. As you just read, there are a variety of mobile devices you canleverage to deliver effective mobile learning. Sure, mobile phone screens aresignificantly smaller than other traditional devices, but if they had largescreens, we wouldn't have them with us wherever we go.
Whenever I hear the screen is too small, my first response is always "Too smallto do what? Too small to take a traditional e-learning course?" Yes, I agreewholeheartedly. Remember, mobile learning isn't an alternative delivery methodfor your e-learning. Sure, organizations are converting their existing e-learning libraries to mobile versions, but typically this is to allow users thechoice of how they would like to take the course.
Myth: We Can't Provide Devices to All Our Employees
While there are times when purchasing devices is the best answer, such astablets to be used for sales training or new employee orientation programs, mostcompanies can't justify the expense, and that's okay. Probably most of youremployees or customers already have some sort of mobile device that theypersonally selected, are comfortable using, and best of all, already carry withthem everywhere they go. So why worry about providing the devices? Considerallowing your employees to bring their own device (BYOD), and you develop thelearning experiences to run on multiple platforms.
Myth: Mobile Learning Must Be Highly Interactive
There's a time and a place for high levels of interactivity, but not all mobilesolutions are or should be highly interactive. One benefit of mobile learning isthe ability to address learners at their moment of need. For example, videos arenot interactive. However, they are beneficial for observing how a procedure isperformed prior to actually completing the task. Another example of effectivepassive learning is having documents, manuals, or job aids on the devices.
Myth: Mobile Learning Must Be SCORM Compliant
SCORM compliance is a complicated, and honestly, a tricky subject when it comesto mobile learning. Most managers don't really care about SCORM and simply wantthe ability to gather solid tracking and measurement data of their learninginitiatives. Luckily, most mature mobile learning tools allow for tracking datato be saved without dealing with SCORM, and later it can be integrated with yourother learning systems as well as other internal systems.
Myth: Mobile Learning Is Time Consuming to Develop and Costly
When I hear this myth, right away I ask, "What type of mobile learningexperience are you creating, and what intent does it serve?" While serious gamesand outside developed applications can be costly, that isn't the case for mostsolutions. Many tools are available to develop and deliver cost-effectivesolutions, and as the field continues to mature, this trend will only continue.This myth also assumes that all content will be generated by the IT or HRdepartment. Consider for a moment the benefit of having key salespeople recordvideos from their smartphone, sharing their top five tips for success. Keep inmind: mobile learning does not have to be professional production quality andhigh fidelity sound to be effective. Peer-to-peer learning on a mobile devicecan be one of the most effective ways to deliver great content.
Myth: People Don't Want Mobile Learning Experiences
This myth can be debunked simply by observing any public setting. The number ofpeople who use the mobile devices as more than a communication tool isstaggering. You see people reading books, playing games, reading a newspaper,searching for information on the Internet, getting their e-mail, listening tomusic, or interacting on a social network service such as Facebook or Twitter.Why would we not want to use that same technology as a learning tool, deliveringcontent when and where we need it? Most people like to attend a classroom orseminar for the social aspects or to get out of work for the day and are notdriven to that method for the great learning experience. Let's face it. We are asociety that has come to expect mobile experiences, and our learning programsneed to incorporate this element.
Manager's Checklist for Chapter 1
[check] Mobile technologies (devices and supporting software) are the fastest growingtechnology in history. More than 60 percent of the world's population currentlyhas subscriptions, and data plan costs are dropping.
[check] Mobile learning isn't simply loading your e-learning courses on a mobile phone.
[check] Mobile learning is about taking advantage of the unique attributes andportability of the devices to create new and unique learning experiences.
[check] Understand the potential barriers to mobile learning, but don't let myths andmisconceptions stop you from leveraging this powerful tool in your learningstrategy.
[check] The lines between devices to deliver mobile learning are blurring. In thefuture, most current devices will be replaced by one device that does it all.
CHAPTER 2
The Time Is Now for Mobile Learning
As a society, we have embraced mobile technologies. Take a moment and thinkabout how mobile technologies have improved your life. Possibly you're stayingin touch with family and friends by posting status updates and uploading photoson Face-book. Maybe you're saving money by finding the gas station in your areawith the cheapest gas prices. You may be using small, precious moments of freetime to make reservations at the newest hot restaurant in town and then havingyour phone give you turn-by-turn directions to get there.
It's safe to say that as a society, we are hooked on mobile devices and theproductive benefits we derive by using them. If you have not already started tothink about how to leverage this power in your organizational training strategy,now is definitely the time to start.
Other than personal adoption, why should we act now to incorporate mobilelearning in our training programs? In this chapter, we address key data thatsupport the assertion that now is the time to act. We answer questions such as:Why should companies implement mobile learning throughout the organization? Whatare the key business drivers for adding mobile learning to your trainingstrategy? What unique benefits can be achieved through mobile learninginitiatives? And last, we address some of the key challenges to consider whenimplementing mobile learning solutions. Let's start by looking at the businessdrivers favoring the use of mobile learning in your organization.
Business Drivers for Mobile Learning
When I think about what motivates us from a business perspective to implementmobile learning, three points immediately come to mind. First, mobile learningcan be a way to better support our modern workforce. Second, mobile learning canimprove your employees' job performance. And third, mobile learning can increasethe impact of your training throughout the organization. Let's take a look ateach of these business drivers. This all results in what we might call themobile workforce.
