Mobile trends are changing fast, with augmented reality and artificial intelligence quickly becoming new smartphone norms. It’s no surprise that practically everyone’s going mobile these days. In fact, according to a study done by Pew Research Center:

• 77% of American adults own a smartphone
• 53% of American adults own a tablet computer

As of January 2018, home broadband usage in the United States decreased to 64 percent (from 73 percent in 2016) as 20 percent of mobile users dropped broadband (and laptops) completely to use the internet strictly from their mobile devices.

As more and more features find their way into our phones, the data indicates that the use of mobile will only keep increasing. This increase leads to mobile becoming the new (and cool) way to access content, replacing e-readers with Kindle and Audible apps and seeing a decrease in laptop and desktop usage.

This raises some compelling questions. Is your business ready for a mobile world? Do you have a sound methodology in place for transitioning and delivering core training content on the increasingly ubiquitous mobile platform?

Don’t force your learners to conform to older, non-mobile models that leave them frustrated and boxed in. Instead, work with your business to develop a mobile mindset. This means you have a thorough understanding of when, how, and why your learners use mobile devices. Then, you use this knowledge to format your learning in a way that leverages all the unique possibilities mobile brings to the table.

The goal isn’t to shift from desktop to mobile—it’s to become screen flexible, so your learners can shift from big screens to smaller screens without missing a beat.

How to make your current learning mobile friendly

If your learning’s not mobile friendly, this might be a red flag that your learning’s getting pretty outdated and could use an update. Of course, going mobile doesn’t mean you have to completely rewrite your learning from scratch—it just might mean reformatting and trimming content to be concise, engaging, and flexible. Here are six simple ways to get your learning ready for mobile.

1. Take a look at microlearning

Microlearning is based on the fact that people learn best in shorter segments. When going mobile friendly, break long courses into smaller, more bite-sized pieces. Instead of delivering one 60-minute module, you deliver a series of six 10-minute modules. This format works better for smaller screens. (Think about doing a three-hour course in one sitting on your phone. Ugh.) And it also decreases the impact of learning on the learner’s work productivity.

2. Plan for use on the go

When your learners need answers on the go, they turn to their smartphones first. With mobile-friendly learning, you can make it quick and easy for learners to learn new information and find answers. This also helps you make sure that those answers are relevant to your business rather than the results of a generic Google search.

3. Format your learning for the little screen

Instead of simply copy-pasting your desktop learning material onto a much smaller screen, take a close look at the content. Make sure that everything’s as concise as possible, and double check that your formatting (such as text size, images, and interactions) is friendly to the mobile screen. For the best learner satisfaction, make sure your mobile user experience is the best it can be.

4. Personal learning pathways

Everyone learns differently, and personal learning pathways customize the content according to the learner’s choices. For example, learners could sit down with management and choose what content they need to develop their strengths. Going mobile friendly lets learners easily access this personalized content at any time, so they can check in, mark off milestones, and perform assessments that help them reach their learning goals.

5. Think about your admins

Admins are people, too. And when you’re making learning mobile friendly, it can be easy to forget about the admins tracking stats behind the scenes. Make sure to link your mobile learning to your learning management system (as well as your content management and survey systems, while you’re at it), so you can keep track of your learning data, all in one place.

6. Create a community of learners

People learn best from teaching and coaching. With mobile-friendly learning, you can create a space for learners to compile resources, do video role-play, and give feedback on each other’s work. Collaboration helps increase motivation and gives learners extra insights from their peers and coaches.

Mobile-mindset reference guide

In short, your learners are mobile, and the devices they use are mobile. So, it makes sense to get your business in the mobile mindset as well. If you suspect your mobile mindset may be under-developed, here are a few essential tips and questions to help you take a content inventory and get up to speed.

• Is your core knowledge and reference content available on all platforms, from desktop to mobile? If not, why not? What would you need to do to make it happen?
• If core content is available on your employee’s mobile devices, is it delivered in a mobile-friendly format? If not, why not? What would you need to do to make it happen?
• Are you strategizing new ways to integrate mobile devices into your training and performance improvement strategies?
• Are your ideas mobile-centric, meaning they are designed to be delivered just-in-time and in bite-sized pieces?

By this point, you should make a quick audit of your learning system. You might have noticed a few ways you can improve training and communications throughout your business. If you haven’t already, pick one of these tips and get started on something great!