Push. Pull. Or Collaborate.

When designing content, consider whether you will use content push, content pull or collaboration. Content push is intentionally delivering the instruction or materials to the learner (e.g.  sending the learner a link to a mobile learning module). This may be anything from simple presentations and animations to more sophisticated simulations and games designed to drive content to the learner.

Some of the most effective mobile learning uses ‘pull’ mode (where the learner requests the information or knowledge) rather than ‘push’ mode. The key is motivating learners to seek out content. Today, most learning takes place informally. In the pull model, learners determine when to access content, and the mobile application provides ready access.  Examples could include a wiki, reference documents, or a just in time learning module that functions across the organization.

Collaboration is another way mobile technology can enhance and support performance and learning by connecting learners with their peers.  Collaboration can take place across social networking or online discussion boards.

Regardless of how you distribute the information, try using these seven tips to design impactful mobile learning.

1. Design for the Small Screen. Keep in mind that mobile applications have limited screen size, smaller keyboards, no mouse and limited bandwidth for multimedia files.  It’s important to design for form as well as function on mobile devices, rather than just porting an existing design to the mobile platform.
2. Keep it short. Research suggests chunking e-learning into 10 to 15 minute modules. However, with many users accessing mobile devices while they are on the go, it makes sense to keep mobile learning modules even shorter, as brief as 2 minutes per segment.  This allows users to take short learning breaks between their other activities and takes into consideration the likelihood of frequent interruptions.
3. Keep it simple. When designing m-Learning, remember the acronym KISS:  Keep It Simple and Straightforward.  Users have small screens and little bits of time so low information density is critical for effective mobile content.  Mobile users demand quick, clear, and easy-to-use applications, so interfaces should be intuitive and task-oriented.
4. Talk to the hand. Design for users who like to operate their mobile devices with one hand and for users who have what we call the “fat fingers” issue.  So, the clickable areas should be surrounded with as much white space as possible. Also, remember that typing on a mobile device is challenging, so keep data entry to a minimum. Limit responses to optional choices or short fill-in-the-blanks. Think of mobile applications as tools for learning and not just another content delivery system.
5. Keep designs colorful but simple. Consider bright, yet clear illustrations, which are less processor-intensive than a detailed photograph or complex animation. Don’t use media in situations where it isn’t needed. The more complex the visual element the more bandwidth is required for download.  You don’t want to run the risk that your images can’t be seen and users won’t finish the training.
6. Make it relevant. Mobile learning is very effective for ‘’just in time training’’ and can help you reach your audience before or after a ‘learning’ event.’ You can address essential knowledge critical to changing behaviors immediately. You can also tune up previously acquired skills presented through e-Learning or classroom-based instruction.
7. Make it ongoing and flexible. For m-Learning to be effective it must remain pertinent and connected to the original message. Materials must be updated regularly. Remind your audience that resources continue to be available to them. In addition, mobile learners should be able to bookmark and return to a mobile nugget, wherever and whenever they choose.

Through the boom in advanced mobile technology, how we access information and learning has evolved. Chances are your organization can take advantage of mobile learning. The key is defining this need and finding the right m-Learning solution that fits your user, your technology infrastructure and your culture. These best practices reinforce our belief that mobile learning is most effective in a blended learning model as well as when it is continuous, ongoing and accessible.

How are you using mobile learning in your organization?

The following are links to blog posts that served as resources for the above tips.
Ten Tips for Designing Mobile Learning Content – Learning Solutions Magazine
Mobile Learning Best Practices and Lessons Learned – the Learning Generalist
10 Tips For Designing mLearning and Support Apps – eLearning Coach
Two Bite Brownies = Mobile Learning – eLearning by Experience blog
Five Practical Mobile Learning Tips – Upside Learning blog

In 2010, Google’s CEO Eric Schmidt described the mobile ecosystem as a “confluence of computing power, connectivity and cloud computing” and proclaimed a new focus for the industry – putting mobile first.

