M-Learning Decisions: Web App or Native App?

I’ve written a couple of posts about the differences and the advantages and disadvantages of native applications and web applications when it comes to mobile learning. Check out these previous posts on Apps for the future and Google vs Apple to see where I was coming from. And as the field of mobile platforms continues to get more competitive, we will see some platforms gain strength and some lose strength. Some experts see consolidation among platforms (ex. Palm may join with another company to gain strength), and some people see even more platforms emerging.

But one thing seems to be clear and that’s the fact that mobile browsers are getting much better and most newer mobile browsers are implementing the WebKit Open Source framework similar to what Apple did when they created Safari for the iPhone. I think this is a pretty big development for mobile learning because it allows mobile learning content developers to target a single platform – the Web. Native applications are great and can benefit from the performance gains of being on a device. But the newer WebKit based browsers are so capable that many people can’t tell the difference between a well developed mobile web application and a native application (with the exception for gaming and 3D graphics where native applications still have a pretty big performance edge). And since most of us learning professionals already have experience with developing our content for the Web, it seems a natural fit for our current skill sets.

Today I read a good article from InformationWeek.com. InformationWeek is releasing it’s InformationWeek Anylitics report: “Air Pressure: Why IT Must Sort Out App Mobilization Challenges”, which is free for a limited time. You can find the report through the link for the article of the same name here. The article helps illustrate the benefits of the mobile web over native applications for many organizations looking to deploy applications of any kind to their employees or their customers. Here are a few highlights from the article:

“The mobile Web is finally hitting its stride for a number of reasons. The greatest enabler is fast throughput, such as what’s offered by 3G networks. It also doesn’t hurt that so many devices nowadays are Wi-Fi enabled. With typical 3G speeds of 1 Mbps, and latency of 100 to 200 milliseconds, small screens can update in five seconds or less, compared with 10 seconds or more on 2G networks. Sure, five seconds is slower than the sub-second screen updates achieved with local native apps, but it’s still usable. And technologies such as Ajax and Gears allow interaction with locally stored content, significantly improving the user experience even when network responses aren’t instantaneous.”

“Native Vs. Web

So which way should companies go? Native applications–those built using languages such as C++ or Java that execute locally on the device–provide the most responsive user experience while allowing offline operation. However, native applications come with a hefty price–namely, coding environments that are generally more difficult to debug compared with desktop environments. In addition, the application will work only for one particular platform, meaning that companies need to build or buy different versions for BlackBerry, Google, and iPhone devices.

In contrast, the browser model simplifies software sales and distribution considerably, as otherwise application vendors must work with multiple application stores, such as the iPhone and Android stores, and then break apps down further for each platform. Simpler mobile application distribution will encourage greater innovation and development, ultimately benefiting both businesses and consumers. Furthermore, the average IT department has in-house Web content management skills, including authoring expertise. However, not as many departments have the sophisticated skills needed to develop–and debug–native applications.

One survey respondent is sold on the Web approach. “We use BES server to give us relatively secure access to our internal network,” says Alfons Schermaier, senior architect at chemicals manufacturer PPG Industries. “From that point on, we use standard Web app development techniques and a design approach for the application that makes maximum use of the reduced screen real estate. These applications can also be used from a PC browser if needed. Testing is a bit more involved with the multiple target clients, but the applications have greater utility, and once you get the hang of this, you can really start to deliver more quickly.”

I hope this information from InformationWeek helps you in your design and development decisions for mobile learning. I think having a grasp of the IT picture is very important before pursuing a certain strategy. As always, there’s probably no one right decision, just the decision that’s right for your circumstance. In some cases, it makes a lot of sense to develop native applications to run on a device and in many cases it will make sense to use the web for your learning product. I think the research shows that the simplest path for most learning organizations will be web-based applications, but those with a specific device in mind will certainly benefit from leveraging the strengths of on-device deployment.

Mobile Innovation – Using the Device as a Microscope

Innovative thinkers are always finding new ways to leverage the power of the mobile device. We’ve seen the screen used for a flashlight, the device used as a compass and lots of other novelty oriented uses (just take a look at the iPhone’s app store). But now a professor of engineering has been able to use the software and hardware features of a mobile device to create a microscope capable of checking for diseases.

