London (UK), May 2012 - Attitudes of senior learning-and-development leaders towards mobile learning have changed, with many now having had positive experiences and harbouring enthusiasm for this method of delivery. This is a significant turnaround from prior attitudes, which named problems with technology as a crucial barrier to implementation.
The change in opinion was specifically noted during the iVentiv Executive Knowledge Exchange in March in Basel. During the event, the group of senior leaders from global organizations discussed how mobile delivery influences the L&D process, and many of the group were enthusiastic about mobile. Whilst mobile (like any technology) can't break down communication and cultural barriers between organisations or departments, it is now seen as a potent delivery channel.
Just as one example, an iPad app with the ability to offer support materials and interactive tools to front-line salespeople is going to be more effective than any number of PowerPoint presentations or printed reports and manuals.
Just eighteen months ago, LINE communications held a Lunch Forum in Zurich with a number of senior L&D executives and discussed multi-platform learning. At this event nearly all the group talked only of significant technology barriers preventing them from implementing such a solution.
In sharp contrast to this, in a relatively short amount of time, the experience of this group showed that learning, knowledge and communications departments of many organisations are now creating cutting-edge mobile applications, often alongside - or even before - business information apps from IT departments or their partners.
As in the example above, many of these apps are the key drivers of sales support in organisations. Sales support is one of the key growth areas for mobile services across the attending organisations, along with leaders and senior managers, IT staff, information workers, key remote staff, sales support staff, frontline customer-facing staff (non-sales), and staff who need less reliance on paper (e.g. pilot manuals and legal process-based forms).
Dominic Mason, LINE's Head of Mobile, who ran one of the workshops at the iVentiv event, says, "Rather than being just a speaking platform, iVentiv is an interactive, cooperative forum. It was exciting to feel so much enthusiasm and actual practical experience being shared. The demand from leaders and from the workforce in most of the attending businesses for mobile services is strong. This is moving this market along very quickly."