With this new focus comes a new emphasis on mobile learning.  A recent e-Learning Guild survey reports 70.2% of respondents are using their personal mobile devices for business applications.  That translates into using their devices to learn, not to mention browsing the Web, connecting to social networks, making purchases and playing games. The same survey found that “companies are progressing on the mobile front, and while the initiatives are as yet small…the percentage of companies that plan to do m-Learning has increased from 38.5% in 2007 to 51% in 2011.”

When does using m-Learning make sense?

In a blended learning model

Effective m-Learning is more than simply repackaging existing e-Learning. Rather it should enhance learning and support additional training materials like e-Learning modules and instructor-led training. M-Learning can activate knowledge before classroom training through exploratory exercises, or summarize the main concepts afterwards. M-Learning can be an excellent tool for just-in-time training, too.  For example, it can deliver readily available information in the form of performance support, like on-job-training materials, job aids, forms and checklists. It can also provide real-life scenarios using simulations and scenario-based games.

When it is continuous, ongoing, flexible and accessible

Learners want access to information on their own terms. For some that means they want access when it’s convenient, while for others it means access at the moment they need it. M-Learning should be available 24/7. It lets companies push out updates, offer reference materials via wikis, blogs, and forums, and provides collaboration through social networking, coaching or mentoring, and conferencing.

Here are a few examples of m-Learning in practice.

Customer Training & Sales Support

JPL partnered with Voith Turbo Inc. to create a mobile bus simulation that lets municipal bus drivers improve their driving skills, saving municipalities money and conserving energy. The development model we used delivers training on several platforms, including mobile and desktop. The beauty of this model is that it lets drivers learn real life skills where and when they have time to study.

JPL also worked with Medtronic to create a training and marketing tool that gives physicians up-to-date information on programming implantable devices and monitoring patients. The interactive simulation also gives hands-on experience with the latest technology to Medtronic sales people and clinicians. Like the Voith simulation, the Medtronic application is part of larger blended learning curriculum that includes a standard desktop e-Learning component.

Patient Education

Another JPL client, Jackson Siegelbaum Gastroenterology, needed a systematic way for Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) sufferers to track their symptoms as they work through the process of an elimination diet. Essentially, the application becomes a hands-on health education tool that lets patients actively manage their illness.

JPL developed an iPhone application to help diagnose EoE using a diary/calendar function that tracks user’s meals and snacks – thus helping them find the cause/solution to their problem. EOE Tracker lets patients share their diet and symptoms with their physician at the end of the six week period for analysis and diagnosis.

In all three examples the mobile application was one part of a blended approach.  In addition, these applications allowed data to be constantly accessed as well as updated from a mobile device. With a growing audience using mobile devices to access content, and with predictions that that smart phones will outsell all other computing devices in 2012, there is a clear demand for effective design for mobile learning. My next blog will explore these needs and discuss how to achieve this goal.

Instructional designers are learning experts.  They focus on learners and determine how information can best be structured in light of learners’ existing skills, knowledge and learning preferences, as well as the organization’s infrastructure to support learning. 

Being a subject expert and working closely with a body of knowledge changes your perspective.  You don’t see things in the same way as someone who is new to the subject. In contrast, the instructional designer is new to the subject in the same way the target audience will be.  This fresh perspective enables instructional designers to navigate the SME’s depth of knowledge and pull out the most important points that the target audience needs to learn.

Key skills that an instructional designer brings to a learning project include the ability to:

• Identify key target audience characteristics
• Quickly learn and organize subject matter
• Remain impartial in selecting information that meets both audience and organizational needs
• Restructure information to clearly and quickly teach it
• Design an evaluation to measure whether the audience has learned the material

The partnership between a subject matter expert and an instructional designer is where the magic really happens (well, I think it’s magic).  Both bring their expertise to the table – the SMEs, their content knowledge; instructional designers, their learning and technical experience.

The SME and ID Partnership

The outcome of this partnership is a learning solution that takes advantage of the SME’s knowledge combined with the instructional designer’s practical application of adult learning theory to create an engaging learning experience.

