Effective Use of Mobile Apps – New Technology in Training

Mobile products are one (CDs, DVDs, Podcasts, Computer or online training), and using mobile devices in training is yet another method to train; we need to understand limitations and advantages.

The notion of using mobile technologies in education and training is an interesting one. I, for one, would like to see all public and private schools use computer tablets not only for carrying the textbooks but I see a wide range of exercise and homework possibilities.

Today students and parents can be in constant touch with a teacher who is well-versed in the current technology, although some still lag behind using the archaic means of communication like the phone and office visits. It is rather amusing that those technology savvy parents are frustrated by a teacher they cannot contact almost immediately. The students themselves are more in touch with the technology, sometimes even more than we are. This is how they will communicate and it will only improve; it’ll also become more sophisticated and routine.

How does this relate to Training and Development. Easily. What the schools do now and will do in the future will affect adult learning–even if today we don’t use all the technology available to us. We better be willing to learn how to use it.

My advice to trainers and training companies: don’t be stuck in the past, but look to the future. It gives continuous learning for us a new focus: staying ahead or at least keeping up with technological curve. Beware if school teachers are using this technology before us, because they are setting the standard on how our students expect to learn. Who ever thought teachers could teach trainers anything? I’m kidding, of course. We owe it all to teachers. Most of us would not be where we are without a teacher who inspired us to learn something we found absolutely boring and ended up loving. Mobile products are one (CDs, DVDs, Podcasts, Computer or online training), and using mobile devices in training are another; we need to be proficient in using both, understanding limitations and advantages.

My goal is always to approach a training client and offer first the best way a trainee or a student may learn the subject; then, we move on to the next best and most-cost-effective tools. While I believe, most often face-to-face is best for nearly all training, it is sometimes not convenient or cost-effective to the client. On the other hand, I’ll lose a customer if I don’t take into account his needs, and ignore the new technology as a way of getting my message across effectively–if at all. Just remember your teenage son or daughter, who communicated with you only through text messages, and the trouble you had with the text shorthand. I remember this with amusement. Trust me, this not only affects learning but whether you are attended to at all. Our job is not complain, but to see the value and to use the best tools available to do the job.

Jason Novosel said it previously in his article all Using Mobile Technologies in Education and Training, and I thank him for his contribution in this forum. I know I am echoing some of his sentiments, but wanted to add my thoughts to the mix.

I take responsibility for what you see on this site. I hope you find it useful and come back often. Let me know what you want to explore and maybe I can help. Guest writers are welcome. We prefer you fill out the form at the top and tells about your subject, etc. Sometimes I see an article that strikes my fancy or I find areas I want to disagree with or discuss. Then I guess I’m on my own. I always try to give credit where it is due.

My own website contains links to these articles as well as links to articles in theatre criticism and communication commentary. All in all, I learn from each article I write–be it on training and development, on theatre or on communication in general. It is part my continuous learning process. Happy training.

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