Mobile Learning

Mobile devices have opened a great number of opportunities for everyone to get access to information from anywhere in the world.

People now spend a lot of time using these devices for different things such as communicating with friends and family, online shopping, ordering food, playing games, and of course, reading, watching videos, and learning new things.

Speaking of the latter, this trend has changed the learning process. Online learning has made the education and training sector evolve into what is called mobile learning thanks to the development of mobile technology and mobile learning apps.

But what is all this mobile learning about? Is a mobile learning app a good learning environment? How does it work and what are the benefits and setbacks? If you are wondering about any or all of these, let us give you the details as you keep reading.

What is to learn by using your phone?

Also known as m-learning, mobile learning can be defined as the learning process that takes place through a mobile device by means of a mobile learning app. In other words, mobile learning is using mobile technology to access knowledge and learning materials that are part of e-learning training courses.

This way, e-learning is transformed into m-learning, which takes distance education literally to the hands of mobile users.

What are the types of mobile learning apps?

Different devices and different processes of learning require different types of approaches. As a result, there are different types of mobile apps used for mobile learning which are adapted to the specific mobile learning content.

It is not the same as preparing mobile learning content for children as preparing it for adults, and it will not be the same content for language students as for leadership students, for example.

Therefore, each type of mobile learning should be addressed accordingly. Here are the most common ones.

• Mobile learning apps for children using mobile devices

Children are capable of using mobile devices at a very early age nowadays, so mobile learning is important for many parents. There are many apps that are specially created for children to have an entertaining and engaging way to learn.

• Niche m-learning apps

This type focuses mainly on allowing students to learn about a specific topic while using their personal mobile devices. It is a great way of mobile learning for professionals who are looking forward to honing their skills in a very specific area of their expertise.

• Blended-learning approach mobile apps

Mobile learning supports the blended approach by offering a mobile platform that can be combined with live classroom education, no matter if it is a real or a virtual classroom. This is the go-to solution for many distance learning programs that want to offer continuous access to training content.

• Gamified mobile learning

The technology known as learning management system (LMS) has allowed each learning platform to be highly customizable, and now both e-learning and mobile learning can include gamification in learning experiences. This makes mobile learning extremely engaging for the students and offers a series of benefits such as increased knowledge retention.

Why is mobile learning important?

According to statista.com, “in 2021, the number of mobile devices operating worldwide stood at almost 15 billion, up from just over 14 billion in the previous year. The number of mobile devices is expected to reach 18.22 billion by 2025, an increase of 4.2 billion devices compared to 2020 levels.” This indicates mobile consumption is and will be very high in the future.

Moreover, according to businesswire.com, “the global education apps market is expected to grow by USD 46.88 billion during 2020-2024”, which makes it clear that global demand for mobile learning is also quite high. So, from the business side of it, mobile learning is here to stay as a very important part of the market.

Now, mobile learning is not only important because it creates profitable business opportunities. It is also important because it offers a series of advantages for employee training and general students in this digital world.

Let’s dive into the advantages of mobile learning now.

Advantages of learning with your phone

There are plenty of advantages of using a mobile device to take online courses. But this is not limited to mobile phones as many believe since this type of learning offers multi-device support, allowing anyone to use different handheld devices as long as they have an internet connection. And easy access could be considered one of the advantages.

So, without further ado, let us share the most relevant advantages of this type of learning.

• Promotes collaborative learning

For many learners, having others share the learning experiences is very important. In fact, many of these learners actually need the immediate feedback they can get from their peers. So, watching a simple video on a mobile phone is not enough for them.

Fortunately, a mobile application can offer more than that. Apps used for mobile learning are generally designed to allow building a community, just like it happens on social networks. The result is increased communication among the learners and between the learners and their instructors, tutors, or mentors through text messages, forums, and comments sections.

Thanks to these possibilities, it is easy for learners to get the immediate feedback they need, as well as share ideas about relevant content and learning activities, for example.

• Students learn at their own pace

Using their smartphones and internet connection, students can access text lessons, audio files, and other learning material anytime they want.

This allows them to apply microlearning and set the pace they feel more comfortable with to complete their daily tasks and move on with the lessons without the pressure of having to learn the concepts immediately as it usually happens in a classroom, thus avoiding what is known as cognitive overload.

Moreover, m-learning offers great flexibility in different aspects regarding the process of learning. For example, learners can create their own timetables, and they can always go back to their smartphones and revise the material they may have found difficult to digest.

• Increased engagement, retention and productivity

As we mentioned above, there are different types of apps, and some of them can include great visual aids such as high definition images and videos, and even add game-like activities. This can definitely help learners stay engaged, even those with the shortest attention spans.

In addition, the flexibility provided for learners to access materials any time they want and as many times they want helps them beat the forgetting curve, thus resulting in higher retention of the content.

What’s more, some research found that having access to the material in small bites through their smartphones helps learners create the habit and they do not see their course activities as homework anymore. Even more, the way apps are designed helps them track and stay accountable for their progress.

The result is productivity improved by up to 43%, with learners completing courses up to 45% faster than those learning via desktop.

• Higher completion rates

Speaking of completing courses, the increased engagement and improved productivity mentioned above is the main reason why course providers see higher completion rates thanks to m-learning.

This becomes especially important at a corporate level, where most learners are busy professionals who would rather spend more time completing their work than in front of a small screen with a boring course.

• It is cost-effective

With so much technological development in the world of mobile devices, it is now very simple to create an app that can be easily installed on any smartphone.

Also, app creators have found many ways to make a profit from having users make in-app purchases or see advertisements making it an even better business.

On the users’ side, installing a free app on a smartphone is very simple and they have the ability to decide whether they will pay for extras if they consider that the app really offers added value to their learning experience. And students are usually charged a considerably small price.

In other words, m-learning creates a win-win situation economically speaking.

Interested in mobile learning?

Courses online are commonplace nowadays, and many are being adapted to the screen size of your smartphone.

Now, what you need to do is to make sure you are choosing the right course for you, no matter if it is regular e-learning, m-learning, or a blended learning approach.

Since you have read up to this point, we want to invite you to check our guides on aviation courses and career opportunities so you can learn more on how to launch your career or see it evolve.

Here at Aeroclass, you can find courses we create and optimize for different users, including those who prefer mobile devices, so they learn anywhere and anytime.

Do not hesitate, choose your course and start now so you can see your career take off.

Of course, you can always contact us in case you need any help or guidance on what would be your best next step to launch or improve your career. We will be more than happy to help you.