The result?  Changed behaviors and attitudes that deliver the business results that companies need.  That’s something every SME can appreciate.

Selecting an e-learning partner begins with defining your needs. You want to assess the strengths of your internal team and determine what you want to keep in-house and what you want to outsource to a partner. You’ll want to consider capacity, budget and timeline. You also need to determine if you want to engage a partner on a project basis or if you want a broader contractual relationship.  For more information on Learning Partnerships, you can check out my white paper on the topic.

Once you have a general idea of your needs, budget and timeline, you should develop an e-Learning Request for Proposal (RFP). The RFP is your tool for qualifying and eventually selecting an e-learning partner. It combines a clear articulation of your needs with a request for information from the provider such as company background, work samples, proposed solution, and projected costs. The completed RFP forms the basis for selecting the provider or qualifying a “shortlist” of providers for an in-person review and final selection.

We recently posted a custom e-Learning RFP template on our learning solutions website. The RFP template will help you organize your needs and reach out to qualified prospective partners. It will help you start a process where you assess the capabilities, compatibility and costs of different providers.  You will also use the Request for Proposal process to outline the criteria for selection. This is important to facilitate a fair selection process within your organization, much like when you hire an employee.

While developing an e-Learning RFP and a partner selection process requires time, it will help you properly document your needs and assess the qualifications of prospective partners. This will ultimately increase the likelihood of a successful relationship that increases the value of your training investments.

When it comes to training, telling an interactive story continues to be one of the most effective methods of engaging and educating people.

What does it look like?

Let’s say that you need to train your company’s project managers on how to accurately gather information and estimate a proposal. During your needs analysis you discover that project managers are not asking the right questions to accurately gauge project complexity which in turn impacts the estimate. In general terms the program might include these components:

• A fictitious company website that provides background information about the client
• A client “meeting” where learners can select questions and receive feedback about the caliber of questions employed. Questions that are reasonable but “off target” should be included to encourage the learner to be selective and not simply ask all questions on the list.
• A simulated database of similar projects for the learner refer to as they plan their response
• A “drag and drop” exercise that lets learners build a project scope from a list of key phrases, many of which are good ideas but which would not be appropriate for this particular client, followed by feedback from an expert coach, i.e., the computer module
• An overview of the estimating process where the actual Excel® sheet used for estimates is introduced and explained
• An exercise that guides the learner through completion of the estimate with feedback after every step

The above exercise teaches project managers the mechanics of the process, but there’s one more vital step – repeating the program using a different situation without providing any feedback until the entire process is completed. This measures whether the learner comprehends the content and can apply it in a realistic situation.

Telling an interactive story

DropTheWeapons.org is using a novel approach to video training. They’ve created an interactive video on YouTube called “Choose a Different Ending.” In this video you are a teenager who makes choices that lead to increasing violence or a peaceful resolution. You make the choice, you see the consequences. If you don’t like the outcome you can restart the program and make different choices. While this is not a typical business communication project, it does show the power of a compelling storyline delivered via a ubiquitous service such as YouTube.

What’s so special about this approach?

Scenario-based training, like the approach outlined above, accomplishes three things. First, it maximizes the potential for transfer of training by placing instruction within the context of how knowledge will be used. Second, it introduces the tools that learners will use on the job. And third, it’s inherently easier to remember facts when they’re encountered as part of a story. That’s because a story has structure – a beginning, middle and an end. Within the story things happen – you encounter problems, solve puzzles and find solutions. A story draws you in, let’s you try out different approaches and make mistakes without consequences. The success you achieve is real, and that can lead to real satisfaction.

Why doesn’t everyone do this?

A common objection to scenario-based training is that it’s hard to construct realistic case studies. It can be made simpler, however, if a template is used to gather information. For example, the template might include a brief description of the observed problem – “Project managers are not getting the necessary information to write an accurate estimate” – followed by a list of discrete skills required to address the problem. These are converted into instructional objectives and then handed off to a subject matter expert to flesh out the basic content.
Research shows that good judgment and decision making skills can be taught. Most important, though, is the fact that scenario-based training delivered as an interactive computer module is simply better at engaging employees in ways that help change behavior back on the job.

