Peter Drucker, known to be the founder of ‘Modern Management’, was of the idea that the most important assets of a growing business are the ‘knowledgeable’ workers. This is the very basis of corporate learning as we know it today, which aims at providing learning opportunities for the workforces to develop their strengths and upskill, where necessary.

But there’s a catch! Adults are unique as learners and teaching them something new needs to be more than ‘instructive’. As grown-ups we have the tendency to question authority. Adult learners have the need to know why they should learn, how will it benefit them, and how they will use the knowledge or skill presented in the learning. In this blog, we are going to talk about how a 21^st century corporate workforce can be motivated to learn and upskill through adult learning theories using a mobile LMS.  

How adult learning theories help learning strategists?

• To map learning formats with learning objectives.
• To align strategy with learning context.
• To use the technology in the best possible way to achieve objectives.
• To develop strategies for the digital age and on-the-go learners.

What is the importance of a mobile LMS?

In 2021, 7.26 billion people were using mobile phones and by 2026 that number will grow up to 7.51 billion. Additionally, 72% of the global internet users will be solely using smartphones for their internet access. (Statista, 2021) These figures establish the predominance of the mobile phone as the device of preference for the current learners, and the relevance of a mobile LMS.

How to implement adult learning theories with mobile LMS?

The 21^st century adult learner likes learning on-the-go. Josh Bersin had made a prediction about ‘learning in the flow of work’, which was to be the evolution from learning as an experience. The post-pandemic workforce, which is mainly remote and at times hybrid, needs to have a flexibility that can be only delivered through mobile learning and a mobile LMS. Here’s how you can motivate them to learn more using some basic principles of adult learning theories.

Provide a Learning Path – From Cause to Effect

The theory of Andragogy explains that adult learners need to understand their journey of learning based on their existing knowledge and where it will lead them. With a learning management system your learners can now see their learning path based on their job roles, upskilling needs, and interest on the learner dashboard.

With integration with performance measurement systems like the CRM or production systems, the LMS will analyze their current skill levels and provide learning content that will help them achieve new level of skill and knowledge. Therefore, the learner is informed of the cause of their learning which starts at the need for upskilling, and they also have the visibility of the effect where they are supposed to reach new competencies.

Create Personal Relevance of Learning through Growth

Adults learn through ‘Aha moments!’ These are more like revelations which allows a learner to accept new concepts by creating high emotional connect. One way to provide this deep impact to a learner is by making them feel rewarded and helping them visualize growth. A learning management system that provides gamified learning gives the workforces a competitive environment where they feel motivated to achieve new targets. Getting points on completing a course, climbing up the leaderboard where your progress is visible to your peers provides the necessary reward a learner needs to get emotionally involved in the act of learning.

Drive Hands-on Learning with On-the-Job Training Support

Experiential Learning theory says that adults learn best when the learning experience goes beyond the chalk-and-talk routine. There are multiple instances where it has been seen that when an workforce is taught to do a task on the job, they learn faster and retain that knowledge for a longer time. With a mobile LMS, learning can be provided on production floors, during sales pitches and even while servicing the customer. This provides immediate context to the learner where they learn from a real-life experience and not a ‘supposed’ situation in a classroom or an online training.

Upskilling and learning has been one of the primary goals for all industries as technological disruption is taking over all forms of business. Given the information boom the new-age digital learner is curious and easily distracted at the same time. To provide effective learning that drives business growth, organizations have to be mindful about the strategy they implement.

At Tenneo (formerly G-Cube LMS), we have 21 years of experience in providing curated learning solutions to enterprises and our mobile-first learning technology solutions has been developed to support all kinds of learning needs. Talk to our consultant today to know more about the various learning strategies.