How To Create Successful M-Learning Strategy: mLearnCon – Part I

Last week I attended a day-long certificate workshop at the inaugural mLearnCon in San Diego titled Creating a successful m-learning strategy: From Planning to Implementation conducted by Judy Brown, Rovy Branon, Jason Haag, and Chris Raasch. The workshop was well designed and gave a wide range of information along with templates and charts that could be useful for the beginners and the slightly more experienced professionals in the field.

Judy had this quote on a slide which I think summarizes how important mobiles are for our future:

“Mobile phones are misnamed.They should be called ‘gateways to all human knowledge.”
–Ray Kurzweil, Futurist (at Handheld Learning ’09)

I believe this to be true and all organizations will realize this sooner or later. The pace of change is phenomenal and m-learning has truly come of age now. Now is the right time to get your m-learning strategy in place.

I’ve presented a short summary of the first session (Judy’s) which mainly covered planning part:

1. 1. The mobile is a unique device with following devices rolled into one:
      1. phone
      2. PC
      3. networked device
      4. audio/video capable of recording and playback
      5. GPS enabled
      6. live TV
      7. games device
      8. accelerometer

      When thinking m-learning think how you can use one or more of these capabilities.

   2. Inputs to mobile could be through many interfaces including:
      1. keypad
      2. touch screen
      3. camera (photo & video)
      4. barcode scanners
      5. microphone voice
      6. motion sensor
      7. network input to GPS

These present real possibilities to embed m-learning right into the workflow of your learner, making just-in-time learning or performance support possible

1. Conrad Gottfredson defined five moments of learning need.
   1. Learning for the first time
   2. Wanting to learning more
   3. Trying to remember
   4. When things change
   5. When something goes wrong

   Mobile is better suited for the latter three and not so much for first couple. This is probably the most important point for you to consider when creating m-learning strategy for your workplace. We have discussed this on your blog here.

2. There’s a whole lot more you can do with you mobile than view courses (see image below). You really need to think what you could use the mobile for. The key is to keep the learner in mind and create learning or support elements as the learner would need/use them.
   

   Source: Judy Brown

3. The advances in mobile technology have been rapid to say the least. It would help to be aware of what’s coming and how it will change the learning landscape and learner habits. Ambient Insight predicts the 2^nd generation of mobile learning will largely be about mobile collaboration.
   

   Source: Ambient Insight

4. Given that there’s so much you can do with mobile technology you probably need to look at some examples of what’s been created so far. It’s probably the best way to get inspired and get started with your own plans and strategy.

I have broken this post up into 3 parts. The other two parts should be available later this week.