Getting Started with Mobile Learning (Chad Udell) (#ASTDLN)

These are my live blogged notes from ASTD Learn Now Session with Chad Udell (@visualrinse) of Float Learning (www.floatlearning.com)


Mobile -- nearly pervasive devices.


Aspects of mobile learning:

• mobility
• ubiquity
• accessibility
• connectivity
• context sensitivity (time, location and intent)
• individuality (the content that I access is different than the content that you access)

Key questions you should be asking your organization before you get into mobile learning/key areas to consider:


What is driving mobile for you?  Build a business case.


Do you have a champion? Someone who's willing to wear the superhero suit?


Differences in design....instructional, interactive, contextual. You become more of a curator; you help people by putting wayside signs along the way. It's an aggregator role. You're competing with Angry Birds...


Lots of fragmentation - different operating systems, different devices.  Is your organization BYOD (bring your own device?) -- don't get excited about every new device coming in and freak out.


What about security? It can be a big deal and is often seen as a barrier to entry. You're going to have to become friends with the IS guys in your organization.


Mashups are the norm.  Data from one system (your CRM) may be living very close to other data (your company wiki). Your training content is now co-mingled and the lines are blurring.  We need to get comfortable with this new world.


Who are the stakeholders? 

Do you know your audience? Do you know their needs, their wants? Get them on board. How are they accessing data during the day on their company smart phones? Are they making calls? Texting? Going to your website?

Do you have a process? Strategy, design, develop, deliver. It needs to be agile, fast, rapid.

How do you and your company handle change? You're about to see a lot of it...

How can you evangelize mlearning within your org? Load up your ipad with ways you can help your business?  

Choosing an outside partner.  Focus on the content and outsource the tech.  Gaming app: takes HMTL5 with CSS3 compiled with PhoneGap. Scenario app: built with Objective C and iOS SDK....if that gives you the heebie jeebies, find someone who likes to do that!

What does success look like? Don't try to boil the ocean.  Make it simple...