Online training, and especially, the mlearning, is now THE way to provide training for companies and individuals. No matter how much time or resources you have available, you can customize it just to fit your needs.
I was planning to visit NEW YORK and realized that without my phone I was good for nothing. Thanks to my phone I accessed to a NY guide for free; I starred the main points I wanted to visit; read an online book during the trip by plane and train; found how to travel by subway and the waiting time versus walking time, and found the closest restaurants. Just in time.
That’s what online training and especially, mlearning, are all about, learning through online tools. The mlearning or mobile learning, in particular, is learning through cell phones or tablets. Nowadays, it is becoming the worldwide preferred training method by various industries. According to a survey by the Brandon Hall Group, 73% of organizations already use it for formal training. In addition, it is the preferred format for millennials. They already use it for informal training in their free time, such as reading a book or planning a trip.
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Considering that people learn in different ways. Some employees prefer to learn by listening, others by reading, and others by playing, online training allows you to choose between all these possibilities anytime anywhere. There are formats for all tastes and ages: videos on youtube, books, interactive courses, webinars, surveys, games or even online coaching. I coach lots of people simply using Skype or Whatsapp! And most of them are ready to be accessed from the phone or the Tablet as well as laptops.
What are the advantages of online training and mlearning?
- Availability: as long as you have a smartphone, you can access any of these tools. You can learn while you are waiting for the bus, on the train or while waiting for someone in a cafe. We had a client whose employees drove trucks, and it was difficult to get them to access our pieces of training. That’s when we decided that the mlearning was essential to reach 100% of employees. They could access to the training through their phone anytime, anywhere.
- Convenience: 86% of Smartphone owners have used their phone in the last 30 days to look for information “just in time”. When people have the habit of using the phone to translate a word, or find a place, then doing a course is not going to be difficult. You may even enjoy it as much as a Candy Crush.
- Complementary: online training can be used as a single training tool, or as a complement to traditional tools. For example, you could do a workshop with a teacher in a room, then make surveys or online games and a review of the topics through mlearning as a “refresher”. Many companies also use it to give mandatory courses to many employees at the same time.
- Adaptability: the mlearning courses can be quickly converted to different languages and adapted to the company’s needs, including gamification options, activities and self-assessments.
- Suitable for Millennials: mlearning courses are usually divided into short, highly interactive sections with instant feedback to maintain the level of attention of the youngest, maximize learning and “engagement” or commitment to the goal. Tools like Kahoot are very common to do games or surveys on the phone during a face to face training.
- Affordable: you can spend as much as you want on online training. Starting at zero dollars everything is possible.
How to plan your online training
The various mLearning courses and formats can be accessed through specific suppliers that adapt the content for each company. There are also free or very affordable options on YouTube, Udemy, Linkedin, Kindle, Play books or other platforms such as our Biztorming Online Platform. The most important aspects to consider is how much is your company ready to spend on online training, how much time are your employees available for training purpose without disrupting the business, the employees’ psychographics and the type of content you need to include (standard or customized; soft skills or hard skills).
You only need a computer, a phone or a tablet with internet access, and we also recommend using headphones if they have any sound. Enjoy!
We would love to help you define your online training plan, contact us today!
Lu Paulise
luciana@biztorming.com
@lupaulise
2 Comments
Sariah Meagle · 11 March, 2019 at 9:08 pm
I’d be interested to learn more about taking care of my senior aunt properly as a caregiver so I might get some online courses so I can access it through my phone anytime. I like how you mentioned that they can be used as a single training tool or as a complement to traditional tools depending on what courses I want to take. Since they’re affordable, I’ll be able to gain knowledge to take care of my aunt without breaking the bank.
How to attract, train and retain millennials and generation Z - Biztorming · 23 July, 2019 at 4:16 pm
[…] Online courses, images, blogs and videos are the preferred training tools of the new generations. They like the flexibility of being able to train where, when and how they want, without having to commute. Zappos has a 4 week onboard training for everyone that includes Business and soft and hard skills. […]