Your eLearning platform may have anything a student can ever dream of, but 70% of learners feel more motivated when training on a mobile device, a study by the Merrill Lynch GoLEarn initiative reveals. From offline access and rewards programs to improved engagement and personalization, apps carry several features that are missing on desktop and web LMS.
But before you invest in iOS development services, take a deeper dive into the competitive edge of a mobile app over mobile-optimized eLearning systems.
On-the-go access to learning materials
Even though a desktop- or web-based LMS has a wider functionality, users tend to choose desktop-unfriendly times to brush up their Spanish or start a new marketing course — during a lunch break, stuck in traffic, or right before going to sleep.
By providing your learners with an app instead of a web-only interface, you will be able to use these underused time periods to your advantage. While eagerness to learn and attention span last, apps are at your user’s fingertips to save them from the boredom of commuting or waiting in line.
To wit, easy access to learning materials can also be strategic. Super busy learners, like the ones in corporate training programs, might be in the middle of a sales call or contract negotiations when they need access to particular learning materials, and there’s no time to lose. Thanks to their intuitive UI and almost instant loading speed, apps are less likely to act up in time-sensitive conditions.
Powerful offline capabilities
Web applications are out of use when the Internet connection is poor or absent. Mobile apps, however, maintain a greater part of their functionality offline — there are always programs available on-site or for pre-download, and the progress made will be saved.
When course materials are available just online, you cut off a significant number of your potential audience and substantially limit user participation in the learning process. For example, people might not have mobile internet when travelling. And with every disconnected user, part of your ROI goes down the drain.
By leveraging a native app’s offline capabilities, you will give users an extra layer of comfort. Besides seamless access to materials anywhere and at any time, the offline mode will spare learners online distractions, helping them focus more on achieving their educational goals.
Increased engagement
Almost every smartphone user has downloaded at least one learning app. It’s no surprise considering the fact that mLearning solutions provide greater availability and ease of use.
Moreover, mobile learning apps are like games that help people enjoy the sense of achieving something. Rewards are executable on desktop but come more naturally on mobile, with push notifications inducing users to complete lessons as fast as possible.
Another benefit of native apps is microlearning. It means breaking information down to small units and delivering it through short videos, quizzes, and puzzles. Implementing microlearning techniques increases engagement up to 50%, Comm Lab India infographic reveals. Since mobile learners usually study in 5-7 minute bursts, delivering material in small engaging bits can be really effective.
Enhanced personalization
Learning management systems should engage students and develop commitment to learning. With an mLearning app, you will be able to custom-tailor experiences with the help of location, timezone, and personal time management habits.
Think hyper-personalizing the programs you provide on mobile to build stronger relationships with your users. By maintaining enthusiasm with organizational features like custom learning paths, flexible scheduling, and custom assessment, you will convert app users into responsible learners. To drive further consistency in results, don’t forget to reward your users.
By focusing on in-app personalization, you will gain a source of useful insights into user behavior — from browsing patterns to peak activity hours to engagement metrics along the course — and use these insights as an input for future improvements.
Next-gen learning approach
Smartphones are the early adopters of innovations like augmented reality, computer vision, and biometrics. With a native mobile app in place, you can make the learning process go beyond watching videos and ticking tiles in tests. In contrast to desktop, mobile devices have multiple cameras, gyroscopes, and fingerprint sensors that are necessary for adding VR and AR learning elements as well as enhancing app security.
Underpinned by AI-fueled content recommendations, eLearning apps will help users to learn the exact skills, rather than the material that goes next in the program. Once certain milestones have been reached, AI assistants will analyze the progress and personalize the feedback.
Moreover, mLearning can significantly contribute to learning availability. Namely, you can expand your offer to visually- and neurologically-impaired users by leveraging voice-activated assistants like Google and Siri. And by implementing object, writing, and sketch recognition techs, you’ll help autistic children effortlessly interact with the world around them.
Bottom line
To make sure learners will never lose interest in the education options you provide, build an advanced mLearning app as an extension to your desktop or web version. A native app will make up for a multitude of parameters non-mobile eLearning solutions lack — like instant offline access, flexibility, gamification, and state-of-art tech integrations.