Mobile learning is increasingly popular
Within L&D departments for companies in all sectors, the demand for mobile learning in on the rise: the mobile learning market worldwide is projected to grow more and more, reaching over US$78.5 billion by 2025 from an estimated US$22.4 billion in 2020. Almost everybody has a mobile phone these days; these devices act as ‘digital companions’ in most of what we do. So it makes sense to include learning in that mix of activities.
Skilla noticed the growing movement to mobile a long time ago: that’s why all our courses have been designed to be mobile-friendly for many years. However, more recently, we’ve also developed a learning solution that fully embraces the use of phones, and optimises it for learning: skillajourney, our mobile app for applied learning. Feedback on this solution from a number of clients using it in sectors such as banking, automotive and retail has been extremely positive.
At Skilla, we wanted to create an immediate, intuitive and incentivised learning experience that facilitates interactive learning on-the-job: it quickly became obvious that mobile devices were the perfect place to make that happen. As language-learning and sports apps have demonstrated, well-designed mobile apps can be a highly effective way to increase learning retention and engagement. As a channel, mobile can facilitate quick, condensed and responsive learning opportunities at the learner’s point of need.
Inspiring ‘learning by doing’
What is it that puts skillajourney at the forefront of L&D and edtech mobile apps? It prioritises the power of learning by doing. The app doesn’t just allow people to complete courses anytime, anywhere, but it enables them to use those courses as an integral part of their on-the-job tool kit. For example, a group of sales executives can have client management learning content in the form of prompts integrated into their client engagement process. This empowering integration of the learning process with working practice delivers new efficiencies.
The format we use for content in the mobile learning app is based on learning cards, adapted for mobile viewing, which are reminiscent of the flashcards you may remember, proven as effective learning aids. Phone screens are the perfect size to convey, for example, a concise checklist of objectives for leadership qualities, or digital competencies, or sales scripts – the pocket sized format lends itself well to the process of committing to memory via cognitive, visual-spatial and tactile stimuli.
As a content creator, Skilla wants to ensure that content delivered to the learner is fit for purpose, meets the pre-identified needs and enhances the learning agility both of the individual and the organisation. In essence, to be optimally effective, the learning needs to be adaptive. So content is fed through on an incremental basis, and adapted to the learners in the process, and assessment is built-in.
The pattern is microlearning content (learning card, video, podcast, mini-infographic) – quiz – response – adapted microlearning content – quiz – response etc., with the learner building their profile and capability visibly via badges and leader boards, and the L&D manager able to manage individuals and groups according to their level of proficiency, follow progress at a glance and adapt the content access to the requisite level.
That ‘just as appropriate, just enough, just in time’ approach to learning is hugely effective for knowledge acquisition. For skills and training that need to be put into practice regularly, having immediate and easy access to the relevant content on their mobile device creates a huge boost in application among employees, and knowledge retention too.
While we can and do provide the entire solution, including our own specialist soft skills, leadership, digital content, skillaJourney is often co-created with the client, as you would expect given its adaptive nature. Customers can upload their own content to the app, and we work with them to transform it and integrate it into an effective interactive and personalised micro-learning experience, supported by communication campaigns.
Build an online learning community outside the office
Another great benefit of using a mobile app like skillaJourney for training is that learners operate within a community of learning within their organisation, which can be organised and stimulated as managers and L&D managers see fit. For users, Skilla’s app is a hub for social learning for them and their fellow learners.
Each learner gets their own profile on the app, and can join or be added to groups or cohorts. Typically, these groups have L&D facilitators that oversee activities for them, assigning courses and access at appropriate levels, and occasionally sending out push notifications when necessary. The facilitators can manage the flexibility of the app in terms of how the training is then completed: it can be synchronous or asynchronous, or a blend of both, with strict or relaxed or stage-post deadlines.
Real-time assessment and feedback capabilities mean that learners are constantly able to improve and locate target areas to work on. The phased and adaptive delivery of content at appropriate levels enables a strong degree of personalisation in the learning experience. Skilla’s learning app also makes it easy for managers and leaders to keep track of how everyone is doing with comprehensive learning analytics for courses, groups and individuals.
The leaderboard is an essential feature too: employees that complete their training receive points, that reflect their engagement with the content and the successful completion of levels, and are ranked accordingly. This competitive aspect encourages learners to complete more courses, and more importantly it encourages them to pay full attention to score well in the end-of-course quiz, further reducing the risk of them forgetting content after completing each course.
Creating memorable learning experiences
Skilla’s interactive mobile learning app creates a powerful learning experience for individual learners, amplified socially as it takes place real-time within their own community. The combination of quick, condensed microlearning and question-driven interaction internalises content, while options for comments, adjustments, prompts and push notifications mean that learning becomes an active venture rather than a passive exercise in content absorption.
As a learning solution, our mobile app requires a little time to be set up, since we ensure the solution meets the specific needs of each client; Skilla works with the client to clarify: the learning objectives of the app, the types of learner and their progression levels, the operational context to maximise on-the-job dimension, the communications campaign to ensure the solution is used optimally, and the learning outcomes to ensure results.
At Skilla we take a consultative approach to crafting learning solutions, and the mobile learning app is just one of our offers. If you have specific learning requirements that can be met by collaborating with Skilla and creating a tailored skillaJourney for you and your learners, do contact us.
We also have a skillaLibrary of off-the-shelf courses, specialising in transversal competencies and soft skills, as well as structured multi-course Learning Paths around themes such as Inclusive Leadership. Do get in touch with us for a Demo of any of these solutions and to discuss your learning needs and challenges with us! We have a track record of having helped hundreds of clients in this way already, but what is satisfying is co-creating solutions that match each client’s specific needs.