In the final analysis, technology doesn’t make bad training more engaging. It just allows us to distribute it more easily to a wider audience. But properly used, training partnered with technology lets learners become immersed in an interactive scenario that captures the essence of the job. And that moves us toward realizing the well-trained staff that is so fundamental to business success.

Sadly, technology makes programs like this easy to produce. These electronic page-turners are often mistakenly referred to as interactive learning experiences by virtue of being accessed via computer. But clicking the “Next” button does not make a program interactive, nor does correctly answering a multiple choice question guarantee competence.

What options are available?

Video is one technology that has the power to latch on to our emotions, move us to make decisions, and reinforce new behaviors. For example, Susquehanna Wealth Management used video as part of a blended learning design that showed bank tellers how to broach the topic of customer referrals when they noticed large withdrawals or deposits. Since Susquehanna didn’t have the necessary bandwidth to place video online they used short video vignettes on a DVD paired with an on location instructor and a facilitator guide. Learners could see the correct behavior modeled on the video and discuss it with the instructor and others in the class.

Just Cabinets, a home furnishing retailer, needed to teach staff successful selling techniques. With almost two dozen stores in four states, maintaining consistent delivery of content was a challenge. The solution was an online course featuring videos that modeled correct and incorrect sales techniques, plus tips for successfully closing the sale. Employees were able to see how they could interact with customers and create a profitable outcome.

How do you engage learners?

Technology-mediated training can be used to engage employees, but the key lies in creating an experience that mimics the behavior you expect from learners back on the job. This means you must consider what information is required, and then construct a scenario that encompasses the key facts. Next you populate it with opportunities for learners to react, make decisions and receive feedback. Along the way you provide tools and enrichment material, like spread sheets and databases used on the job, and links to websites with up-to-the-minute information.  Finally, you place the completed module on a learning management system (LMS) so you can customize the curriculum based on job title, and track results to help measure ROI. As new training modules become available, learners can be notified via email with embedded links taking them directly to the course sign-in page.

I’d like to know what examples you’ve seen of technology-based training designed to engage learners that worked well. What were the key points that made it work? Did technology add value to the training? How would you improve it?

In part two of this blog, I’ll explore the importance of telling an interactive story to explain a process.

In, “Out-learn the Competition,” an article published in the Spring 2011 issue of Catalyst Magazine, I explain how taking a learning solutions approach to your sales training challenge can help your sales teams be smarter than the competition and win more sales.

Statistics show that investments in m-Learning – defined here as learning delivered to smart phones, PDAs  and tablet computers – is estimated to grow to almost $247 million by the end of 2011, according to Ambient Insight, LLC, an international market research firm. Ambient Insight predicts that the largest demand will come from custom development and content conversion of existing training. Moreover, they believe the healthcare sector will account for 20% of the total U.S. market for m-Learning.

Bringing health care education into the home

That certainly mirrors what we see in our region. For example, Penn State College of Medicine has a long history of providing e-Learning to its staff, students and patients, but more recently they’ve moved into the m-Learning arena for patient care. As a case in point, physical therapy is key to restoring health among patients recovering from surgery or serious injury. But therapy typically demands two to three visits each week for three months or more, placing a severe hardship on many patients who find travel difficult because of age or injury.

To combat this problem the College of Medicine plans to deliver education to homebound patients using tablet computers. The application is designed to remind patients when and how to exercise using videos, ask questions about the patient’s level of pain, and submit results to a database for review by therapists and physicians. As patients recover mobility therapists can assign additional exercise regimens. A byproduct of this approach is that it should save both time and money by reducing repetitive treatments by therapists, and free up time to treat those patients who need individualized attention.

Diagnosing dietary problems

Another medical oriented mobile app targets people with food allergies. Soon to be available on the iPhone, this app tracks allergic reactions to food groups, identifies specific triggers in the diet, and then – based on the user’s geographic location – recommends local practitioners who can treat the illness.

