Intelladon News

Learning Solutions: Making Content Mobile: What You Really Need to Know

October 19, 2011

By Skip Marshall, Intelladon VP of Professional Services

Making your material available to mobile learners poses some unique challenges for content developers. It’s one thing when you know your audience. But it’s particularly challenging when you’re working in the extended enterprise space where the end users’ environment is unknown. Either way, several considerations can make the transition to mobile that much easier.

Key considerations

Before determining what you need to do to mobilize your content, you need to identify what "mobile" means to your organization. Are you simply referring to tablet computers like the iPad or are you including smartphones and other disconnected devices?

The audience and the device play a critical role in determining the options for mobilizing your content.

Know your audience

If your audience primarily consists of internal employees, there’s a good chance you know what types of devices they are using so you’re lucky enough to be able to target your development around a few specific platforms. But, if the end platforms are unknown, you must build your content to the broadest audience — or sometimes to the lowest common denominator.

Know your content

The type of learning content you’re presenting has a big impact on the types of platforms you target too. For example, while desktops and tablets might be able to share content, you can’t say the same for transitioning content to smartphones. It’s important to keep in mind that not all mobile platforms are conducive to all content.

What not to do

As a rule, content targeted to smartphones should be shorter in duration and provide targeted snippets of information. Developers shouldn’t try to shoehorn standard eLearning content into the smaller mobile devices.

Read More

Learning Solutions Magazine