How mobile is shaping cloud-based learning

The State of Mobile Learning in Asia Pacific: How mobile is shaping cloud-based learning reveals gaps in the learning and development landscape in the region and identifies ways in which organizations can utilize mlearning to address these challenges. The regional study by Skillsoft collected 545 responses from decision makers (individuals who manage a budget within an organization for Human Resources or Learning & Development) and learners (individuals who do not manage Human Resources or Learning & Development budgets and receive training in any form) across 16 countries and territories in APAC.

Strong growth for Mlearning in Asia Pacific

"Skillsoft's report indicates that there is strong growth for mlearning in Asia Pacific, with two thirds of decision makers having already adopted or having plans to adopt mlearning," said Glenn Nott, Vice President and General Manager, Asia Pacific, Skillsoft. "With the uptake of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) in 72 percent of organizations in the region, there is an enormous opportunity to adapt, shape and align mlearning programs to learners' needs and organizational goals."

One key finding revealed that learners prefer to be involved in the design of skill development programs created for them, with 63 percent of the respondents who are adopters and users indicating that they have been involved in some aspect of mlearning development or planning. Organizations should consult their learners in the training and development planning process to ensure that learning is targeted, relevant, and engaging, while aligned with business objectives.

Mlearning Benefits Outweigh The Costs

Respondents who currently have access to mlearning believe that the benefits outweigh the costs. The top benefit cited by more than three-quarters of both decision makers and learners was an improvement in efficiency at both the organizational and personal level. Investments in mlearning proved to yield tangible returns, with improvement in business results ranked as the second most common organizational benefit after adopting mlearning.

According to the report, topics that have the most unmet demand were skill training and best practices for enhancing productivity. Leadership development and training topped the list of desired mlearning content that employees (55 percent of users and potential users) want access to on mobile devices but only one-third of organizations surveyed currently offer training on Leadership. Organizations must shift their focus to leadership development and training of current employees across all levels in order to build an internal leadership pipeline.

Mobile users want a full, rich learning experience on-the-go, and on devices that are easy to use and empower them to be more productive and efficient. Skillsoft's study identified that interactive and visual formats are most effective for mlearning (indicated by 64 percent of the users and potential users) and that 66 percent of such users desired learning and development programs that can be assessed on demand and in sessions lasting not more than an hour. Additionally, smartphones were ranked as the most preferred device with "ease of use" being the most common factor for mobile learning device selection.

Organizations that have yet to adopt mlearning as part of their learning and development cited additional operating costs (56 percent), security and infrastructure concerns as key inhibitors.

"Organizations 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," Mr. Nott said.

Mlearning Transforms Training Development

The report indicates that out of all the respondents who have access to mlearning, more than half (57 percent) believe that mlearning makes learning resources more accessible, and 46 percent of respondents believe that mlearning is a good mechanism to infuse learning into employees' daily workflow.

The report findings demonstrate how organizations have the opportunity to transform the way they deliver training and development through content, formats and session lengths that resonates with and engages their learners, resulting in a greater return on investment and proves that organizations that leverage mobile learning successfully achieve greater employee and organizational effectiveness and business impact.