As the proportion of people using only a smartphone surpasses the percentage depending solely on a computer, mobile compliance training is becoming a development priority for businesses meeting regulatory requirements.
Mobile learning works, with experts such as Brandon Hall Group pointing to an “undoubted” increase in learner motivation when mobile technology is used.
So as the world goes mobile-first, how can you fully take advantage of this relatively new way of learning? Read on to explore some of the primary considerations on the road to successful mobile compliance training.
You might also like: 'How to Motivate Your Learners Using Personalized Compliance Training'
Compliance Training Tip #1: Is Your Content Appropriate (And Appropriately-Designed) for Mobile?
Firstly, consider carefully whether the topic you want to teach is appropriate for mobile-friendly compliance training. There are some types of training content that naturally require more control over how and when people consume them. For example, you will want to avoid learners taking training that covers sensitive or proprietary content outside of the office.
If you decide your content is potentially appropriate for mobile training, it is worth bearing in mind that the kind of training that works well on mobile is unlikely to be identical to the type that works well on a desktop.
Mobile learning should be short, to the point, focus on key learning points, and avoid putting too much text on the screen. These are all good practices anyway but they are especially important for mobile, where learners have a smaller screen and prefer to build their knowledge in short bursts (known as microlearning).
We have rebuilt our catalog off-the-shelf governance, risk and compliance courses to be mobile-responsive for our clients. We did this with the help of the award-winning, cloud-based eLearning authoring tool provided by our partner company, Gomo.
Our success in working with clients on mobile compliance training depends on good planning from the very start of a project. Thinking about mobile at an early stage means we can build courses that feel intuitive to use on different devices, rather than just desktop.
Compliance Training Tip #2: Ensure Your Content Is Accessible for All
While it is important to create courses that cater to specific learner needs, we also believe that inclusivity by design is crucial. Courses need to be available to learners regardless of any specific needs they have, and for a variety of different situations in which individuals and groups might want to make training.
When it is used well, mobile learning can tie into this broad accessibility. The ability to access learning at any time, wherever they are, gives people increased flexibility to consume content in their preferred way.
Again, good accessibility requires a clear vision of what is required from the outset, before any course-building begins. Many of the principles that create good accessibility on desktop computers, such as ensuring buttons are clearly visible and easy to use on a page, also apply to mobile.
Related reading: 'Inclusivity by Design: Creating Accessible eLearning'
Compliance Training Tip #3: Testing Times Lead to Successful Training
Whether or not your organization plans to give employees devices to learn on, it is important to decide upfront what testing should be done and what advice will be given to learners about using other devices.
With many banking organizations we work with now operating Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policies, the variety of different devices in use by learners is potentially vast. This is likely to make testing on every device impractical, and means that organizations need to plan what devices will be tested.
Compliance Training Tip #4: Talk to Your Provider About Tracking and Connectivity
Tracking is extremely important in compliance training. As a minimum, course completions need to be recorded on an organization’s Learning Management System (LMS). Different mobile apps handle this recording process differently, so make sure you talk to your solution provider to address this requirement in the best way for your business.
There are also considerations in terms of how a mobile app handles the situation when a learner loses connectivity. For example, if a learner accesses training on public transport and enters an area without internet access, the learning they take while they are disconnected still needs to be recorded when their connection is restored.
The right provider can solve this challenge for you, as well as potentially providing features such as:
- Mobile notifications, reminders, and alerts
- Downloadable content that can be viewed offline and updated upon reconnection
- Scan and QR codes for instant access to learning
Handpicked for you: 'Super Compliance and Impactful Analytics: How to Drive Sustainable Change'
Although we have explored some of the most important points around mobile compliance training in this blog post, these tips are not exhaustive. Mobile compliance training solutions have become increasingly innovative in recent years, with providers refining their roadmaps in response to demand for fully mobile responsive learning.
Ask your provider about how you can adapt your mobile compliance training to incorporate the right range of features as part of an effective overall training strategy for your organization.