Mobile phone technology has undergone significant developments in the last decade, and mobile learning is one of these emerging trends. Mobile learning enables learners to acquire skills and knowledge through mobile devices. Recent advancements in technology have made mLearning an essential technology for learning institutions. With so many innovations in the mobile space, what are the emerging trends to watch for in mobile learning? What are the challenges and opportunities associated with mobile learning? In this post, we answer these questions to help stakeholders in education design and deliver effective mobile learning experiences to students.
Trends in mobile learning
- User-generated content
Learning through mobile devices has made it easy for learners to create content from their experiences and complete custom assignments. This trend is popularly used in delivering skill training and completing problem-solving tasks. For instance, you can visit Customwritings.com on your mobile for expert help with writing customized academic content in different formats.
- AI chatbots
Most online portals have AI-powered chatbots that can answer voice and text commands. The chatbots are used in mobile learning to deliver specific information, send reminders, provide feedback on learning, and support collaborative learning. With more students preferring self-directed learning, chatbots increase course completion rates.
- Mobile applications
Mobile applications have made learning more interactive and personalized. This trend is useful to learners in remote locations, on the move, or international students learning a new language. The integration of mobile apps in education has made it easy to access study materials, participate in online training programs, and learn at convenient times.
- UX for mLearning
Mobile learning is focused on the user experience (UX) to boost learning experiences. Good UX ensures quick access to information, uninterrupted learning, and quick exchange of knowledge. UX in mobile learning focuses on maximizing visibility, reducing loading time, increasing text readability, and promoting small-screen compatibility.
- Augmented reality
Augmented reality (AR) creates real-life environments for immersive learning experiences. This trend is commonly used in healthcare training through surgical simulations. AR allows learners to explore real-life learning situations with minimal risks.
Challenges of mobile learning
- Privacy and security concerns
This is one of the biggest concerns for students considering mobile learning because some training programs require learners to provide personal details to access training sessions. However, most websites and applications implement encryption, authorization, and authentication to address the issue.
Reading texts on a small screen can hurt the eyes, making mobile learning hectic. It is particularly challenging when content is designed for desktops or laptops. However, you can overcome this challenge by using virtual reality add-ons and creating short content.
- Compatibility with content
Some content created for eLearning isn’t always compatible with mobile devices, so you must spend time refurbishing it. Also, mobile devices come in different sizes, meaning you’ll need to recreate mobile content in various formats, which can be challenging.
Students may be easily distracted by social media, chats, and online shopping. This is common when the mobile learning content is not intuitive or catchy enough. Solutions include having essential content only, attractive visual design, and different content formats.
- Difficulty measuring student learning experience
Measuring student performance via mobile learning platforms can be challenging if you don’t have the right technology to track online and offline experiences. However, you can track, record, and store online and offline activity on mobile devices with the help of LRS and xAPI technologies.
Opportunities in mobile learning
Mobile learning allows learners to stay in touch with peers and teachers. It is easy to share knowledge, ask questions, share feedback, discuss group assignments, and host webinars. There are opportunities for better teamwork, communication, and problem-solving.
People learn at different rates, and mobile learning allows learners to learn at their own pace. You can access skill training materials, research content, notes, and other resources anytime, anywhere. That way, you can grasp concepts and get continuous learning support despite your busy schedule or slow learning pace.
- Dynamic learning environment
With mobile learning, you can diversify learning through online courses, microlearning, online workshops, and webinars among others. For example, microlearning suits mLearning because it delivers bite-sized content that learners can retain easily.
- Real-world problem solving
Mobile learning trends, such as AR and AI, create opportunities for infinite information literacy. Students and educators can use the technologies to personalize learning and improve curriculums to include real-life problem-solving scenarios. It can also increase information retention rates among learners.
Mobile learning can achieve higher knowledge retention and better learning experience than traditional classrooms
Most students in colleges and universities today have never known a world without mobile devices. The emerging trends in the sector make mobile learning a great solution to meet the learning needs of these students. Still, stakeholders must weigh the challenges and opportunities of creating mLearning courses.