Workplace Learning & Technology Trends 2020

Mobile learning

Every year brings with it a flurry of new trends, mostly driven by emerging technologies and innovations, which transform employee training just a little bit every time.

With the global eLearning market on a growth trajectory and poised to touch $15.72 billion by the year 2021, it is up to organizations and L&D leaders to get ahead of the curve and start planning and strategizing to leverage the newer learning and learning technology trends for the coming year/s.

Over the next few weeks, we will take a detailed and comprehensive look at what L&D leaders must embrace and what they need to let go of in 2020 and beyond- be it in terms of eLearning, learning delivery, employee engagement, new and emerging technologies and more.

Today, we explore the rising value and continued dependability of Mobile Learning and how L&D leaders can leverage mobile devices to better engage their workforce.

It’s anything but surprising to learn that the value and importance of mobile devices and telecommunication technologies isn’t fading anytime soon, if at all. More and more people around the world find themselves immersed in their mobile screens, feverishly scrolling and tapping away on all kinds of apps, social, business, banking and what not. If this isn’t evidence enough, let’s glance through some of these statistics.

Latest figures indicate a rise in the number of smartphone users, with the amount of worldwide smartphone users expected to touch 3.3 billion (up 10% from 2018); and the world’s population of nearly 8 billion people means a penetration rate of 42.8%. So, simply put, four in every ten people are currently using a smartphone. 

The stats only reiterate an already established fact that mobile devices are now omnipresent, and have become an indispensable part of our lives. And, just as everything has been impacted by mobile, learning is no exception. Mobile Learning or MLearning made a blockbuster entrance in the 2000s and has been a superstar of the ELearning space since. Why? Because we use smartphones and other mobile devices all day and night long for all kinds of work, so it only makes sense to use it for learning.

A large part of the world’s mobile users also forms the global workforce, and for a workforce that’s multi-device and mobile-friendly, their learning needs are also mobile. There is no dearth of benefits of Mobile Learning and the modern workforce prefers technologies that make learning more convenient and easier. Here are some more stats to drive home the point.

According to Towards Maturity-

There are a number of factors that have led to the rise in value of Mobile Learning, especially the growing population of working-age Millennials and the growth of gig economy. As more people leverage the option of working from the convenience of their homes, coffee shops etc., it makes it critical for organizations to deliver learning to where their employees are, which means anytime-anywhere and any-device learning. The gig economy has seen a rapid growth in the past decade, making MLearning a solution almost tailored for this kind of workforce.

Moreover, Mobile Learning is indispensible for Performance Support and helping employees with on-the-job support, just-in-time. Mobile Learning provides continuous training support even after training sessions are over or while the employee is in the middle of a challenging professional situation.

In essence, Mobile Learning is no longer a ‘good-to-have’ tool, but rather a ‘must-have’ for delivering training effectively to the workforce.

The adoption of Mobile Learning has been driven by a number of factors, and some of these factors are sure to dominate the business landscape in 2020 and beyond, pointing to Mobile Learning as a major trend.

With 56 million labor force participants aged 21 to 36 working or looking for work, America has the largest pool of millennials. But not just the Americas, latest stats around the world indicate that millennials are set to rule the workplaces of 2020 and beyond. Having come of age during a time of technological change, globalization and economic disruption, the millennials possess a different set of behaviors and experiences than other generations. They are the first digital natives and their natural affinity for technology helps shape how they do or don’t do things. And, Mobile Learning forms a huge part of their workplace.

Furthermore, increasing availability of high-speed Internet around the world, coupled with wider mobile penetration has made mobiles truly ubiquitous and removed the limitations on time, place and device. The traditional 9-5 work hour culture is slowly giving way to flexi work schedules and freelance jobs (read The Gig Economy). So, it’s critical now than ever to create better Mobile Learning experiences that complement this workforce and make learning accessible wherever and whenever needed.

Speaking of hardware, the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) movement has gained a stronger foothold worldwide, with the BYOD market estimated to reach $367 billion by 2022. It has been also reported that personal devices for work activities save employees more time each day, providing an evident increase in productivity.

So, Mobile Learning in the form of a Mobile LMS Apps or a Multi-device Responsive LMS easily deployed on employees’ personal smartphones and tablets can do wonders to their engagement and productivity.

It’s almost common sense that the workforce of 2020 and beyond calls for training and performance support to be delivered on their mobile devices; and mobility in the workplace is more powerful and its applications in L&D continue to gain a strong foothold.

Leveraging Mobile Learning in your organization can be a critical decision as it has multiple paybacks, from talent development to business outcomes. So, it’s about time organizations adopt Mobile Learning and free-up their workforce from the shackles of traditional learning methods now more than ever.

Get more mobile learning insights by downloading our Mobile of Workplace Learning Infographic.

This article first appeared here.