How Effective Is Mobile Learning?

If learning happens when the learner is not in a fixed location, and is not limited to a fixed duration for knowing new concepts and skills, giving him the opportunity to learn anywhere and anytime through his mobile, it is called M-Learning.

Any kind of knowledge meant for education or learning over internet is labeled E-Learning. M-Learning is just an extension of E-learning in many ways – where distance between source of knowledge and learner does not matter and there is no need to stay wired.

Primarily the ability to use mobile devices to support training, teaching and learning is M-Learning.

Top few differences between the two are:

·         E-Learning is a lot of text and M-Learning is more voice

·         E-Learning communication is more time consuming than M-Learning

·         E-Learning is scheduled with dedicated time and M-Learning is self-paced according to the learner.

·         The grading in E-Learning is industry bench marked and M-Learning is connected to improvement and overall performance.

·         E-Learning exposes learner to business simulations while M-Learning is inclined towards real life cases, and more effective learning.

The use of mobile features for learning activity has made learning a whole new and different experience. It not only improves literacy and participation in learning initiatives, it is more learner friendly concept.

It has the ease of reading a book and yet facilitated more real time learning than possibly any other medium.

Why Do Most Behavioral Training Fail?

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According to a study published in Wall Street 60% of corporate Six Sigma Initiatives fail. Many projects do well as long as the Six Sigma resource is tagged to them. Any guesses what really happens when the Six Sigma expert leaves the project?

Knowing and not doing.

A few common reasons why Six Sigma projects fail when the expert is gone are:

Ø  The team members know what to do but have lost their focus and motivation.

Ø  The team members have learnt how to handle the project however their behaviors have not been impacted

Ø  There has been learning and applying and yet, their habits of dependency remain unchanged

Inappropriate Modules

Does it never occur to a facilitator that an audience attending their training on “Decision Making” actually took all their critical decisions in life without this training? In work place, he is just unsure because his reporting manager is a control freak and, does not empower the team to take decisions.

Is this a gap in learning or training? And who needs the training really?

Ineffective Methods

When L&D team design programs relying on lectures, inspirational tales, audios and videos, role play, group discussion, gallery walk and simulation exercises – it scores high in feedback forms. Is there any change in behavior or output in work place?

When most organizations use their training investments just as smartly as they do their stationeries, the impact is going to be just as insignificant and negligible.

Organization goals

If trainings are not linked to strategies and project goals, there is no way training can bridge the gap between what is explained in classroom or webinars and what is carried out on the job. Behavioral, technical, leadership and even role based trainings are segmented, introduced based on projects or individual needs or leader’s whims and fancies – not remotely aligned to strategic goals. Training efforts are not well coordinated; each functional unit isolates their initiative and learning.

Performance Criteria

When an employee’s appraisal is tied to number of trainings attended, number of training hours concluded and not personal or business outcomes achieved, such training efforts never get off the ground because there is no behavior change as the whole exercise is mechanical and for the books only, not the mind.

Beckon Methodology ensures participants:

Build how-to skills

Learn and not just be trained

Change behavior and attitudes

Own outcomes

Produce tangible results

Apply and measure

Just Placements?

Average colleges reckon placement percentages as their success criteria to attract  more students. Premium institutes  highlight the highest salary offered to their students.

Have any of the colleges ever aimed for 100% placement as their success criteria?  Top 15% serious, focused and studious students will either ways get placed regardless of which college they belong. A certain percentage will pursue higher studies, few get married, some join their family business, and a handful would like to start their own business - ecommerce,  IT Solution or whatever. The rest are left alone to fend for themselves, and even if they get placed after multiple rejections, their confidence to perform in the newfound job environment has to be rebuilt.

The  placement leads train the students on how to handle specific questions related to salary, industry, their qualifications, what new will they bring to the table, what posture to maintain during interview etc. The project during  internship exposed them to senior leaders, important meetings, critical decisions and different functions. The corporate leader or industry experts invited as guest lecturers share their views and perspectives.

In any of the above are the participants prepared for any real business situation or crisis beyond internship scope - to handle a client escalation, a control freak or prejudiced boss, a difficult non cooperative team member, to prepare win themes for a  bid conversion, to present a report to management with analytics, to underplay their intelligence at times to respect an experienced senior, to effectively project his performance during appraisal, to build their own brand that distinguishes them from others?

In order to  have a competitive edge and be ahead of contemporaries, if any of the following is in an educational institute's future road map, BECKON model can build that edge.

Performance beyond placements
Institute's credibility through quality placements
Student's wellbeing
Industry ready global workforce
Encourage enterpreneurial vision
Aim for 100% placement

A standard module cannot suit an audience with different mental caliber, needs and aspirations.  Introducing  BECKON model in the first  year to an interesting and odd mix of students based on extensive evaluations, could be a highly effective tool not just for placements, performance in their jobs but also for the next examination that is knocking.   As BECKON is a discipline that ensures learning through an intersection of participant's personal desire and determination that culminates into a habit over a period of time. It is not limited to training content or duration but a much wider practice of intent and impact.

For more details contact advocating.outcomes@gmail.com