Office workers maintain training while on the road

In the financial industry workers spend a significant amount of time out of the office, so Merrill Lynch has turned to m-Learning to continue critical training. Implementing their GoLearn initiative over two months, Merrill Lynch delivered three courses via Blackberry to more than 2,000 investment bankers and support staff. According to Merrill Lynch, the results exceeded expectations. Compared to a control group enrolled in conventional e-Learning, mobile learners achieved a 12% higher course completion rate, scored higher on tests, and required about 30% less time to complete the course work.

In a post training survey, users praised the convenience of m-Learning (75%) and said they would like to complete more training in this format (100%). Merrill Lynch now plans to expand m-Learning to target orientation programs for new employees, and issues in ethical decision-making, performance management, market abuse, and sexual harassment.

Merrill Lynch is not alone in getting high marks for mobile learning. Accenture, a global management consulting firm, uses m-Learning to augment its in-house e-Learning compliance training program. Overall, their employees report a higher level of satisfaction with mobile learning compared to conventional e-Learning.

Fast food industry serves up m-Learning

McDonald’s was thinking outside the box when it chose m-Learning for its employees in Japan. Instead of using more common platforms like smart phones or iPad, McDonald’s turned to the Nintendo DS game system and eSmart software to teach new hires how to prepare food. Each store is equipped with two game consoles at a cost of over $2 million, but McDonald’s predicts that this approach will cut training time in half for new employees.

The ubiquitous nature of smart phones, tablet computers and Internet access makes m-Learning a logical choice when you need to reach a dispersed audience. Work schedules, locations, and time zones disappear as learning is delivered to workers when and where they need it.

I’ve been talking to a number of clients about putting iPads into the hands of their sales staff so they can educate customers. We talk about making their salespeople “smarter” by helping them easily capture customer needs and respond with compelling presentations of products that meet these needs.

Using the iPad to Boost Sales

This is exactly what automaker Mercedes is doing with the iPad in its dealerships. Salespeople begin recording key customer information while they are standing next to – or seated in – the car they are selling. From there, they can connect to marketing presentations centered on models that match customer input. The sales reps can also access real time information about deals and begin the credit application process.

Imagine how this can increase the speed and efficiency of the buying process. Who wants to go back to the salesperson’s messy desk and repeat answers to questions that have already been answered in the showroom or parking lot?

Hyatt Hotel & Resorts is also benefiting from giving iPads to its salespeople. Instead of paging through bulky portfolios, reps can show potential clients digital images and videos of property highlights. Since no rep can be intimately familiar with all properties, the ability to quickly access rich presentations of other properties enables on-the-spot cross-selling.

iPad Apps Provide a Competitive Edge

Many of our clients are reluctant to make public their plans for mobile sales apps because they see these investments as a way to get ahead of their competition and bring new value to their customers. GE has been more open about its use of iPhones and iPads. In a video on Apple’s website called “Reinventing Mobility,” GE talks about using the iPad to “share valuable information with customers like never before.”

GE and many other leading organizations know that business customers value the information and knowledge bundled with their products. Customers also appreciate a streamlined buying experience that combines personal interaction with technology to navigate a complex product selection process. Let’s hope that the iPad and other mobile devices will provide us all with smarter sales consultations when making important buying decisions for our businesses.

But let’s face it. Large portions of orientation content doesn’t change very often, and it can tie up HR personnel and managers for extended periods of time on a recurring basis. Is there a better way to handle this? I think so.

In “Orienting Employees with e-Learning,” an article published in the Winter 2010 issue of Catalyst Magazine, I outline how to take advantage of technology to personalize delivery of critical facts to new staff during onboarding. When you turn over the presentation of redundant content to online learning you free up your staff to tackle more pressing issues. Moreover, the evidence shows that online learning can both engage learners and increase retention of knowledge. Combine that with savings from not having to print reams of material, the ease of updating information, and the ability to accommodate special needs employees you have a compelling case for moving much of onboarding to an online format.

Let me show you we’ve helped other organizations in this area. Call me, and let’s talk.