The popularity of the mobile platforms offered on the iPhone, Blackberry, Android and Windows Mobile devices is no longer just a fad, it is the now and future of personal and corporate computing.   One of the areas that we see growing rapidly is the development of training apps on mobile platforms.

Training applications have existed for quite some time on the Internet.  Web based training apps have been a helpful tool for healthcare, construction, manufacturing (safety side), first responders, government and retail.  Now the power of mobility can enhance your office or field force to learn and become more productive while not being tied to a desktop computer.

Some mobile training applications go so far as to even allow certification over the mobile platform, further reducing the training cycle.  This in turn helps companies avoid any costly fines for employees letting a critical certification lapse.  In the medical field, certification can be more difficult to obtain because of strict FDA guidelines, however, medical students increasingly use mobile learning tools as a study aid.

In fact, college students in general seem to be a very robust and emerging market for mobile learning and training.  Graduate students especially have increased time demands that allow mobile training to fit into their busy schedule more easily.  Studying on your Smartphone while commuting on a bus, train or waiting in an airport makes maximum use of your time and alleviates the need to carry heavy text books.

Mobile training and learning applications can be as simple or complex as is required by the end user.  Multiple choice questionnaires or quizzes with yes/no/fill-in-the-blank functionalities are pretty common and straight forward.  More complex training can include interactive elements such as animation, video, slide shows, digital still images, real time data connections to download the most up-to-date content and utilization of the GPS chip and accelerometer.

The best way to create a training or learning application is to have your scope of work written out in a flow chart format so that the development company can easily understand the functions that need to be accomplished.  It is also critical to develop a profile of the end user and have a sense of timing and budget for the project.  As always please feel free to contact me if you have any questions regarding mobile training and learning applications.