Nowadays, smartphones are our holy grail. Every bit of our life revolves around this technology. We communicate with friends, multi-task our job, shop online, play video games, and even get training online. Now imagine what if we can learn through these smartphones as well? Yes, we surely can! Mobile devices have stepped up the conventional learning/training methods. We no longer have to reschedule our tasks for learning as we are heading to mobile devices. Multi-tasking on a single device is surely a blessing. Mobile learning is a new way in technology through which we can access different learning content via mobile devices regardless of time and location.

What is mobile learning?

Mobile learning often abbreviated as m-learning, is education via personal modern mobile devices like tablets and smartphones. M learning enables us to access learning content through social platforms, mobile applications, and online educational sites anytime, anywhere.

M learning is ‘always-on’ learning which is not just limited to classrooms. The word ‘mobile’ itself justifies flexibility. We can say that mobile devices are playing a vital role in supporting learning online. The corporate world now more than ever is in need to adapt modern m-learning techniques as one can access information at any moment.

Mobile learning in education

Through a recent survey, it has come to light that about 86% of college/school students own a smartphone and use them vividly for the completion of different tasks. Colleges and universities are looking for several ways to adapt mobile learning in higher education through which students can access the real world in just a physical classroom. With mobile learning, the learning will turn into engaging and fast-paced sessions.

Mobile learning is helpful for students as well as educational institutions. Educational institutes can upload and deliver learning content on online learning platforms and students can access them anytime. This is also one of the reasons why mobile devices are now considered the need of the hour. As of now, solutions for homework/assignments are just a click away, mobile learning allows students the completion of their projects and assignments. Also, students often use mobile devices to submit their projects or assignment to teachers online.

Mobile-learning in the corporate world

Accessibility of the internet through mobile gadgets is increasing day by day. One prefers smartphones or tablets more rather than a computer system because it’s on the go use. No doubt laptops and computers are no less, but flexibility and multi-task support of a smartphone is far convenient.  Employees consider smartphones to be very helpful as they can access any information or data even when they work remotely.

In the corporate field, mobile learning allows people to undertake any training or during their working hours rather than outside of their working hours.  Sharing learning content on mobile devices is the most used way to learn through m-learning. One can share his created content with fellow workers or employees simply by using links and files so that access to it anytime. Mobile learning can also be used in blended learning approaches in a way that the instructor can conduct a live survey to get the immediate response of the trainees if the training is on a large scale.

Benefits of mobile learning

• Flexible learning; the most important factor of mobile learning is flexibility. Learning has become easier as one can multi-task his work without interruption in learning via mobile devices.
• Multi-device support; another big advantage of mobile learning as we can access any online content on any mobile device which is probably not possible in e-learning.
• With a rapid increase in performance; colleges/ schools are now providing short learning programs to students which are easily accessible through mobile devices. Learning is becoming more engaging and easy and hence improvising the performance and needs of students.
• Learn anytime, anywhere; a trainee/learner can take his study material anywhere with him. Their learning content is always glued to them in their pockets.
• Boost in motivation; mobile learning boosts one’s motivation to learn anytime he wants. A person could be heavily stressed about his working work, but at the same time, he can learn something new every day with his smartphone.

Demerits of mobile learning

• Lack of internet; learning through mobile could be a big issue if one doesn’t have an internet connection. Restricted use of electricity can also hinder the path of learning.
• Digression; smartphones could be very distracting while learning. Messages and notifications always distract us from work. You need to be self-disciplined and focused to learn something productive.
• Small screens; learning like designing needs high use of images. You may fail to learn these graphic-based courses or complex mathematical expressions on a small screen smartphone.