4 instructional design tips for better mobile learning

• 4 min read

We all know that “chunks” are best for (bite-sized) mobile learning objects. Small pieces of content can easily be delivered in a mobile learning environment and often have better learner outcomes. In this post we will share some tips for creating learning chunks which should be of particular interest to Instructors and Trainers.

Competences and content/s in one’s work life are often much more complex than a small piece – or chunk – of content. So, the instructional designer’s main task is to deconstruct complex content, and break it down into simpler yet still meaningful content.

There are different ways to achieve this, here we will go over the pros and cons of each:

Breakdown Strategy

This is the first strategy that comes to mind when we want to divide a complex competence in smaller parts: we use a breakdown strategy. Each competence can be ‘divided’ – or broken down – into a list of knowledge, skills and abilities. This is what we suggest doing to start breaking down a complex learning goal in order to achieve small learning tasks.

The result would be like a pyramid: at the bottom there is a set of basic information, as the user goes up the pyramid the contents become more complex and more competency-oriented.

Let’s summarize the pros and cons of this strategy from the learner’s perspective:

Pros:

The final user will not be lost because the training strategy behind the learning path is self-evident.

Cons:

The user will only have a clear picture of the acquired competence only once s/he reaches the top of the pyramid.

Conceptual map strategy

Let’s move to a completely different strategy. Instead of breaking down a complex learning task using the competency classical subdivision in skills-behavior-abilities, we want to analyze and represent it using a conceptual map. Conceptual maps more closely represent the way people learn – we are all used to learning through conceptual maps since they are commonly used from early years learning and onwards!

Let’s summarize the pros and highlight the cons:

Pros:

Users are free to move within a closed (with clear boundaries) scenario. So they experience freedom to choose within a confined environment.

Cons:

The time spent by a single learner to complete/achieve the learning goal is not 100% predictable until s/he is free to move around.

Job-processes strategy

This is an empirical way to pass from a complex learning goal to a set of small training chunks: the trainer selects what (a skill, a behaviour, knowledge) is strictly needed in order to perform a specific task in a single job process. During this selection process, the Trainer deletes whatever is not needed at that point in time in order to achieve performance. In the end end, the learner will have a sequence, whether simple or complex, of learning chunks strictly related to a job process.

Pros:

This strategy is user-centered because it addresses an actual job need.

It’s clearly job oriented.

The learning path can be considered a job aid.

Cons:

Designed according to a specific and time-limited job role.

It’s pedagogically poor since in the end it’s “just” a way to transfer knowledge.

Random on-demand strategy

This strategy is the only one that doesn’t take into consideration the complex learning goal (at least as a starting point!). The trainer designs and develops a single stand-alone learning object. Then s/he builds a set (we hope large) of autonomous learning objects that the user can choose on-demand. You might not be used to this method, nor think it competency-oriented, but look at the “Pros” before drawing conclusions.:

Pros:

The learner has the freedom to choose whatever content s/he needs.

The learning path is built from the learner and is 100% tailored made!

The number of lessons could be constantly increased (a growing database).

Users can return multiple times to check what’s new.

Cons:

Free to choose sometimes means random or meaningless decisions (why pick one over another?).

Could require a learning strategy to present the contents to the final users.

As you can easily imagine, with the fourth strategy the term “chunk” is no longer applicable. We are not going to build anything with small pieces; it’s not a Lego game, it’s more like a 3D figure that spontaneously emerges by linking different points. We can’t predict how that will look, but we can be sure that it would be customized.

Conclusion

Now you, as a trainer, can choose one or more strategies to start creating learning contents for mobile delivery. There is no one perfect strategy – knowing the audience is an element that can guide you in selecting the right learning strategy/ies.

If you want to start testing your methodology, try our mobile app in your next elearning project by adding a good mobile learning session!

For more on mobile learning, you may also want to download our free research paper on the subject!