If you have been around elearning for any amount of time, you have likely heard about mobile learning (also referred to as “mlearning”). Elearning and mlearning kind of go hand-in-hand.

Essentially, elearning is “mobile”, but we define the two differently primarily when it comes to the device being used to view course content. For simplicity sake, you can think of mobile learning as anything taking place on a tablet or smartphone.

Below are some facts and figures related to mobile technology & learning. It should come as no surprise that all indicators are pointing “upward” with regard to the industry:

7 Facts About Mobile Learning

1. The mobile market size is currently sitting at a staggering $341 billion.
2. The consulting industry is the biggest user of mobile devices, sitting at 80%, followed by commercial training, which is 60%.
3. We all love the internet, and 80% of us access it using a smartphone.
4. 91% of US workers own a cellphone (85% of people from Generation Y own one).
5. Mobile learning is growing with the mobile market, estimated to be at $9.1 billion by 2015.
6. 29% of mobile learners believe that they apply what they learn quickly (compared to 24% of non-mobile learners).
7. Mobile learning is motivating. One survey showed that 70% of students were more motivated to learn when mobile devices were being leveraged.

The Future of Mobile Learning

While it is clear that the industry is growing, in some ways it is difficult to predict how it will grow. For instance, consider that we didn’t even have an idea of the “tablet” concept until the first iPad was introduced. Since then, many new opportunities have resulted.

The main point here is that the industry is closely tied to the technology that is in place. Tablets and smartphones are here to stay, so those areas will certainly be expanded upon – but it is very possible that new technology will change the paradigm of mobile learning, and even elearning.

Source:
Docebo