From eLearning to mLearning: The Effectiveness of Mobile Course Delivery

This paper summarizes findings from an empirical study that investigated the conversion and delivery of an existing DoD-wide eLearning course, “Trafficking In Persons (TIP) General Awareness Training”, to a mobile format. The Advanced Distributed Learning (ADL) Mobile Learning Team deployed the training content and measured user feedback as a field experiment to volunteers in each of the DoD services. This paper presents both quantitative and qualitative results, including learner performance and overall satisfaction with the mobile course. Based on the findings from the study, this paper will discuss the challenges and broad concerns pertaining to mLearning course delivery in military education and training, and will address the following questions: Should military training materials be delivered on a mobile device, and if so, what device types, browsers and platforms are supported? If military personnel were provided the option to complete their annual mandatory computer-based training on a mobile device instead of a desktop computer, would they do it? What other approaches and enhancements should be considered for future delivery of mLearning materials in the military? Since mobile implementation has the potential for both formal learning experiences and performance support in the military, we will discuss the implications and provide recommendations for future research on the subject of mobile course delivery.