Mobile learning is on the rise as most companies are opting for mobile responsive training programs and course designs. Since most people these days have mobile devices that they use for literally everything, mobile learning is a good way of making employee training more flexible, effective, and accessible for all the employees in a company.
But how exactly does designing a mobile-responsive employee training program work? What are the elements that should be included to make it a great one? We are here with a blog to let you know about these seven essential tips on designing the ultimate mobile learning program for your employees.
Opt for an easy user interface
For the modern workforce, especially if you work with Gen Z, you may find out for a fact that they are very tech-savvy. Thus, mobile learning is a very appropriate option for them. But, if you have decided to make your employee training completely mobile responsive then you must also take into consideration those employees who may not be very tech-savvy.
Thus, to take a middle ground, it is advisable to opt for an easier user interface. Make sure that the interface you are choosing has clear and understandable instructions when it comes to page navigation so that even the employees that struggle with using technology can navigate through the pages easily.
Finding out the best format
Understand what will be the best format for delivering training content to your employees. While working with mobile-responsive employee training programs, you may come across different kinds of formats through which you can deliver the content to your learners.
For example, some people may opt for text-based content with smaller modules while some others may decide to make training videos. Different businesses have different requirements and preferences, thus one format cannot work for everyone.
The best way to decide your format is to take employee feedback. You can also combine more than one format to create a richer learning experience for your employees.
Incorporating smaller and crispier modules
It is important to remember that the whole point of opting for mobile responsive employee training courses is to make sure that the training fits into the schedules of your employees and enables them to learn on the go. If you opt for course material that is wordy and lengthy with very long modules, there is a chance that most of your employees will have difficulty focusing on it; especially when they are on the move.
For a better on-the-go learning experience, it is better to incorporate smaller and crispier modules in the course as these are easier to focus on and comprehend when the learner is on the go.
Enabling ‘Offline’ reading options
Traditional training programs are very inflexible when it comes to timing since employees are supposed to sit and mindfully attend the program when it is happening. Meanwhile, online training courses, especially if they are available on their smartphone, things become more flexible.
However, to make things even more flexible and convenient for the learners, it is advisable that the courses are designed to have offline access. Since office environments are very busy and there is always some priority task that needs to be delivered, it might not be possible for the employees to finish their training modules in one go.
Thus, most employees prefer learning in smaller bursts throughout the day for which the material should be available all the time. Some of your employees may not have a strong internet connection while traveling or when they are at home which is why enabling ‘offline’ reading options is a great way to make sure that the learners have 24/7 access to the content.
Ensuring compatibility of the content
Training course modules may have different elements like eBooks, videos, images, and audio files. These files can be incorporated into the material in different formats like .wav, .png, mp4, .avi, etc. However, it is important to take into consideration that some of these formats may not be compatible with some specific devices.
So, be mindful about which format you are using as your employees will not be able to access the formats that are not compatible with their device. It is also not fair on your side to ask them to buy a whole new device just to be able to access your content. So, to ensure that your course material is accessible to everyone, make sure that you are using the standard formats that are compatible with most devices out there.
Benefiting from multimedia content
Mobile learning needs to be engaging. And this can be achieved with multimedia content easily. Mobile devices usually have smaller screens than laptops and computers and hence, reading long, wordy content pieces on the mobile screen for long periods of time can be stressful. This can also lead to a loss of focus, leading to the training becoming a total waste of time and resources.
To eradicate this issue, it’s better to incorporate multimedia material like videos, rich images, animations, and audio files. Playable audio files and podcasts can be especially useful as they will enable your employees to listen to the course material while traveling, driving, taking a walk, or during a coffee break. You can even ensure a rich learning experience for your learners by creating a web of different kinds of multimedia content.
Incorporating interactive content
Another amazing way of enhancing your employees’ mobile learning experience is to incorporate interactivity into your course and your course material. Interactivity can be achieved by adding very simple features to the course such as a drag and drop feature or a ‘reveal’ feature for searching and finding the meaning of terms used in the content.
You can also add a simple note feature that will allow the learners to make notes inside the course and a highlighting feature that they can use to highlight specific sentences and important phrases. Even a simple zoom-in feature can help your employees greatly while studying their course material.
Conclusion
Mobile learning is a very effective way of increasing learners’ engagement in your employee training program. However, it can only be achieved with a great program that is flexible, accommodating, and has modules that can be easily consumed.
Make sure your mobile responsive employee training program is carried out on a platform that has an easy user interface. It should also include engaging content with a lot of visual elements and smaller modules. The course material should be compatible with most mobile devices for an overall pleasant and rich learning experience.
