#iel11 Mobile Learning for the Acquisition Workforce

Presentation: Mobile Learning for the Acquisition Workforce
Presenters: Rebecca Clark, Mark Oehlert, Roy Stiles

(came in 1/2 way through)

Not just mobile device - think about mobile people.

Took a step back - what are we trying to accomplish?
- What do we need to design to?
- When look at mobile - went back to web sites
- setup for app development gave them a chance to really look at strategy and tactics for mobile learning

You will have a hard time making your content perfect for all devices.

Existing Asserts and Systems
- Asked the workforce - what do you REALLY want to see

Leave aside device discussion entirely - what do you want the user to get out of it?
- How will they interact?

Phone - ability to do audio
- But we think about - how do we get more text on the screen?
- How are they already using the device?

What tools are your users using?
- Is there standardization? Probably not.
- Where are they accessing the information?
- You may need to set requirements, especially initially

Can create content downloaded to device - get info to user where they do not necessarily need to be online - why HTML5 can be very powerful.

Lessons learned - just get in the game / get started.
- Don't discount the free and very small projects.
+ Example - Wordpress. Esp. mobile templates which are automatic.
+ You can use Wordpress as a website.

Sometimes - your org does not NEED best in class tools. What fits best in your environment?

Don't underestimate Camtasia and other cheap applications that can work in your device.
- YouTube - successful in any device. Leverage that. Also good for leading edge.
- Facebook - take advantage of that mobile interface (groups and can use as portal)

(audience) But what about the demand?
- YouTube now has record now button. (hmm...may need to try this)
- Mark O doing a survey - what technologies are you using? How many want to access DAU content on mobile device? 70% no - but could see that 75% with smartphones DID.
+ Now can ask workforce, how many have smartphones?

(oooh - found the record from webcam button under Upload in YouTube)

We don't want to underestimate the change of mobile.
- Put content out there in anticipation of demand
- We are within a year or two of desktop becoming less important and mobile dominating.

We KNOW the demand is coming. Shifting to a mobile devices.

Please do not put entire courses with next buttons in mobile environment

Allow people to discover along the way.

Focus on systems, learning products and tools.
- eventually will be coming up with standards, processes and checklists. But still in experimentation stage.

Existing Systems - how do we approach them?
- Did complete inventory of resources (back end, front end and infrastructure) available.
- What has been distributed to the environment
- Talked to vendors - when are you developing mobile interface?
+ Let the vendors do the work.
+ Of course, lots talking "next spring"

Not every part of every system needs to have content pushed to mobile.

Came up with developing mobile portal. Auto redirect from phone.
- Content from original site + add to push content depending on category
- Under design now
- Goal: don't have to remember 15 different URLs.

User interface (and all aspects) incredibly important
- Mobile Web Guidelines
+ If have mobile site - users come. Don't like, will leave and NEVER return.
+ Has to be functional.

Developing Assets
- DAU tends to create long monster courses (30-40 hour courses)
+ 40 hours of mobile delivery not going to work.
- Focusing on performance support, job aids, lessons learned etc

Everyone learning it's not smart to re-create the same thing for a mobile device.

When people learning with devices - they are NOT necessarily at their desks.
- Can do straight audio so may not need to look at device

Focus on smaller projects

Get with folks - what content do you want to put up and will be useful.

Think about - is it appropriate for mobile? Useful? Help at point of need?

Storyboard and look on screen. If it doesn't work - then re-evaluate.
- May be a lot of redesign and changing assumptions as you work. Finding whether it should be native vs. web? How does it look? Can you shrink it?

Performance support tools - what tools can we use to augment a classroom that they can also use in the field.
- "Train the way you fight"

If the tool changes - change the process.
Looking for synergies between training and real life.
Require some predictive ability and determining bang for buck.

Great thing about mobile - cheaper than some other products
- Can create more little products
- Can discard rapidly when out of date
- Opens door to reduce cost of courseware maintenance
- This is how things are working out in real world

ISD / SME - wanted pre-work
- Created podcast with other key stakeholders
- Deliver to students - but too long and in audio and say acronym once, won't remember it. Need to spell out the acronyms
- The students retained a lot more when use pre-mobile work seemed to retain more
- Remember - all audio podcasts

Tools and Applications
- Koala and Foursquare - location-based apps
+ Can create locations and attach notes.
+ With the notes - can send important information
- Cinch - audio-tweet. Long enough to get point across. To web page then twitter.
+ Reminders to people
- Apps for video and pictures

Mobile phones to loop in sales teams - take pictures of it and post. Within minutes, everyone can see displays.
- Get info, reconfigure how go forward.

When looking at applications for deployment - do NOT confuse value with activity

We defined the course as activity AND value.
- What is going to be valuable at the point of performance?
- Go ask them!!!!

Metric - what impacts your end user
- Esp mobile device is PERSONAL to user.
- You are working in their personal space. Honor that.

Look at existing space.
- Think as capability.
- Think as ways of delivering value.