The SCORM specification is now over 10 years old and is showing its age. The need for mobile training content, distributed e-learning, and flexible data tracking are just some of the elements missing from SCORM. The Experience API (xAPI) has laid the foundation for a new generation of SCORM. Now that ADL has adopted the CMI-5 specification, it is clear that CMI-5 is the solution to many of SCORM's problems. 

While the popularity of mLearning has been growing, supports are needed to help trainers and educators discover apps and seamlessly integrate them into their curriculum and LMSs. At the same time, developers might find it problematic to use technologies like the xAPI due to the overhead required to adopt it in their apps and LMS systems.

“There’s an app for that.” We hear this all too often and there’s definitely some truth in this statement. So how does this impact learning as a whole? We have to go beyond responsive design and develop learning that matches the way the learner uses their device, whether that’s at a desktop, tablet, or smartphone. Developing responsive content can be time-consuming and expensive.

The coming explosion of the Internet of Things (IoT) will impact almost every aspect of human life. The integration of different sensors and wearable devices will play a key role in addressing some key challenges associated with mobile learning. However, to take advantage of these opportunities, it is important for organizations to understand the ways of bringing standards from both the IoT and mLearning worlds together, to enhance the overall learning experience.

Tracking the learning experience in typical eLearning scenarios is one thing, but how do you track the learning experiences of students scattered throughout a museum for their science field trip? Personalized learning is a growing interest in the workplace, but an understanding of the technology and path to get there is lacking. What are needed are examples of personalized learning in practice.

When it comes to mobile learning, there are a number of challenges learning and development practitioners experience. It is necessary to add context to mobile learning experiences, including using mobile devices for performance support. It is also necessary to understand the possibilities posed by new technologies. Thankfully, you can learn much of this by looking at the examples provided by organizations that have already walked this path.

As more and more projects are being built to accommodate multiple devices, the need to prototype grows. Whether you are creating a new project, developing an app, or simply launching a new responsive course, prototyping can help you better understand what’s working and what needs to be changed. 

Developing mobile learning solutions can become complicated if you’re not careful. One wrong turn can leave you mired in extra work you didn’t anticipate. Sometimes this happens due to design decisions. In other cases, the problem stems from choosing the wrong tool, failing to set up templates properly, or any number of other issues.  

How can you prepare for tomorrow when you spend so much of today addressing the needs of yesterday? Mobile technology continues to evolve at a rapid pace. Historically, the technologies themselves have always preceded L&D by two to four years. This is the time it takes for solid user trialing, new vendor products, and widespread platform adoption. Unfortunately, this lack of forward visibility makes it challenging to keep up with learner expectations and map out future learning technology strategies.