The advantages of ‘mobile learning’

A study conducted by the Internet Society in early 2016 revealed that smartphone ownership was at 94% across Asia-Pacific and of those, 47% regularly use it to access the internet (61% for users under 25).

With more workers ‘wedded’ to their mobile phones, David Topolewski, CEO of mobile language learning solutions provider, Qooco, said that mobile learning is the easiest way to modernise staff training.

He said that staff training is usually conducted in a classroom setting but one fundamental problem of this setting is the limited amount of time and frequency with which lessons can be held.

This is especially problematic if it’s a new language that you want employees to learn, he said, as this skill needs constant practice and ongoing lessons.

Classroom-based learning is also time consuming and may seem out of sync with modern lifestyles, he added.

“Many employees are far too busy to spend time sitting in a classroom; this is as true for the time-starved hotel associate as it is for the finance professional, or SME employee.”

“Mobile learning bridges this gap, by allowing users to access lessons across multiple platforms – PC, tablet, mobile – anytime, anyplace. Employees are able to learn on the way to work, during their lunch break, or in the evening.”

“This flexibility, coupled with lower costs and proven success makes mobile learning much more accessible and effective when compared to traditional forms of classroom-based learning.”

However, what really sets mobile learning apart from all other methods is its effectiveness, he said.

For example, if you’re trying to learn a new language in a classroom setting, you would rely heavily on tutors that “may vary in ability, accent, pronunciation, and availability”, he said.

“Mobile learning software is able to pick up these differences, notifying users where and when they mispronounce a word, with feedback visualised on graphs, allowing the student to adjust their tone accordingly,” he added, using Mandarin Chinese with its four different tones as an example of a language that is challenging to learn.

One sector that has truly embraced the use of mobile learning software is the hospitality sector and Topolewski said that other industries can learn from their ability to adapt to change and to embrace technology in modernising their staff training practices.

“The typical hotel employee in Asia today will be a millennial, who has grown up using a smartphone and is more used to reading from a screen than from a book,” he said.

“So it is only natural that hotels should leverage mobile learning to teach them a new language, or how to upsell, or how to provide better, more efficient service.”