Why I Am Looking Forward to #mLearnCon: Scott McCormick

The mLearnCon Conference & Expo takes place June 10 – 12 in Austin, Texas. There are a number of reasons why people look forward to mLearnCon each year. The “Why I’m Looking Forward to mLearnCon” series invites members of the Guild Community to share what it is that makes mLearnCon special and what they’re looking forward to exploring at this year’s event.

In this post we welcome Scott McCormick of Float Learning, as he shares why he’s excited to be coming to Austin this June.

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Scott McCormick, Director of Client Relations at Float Mobile Learning

At first blush, there are some pretty obvious reasons to have high anticipation for mLearnCon. It’s in Austin, and that means live music, BBQ and microbrews. How can you not get excited about that!? Those three things alone make for an amazing week, but, more importantly, the conference also means that everyone in attendance will be focusing on all things mobile. Each year we see how the ubiquity of mobile devices and the gradual acceptance of mLearning is growing and changing and that makes for enlightening discussions and networking. There is no doubt that mLearnCon is the mobile learning summit of the year. With that in mind I am looking forward to learning about, discussing and observing the performance, power and potential of mLearning.

The Performance of mLearning

In 2010, mobile learning was limited by a host of hindrances. Devices were slow and unreliable, networks were unpredictable or nonexistent, and designing and developing mobile applications was just a nascent skill. Flash forward just five years and all that has changed in dramatic ways.

Companies and organizations have deployed mobile learning and have seen substantive results. By deftly employing useful analytics, organizations are collecting data to show the impact of content delivery on the mobile platform.

I am looking forward to hearing about how companies are using these results.

  • What decisions and new strategies are being employed based on the wide range of metrics that have been recorded?
  • Is the Experience API being utilized?
  • What set of metrics are being used to make up the LRS?
  • Mobile learning is no longer in the experimenting stage – the satellites are sending back data to the mother ship – and now we need to react to and act upon the results.

The Power of mLearning

Data is one way to measure mLearning effectiveness, but I also want to know what users are saying about the experience.

Your learner is your most important stakeholder.

I get the opportunity to present about user experience at mLearnCon, and I hope UX is top of mind for all attendees. I am looking forward to hearing how attendees are reaching out to their audiences, as well as how learners are being impacted by user experiences, both good and bad.

  • How are needs and wants truly being determined?
  • How are companies taking into account the context of the learning experience?
  • Are interfaces being designed with a user-centric approach?
  • Mobile allows us to become a part of the daily routine and work lives of the learners. How are organizations taking advantage of that without negative implications?

The Potential of mLearning

Perhaps the most intriguing and exciting aspect of mobile learning is the outlook on the future.

  • What new ideas are being introduced?
  • What new technologies are being adopted in a learning application?
  • How are organizations taking advantage of the affordances of devices to strengthen and enhance the learning experience?
  • How are wearable devices being embraced or considered for learning purposes?
  • New devices, technologies, applications and ideas appear every day, and I look forward to being inspired by the creativity and innovation from companies that are collaborating, taking risks and learning through trial and error… Those are the companies that grasp the vast potential of mobile.

mLearnCon LogoThe 2010 mLearnCon seems like an eternity ago, and in our world of rapidly changing technology, it essentially is. Devices are better, networks are better, users are smarter, organizations are more ambitious, and the data can’t be argued.

Learners want mLearning.

They are using their devices all day and every day to solve problems, collaborate, share experiences, play games and interact with the world around them. Mobile devices have become tools that are seamlessly integrated into their daily lives. Why should their learning experiences be excluded from that?

So, yes, Austin will definitely have some memorable brew and ‘cue. But during mLearnCon week, I am most looking forward to untapping the performance, power and potential of mLearning.

Learn more from Scott at the sessions he’ll be leading at the mLearnCon Conference and Expo this June:

  • Getting the Most Out of User Experience in Mobile Learning
  • Rapid Fire Tips for Effective Mobile Learning Development

Written by

Mark is the Director of Event Programming for The Learning Guild. Prior to joining he had worked over 15 years designing and managing learning solutions with organizations such as Smartforce, Pearson Digital Learning, the SUNY Research Foundation, Aspen Dental Management, and Systems Made Simple. Mark is also an Organizational Social Designer, helping businesses achieve the benefits of becoming more connected & collaborative. He is the author of Social By Design: How to create and scale a collaborative company. Mark regularly presents and writes on his The Simple Shift blog about the use of social media for learning, collaborative networks, and organizational design.

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