Mobile learning has the potential to fill gaps in the current learning and development landscape, if organisations can evolve their training and development programs, according to a new report by Skillsoft.
The study, The State of Mobile Learning in Asia Pacific, surveyed HR and learning and development decision-makers, as well as learners, across 16 countries and territories in APAC. Two-thirds of decision-makers indicated that they had already adopted or have plans to adopt mlearning.
“With the uptake of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) in 72 per cent of organisations in the region, there is an enormous opportunity to adapt, shape and align mlearning programs to learners’ needs and organisational goals,” said Glenn Nott, vice president and general manager, Asia Pacific, Skillsoft.
Of the respondents with access to mlearning, more than half (57 per cent) believe it makes learning resources more accessible, and 46 per cent believe that mlearning is a good mechanism to infuse learning into employees’ daily workflow.
There was also a clear indication that mlearning delivers a good return on investment, with the top benefit cited by more than three-quarters of both decision-makers and learners an improvement in efficiency at both the organisational and personal level, followed by an improvement in business results.
When it comes to content, employees (55 per cent of both users and potential users) wanted to be able to access leadership development and training via mlearning, but only one-third of organisations currently offered this. Sixty-four per cent of users and potential users felt that interactive and visual formats were most effective for mlearning, and 66 per cent prefer programs that can be accessed on demand and last no longer than an hour.
The study also looked at the reasons why organisations are yet to adopt mlearning in their learning and development strategy. Fifty-six per cent of respondents cited additional operating costs, while security and infrastructure concerns were also seen as key inhibitors.
“Organisations must consider the hidden cost of inaction. The cost benefits of making learning and development more accessible to the workforce, which drive increased productivity, efficiency and build a competitive edge, outweigh the inhibiting concerns,” Nott said.
To download The State of Mobile Learning in Asia Pacific: How mobile is shaping cloud-based learning, click here.
