mLearning Is the New Custom eLearning

Custom e-learning revolutionized the way schools and employers teach.  Students, employees, and other adult learners enjoy the freedom and flexibility associated with custom e-learning environments.  Employers have particularly picked up custom e-learning as a means of affordably training many employees over a period of time, without the expense of training seminars.  Now, employers can help employees train anywhere, at any time with mobile, or m-learning.

 

Of course, learners also love the flexibility m-learning provides.  Now students can take custom e-learning courses right from laptops, iPhones, Blackberries, tablet PCs, and  iPads, meaning they can take it with them.  Imagine attending class or training under a favorite tree in a favorite park,  instead of being cooped up in a stuffy classroom or board room.

 

There are some challenges in creating custom e-learning content for m-learning applications.  eLearning professionals must keep the limitations of screen size and keyboard accessibility in mind when creating new or reworking custom e-learning courses for mobile applications.  The navigation of quality m-learning materials must be simple, and screens must not be overly packed with content.  Visibility and the ability to run the software are both major considerations when integrating teaching tools such as graphics and animations for m-learning.

 

Though the availability and capabilities of devices are hurdles for creating m-learning content, the applications for m-learning are seemingly endless.  As m-learning is defined as any learning that takes place via a portable electronic device, everything from videos to documents, to multimedia texting can be used as m-learning applications.  Many existing applications for smartphones and iPads constitute m-learning materials, even though the users might use them for hobbies.  For example, an application designed to run on Apple products that helps the user identify plants and offers care instructions is actually an m-learning teaching tool, though most users may not think about the fact that they are really learning.  These kinds of m-learning applications have helped to make more people into active learners, the effects of which are yet to be measurable.

 

Many e-learning professionals can turn existing custom e-learning packages into m-learning modules.  Of course, they can also create all new custom m-learning materials as well.  In many education settings, the standardized use of m-learning is often unrealistic as not all students might be able to access materials on mobile devices.  Custom e-learning mobile learning modules do work very well in professional environments where most employees already have smartphones, and the company is able to supply workers with portable devices if necessary.

 

Supplying employees with custom m-learning materials is an efficient way of providing said employees with information on the go.  Doctors and other medical associates have used m-learning materials on handheld devices for years to aid in diagnosis and treatment selection.  mLearning materials also create a fairly constant link between the employee and the workplace, especially when multimedia texting is integrated in the custom m-learning package.  As portable device technology improves, the use of custom e-learning for business training will become increasingly prevalent in m-learning formats.