Five best practices in Mobile Learning Designs

The rapid growth of smart phones is acting as a catalyst to the rising demand of mobile learning by organisations. Most business enterprises are leveraging mobile learning to share on-demand information, job aids and for sharing training/procedures to employees.

In this blog post, I’m sharing 5 best practices followed by tech-savvy businesses while designing a mobile application.

1. Design for Scannability

Follow the clichéd ‘KISS’ principle while developing mobile applications for the small mobile screen. Avoid using complex navigation and visually cluttered user interfaces in your design. The short attention span of mobile users, compounded by the different mobile screen sizes should be considered while developing mlearning courses.

2. Tone down Information Overload

Mobile users want and expect only essential and relevant content. Unlike PC, there’s hardly any screen real estate to showcase all the content. Due to the scarcity of screen space, you should trim the fat by displaying only relevant options.

3. Engage with Multiple Senses

Be choosy while picking multi-media elements while designing mobile learning modules. Use appropriate elements based on user personas. Moreover, your mobile learning course should have an aesthetic appeal that invokes positive emotions of the user. Ensure that you pick on the elements that resonate with the typical user.

4. Support social collaboration

Mobile learning designs should incorporate options for users to collaborate results, information with peers, experts, mentors, etc. Designed properly, mobile learning should enable users to share experiences, learning resources with those connected through social networking sites. Apart from giving a singular learning experience, the platform should give the freedom to blend with the social world.

5. Practicability

Mobile users are prone for interruption while accessing content. Consider the disruptive environment of an average mobile user. Based on this, the course should be designed in such a way that users can pick up lessons where they left.

Reality Check – Mobile learning is here, now, and real

Mobile learning landscape is in a state of flux. The nature of devices, environment, and space limitations put mlearning designers at tender hooks. Considering the inherent limitations, it’s important to follow the best practices to promote deep learning and stimulate higher engagement.