Ofcom have released their communications market report for 2015. Many of the headlines focus on the mobile taking over from the laptop as the most popular way to get online.
What does it mean for training?
Your staff’s favourite way of getting on line is their phone and they would be very upset if you took it away from them.
It’s something you might have seen coming for the last few years, but Ofcom’s report makes it completely clear. If you want to engage with your staff in the most effective way you need to think mobile.
Here are some practical tips to make sure your smartphone learners are getting the best out of your training.
Multi-device elearning
As you might expect mobile use in the workplace is growing steadily. But this survey by IT firm Spiceworks shows that desktop and laptop devices still dominate.
Taking your employees usage patterns on a case by case basis is the most effective way to make sure they can all access your course. You should always be looking towards the future though, and it’s possible to create training that will be as useful in 3 years’ time as it is now.
So how can you create a course that can be accessed by everyone, wherever they are, even after the release of the 2018 Ofcom market report?
The answer is responsive design; make one course that works on any device that can run a web browser. The layout and parts of the content can change between types of device, but there’s one piece of content which holds all the information.
Good web designers have been working this way for years and it’s becoming easier to find elearning tools that allow you to create this kind of course too.
Next time you are putting together elearning make it responsively designed, and you can be sure your employees will be able to access it whatever their device preference.
Micro learning
It’s now accepted that people use their mobile device on public transport. Got 5 minutes spare before your next train? You can get one of those modules ticked off.
Making your learning bite-sized has never been more important. People check their phone when they have a moment, which translates to over 220 times a day on average.
Breaking down the training into self-contained chunks which can be digested more easily on the go is one way to get people using it on mobile.
Combine the bite-sized approach with a responsive course to allow you to start a task or module on your mobile and resume the course at the same point on your laptop once you get to your desk.
Marketing elearning
So you’ve got a responsive learning course, but just because you can access it everywhere doesn’t mean people are going to know that. You need to promote the features in a way that the modern smart phone user is familiar with.
Get your elearning in front of the people who need it in the right place at the right time. Allowing staff to sign up for a course on their phone in the queue for a coffee is one thing, but getting the link in front of them in that moment is another.
How can you get the word out that this kind of thing is possible? Use the platforms that your employees are using in that situation.
Schedule your tweet for the rush hour traffic jam, target your Facebook post at people who like the local coffee shop, push the LinkedIn promotion out in the early evening to catch people after work.
There’s a fine line to draw between offering useful tips and information and encroaching into their private time. It’s something that needs careful thought to avoid over-doing it, but if it’s respectful and above all useful using social media can be very effective.
About Sponge UK – Elearning Development Company of the Year, Sponge UK is a founding member of the Adapt project, using the latest tools to create absorbing, responsive elearning that’s custom made for you.