The New York Times article cites an example where a user could place a slide of blood under a cheap external hardware setup on the device and the mobile device’s camera could image that blood. The image could be sent from the device to a doctor for analysis.

I really think we’ll start to see more of these types of applications, where the device’s capability is enhanced with bolt-on solutions capable of exploiting the mobility of the human operator and the device and extending the power of the hardware and software.

Mobile learning can truly benefit from thinking along the same lines, especially if you consider the number of field deployed workers who operate several different electronic tools, sensors to diagnose problems with equipment etc. Using the device as a central hub for those types of sensors could really make life easier for those types of employees. And the networked communication of a mobile device offers the ability to receive real-time feedback on procedures, and training on the spot for those who operate sensors and diagnostic equipment.

Mobile Healthcare Apps Exemplify m-Learning

I try to be fairly broad with my resources as I research mobile learning and the mobile lifestyle in general. The latest article I came across is from Information Week, here’s a link to the the “Top iPhone Healthcare Apps” article.

There are a couple of things I covered in previous posts, but I think it’s worth a fresh post since mobile healthcare is really blazing a trail for m-learning in many ways. Doctors have really taken to mobile technology in a way that most of us have not. For years, the healthcare industry has been deploying mobile technologies of all kinds to medical practitioners so they can access references, patient records and all sorts of other information necessary to them at the point of need. In the past, healthcare workers often relied on specialized mobile devices or somewhat combersome PDAs to reference topics pertinent to a patient’s condition. Now things are changing and doctors are able to use off the shelf consumer technologies like smartphones to access medical records, reference large catalogs of medical information and even push perscriptions to farmacies so the patient’s medicine is waiting for them when they get there. And using consumer technologies offers another big advantage, it allows the patient to proactively handle their health care by carrying their records with them on their mobile device.

AllOne is the application that patients use to manage their healthcare records and it even offers the ability to look up x-rays and other types of scans on the device so doctors can see them. Information Week references AllOne in another article.

I think it’s pretty amazing that we can facilitate an interactive relationship with doctors and patients through mobile technology. The applications used in mobile healthcare are also offering performance support and coaching to patients by reminding them to take medicine, record nutritional information (meals, ex. for diabetes patients) and even reminding them about appointments. Just think of how we’ll be using these types of relationships for other mobile learning tasks. If doctors can rely on mobile learning paradigms, most of us can give it a shot too.

Mobile Web Grows – But User’s Can Find it Tough

According to this report from MediaPost (a web site devoted to advertising and mobility) mobile web usage continues to grow, which we knew. However, the report also goes on to talk about the frustrations many users experience with the mobile web. You can see the actual stats cited from Nielsen here.

Most users are probably frustrated by the “mobile web” because the web they are viewing is often the same web that’s formatted for the desktop and desktop browsers. Many of us who’ve tried to load a desktop site on a mobile browser know how poorly mobile browsers render those sites. Often you get a column of content with everything running vertically, and trying to find a link or read the text is so difficult that we just give up. Safari on the iPhone and Opera do better, but they are still not ideal for mobile users. And one thing that should be noted is that it’s not that difficult to build a mobile site. First of all, your users probably don’t want everything you are offering on your desktop site, especially if you have a lot of links and navigation. You may be able to work with a subset of content and navigation, so that makes it easier for the developer. But even if you have to provide most or all of your navigation, you can format it for mobile consumption so your users will stay on your site find the information they need. Some helpful development resources are shown below:

Great book about mobile web design:

http://www.cameronmoll.com/archives/000577.html

Some information to get you up on terminology and history:

http://articles.sitepoint.com/article/designing-for-mobile-web

Platform Specific Sites:

iPhone and Safari:

https://developer.apple.com/safari/ Note: Link is on the right side, “Safari on iPhone and iPod Touch”

https://developer.apple.com/safari/library/documentation/AppleApplications/Reference/WebKitDOMRef/index.html

animations: http://girliemac.com/blog/2008/07/19/webkit-css-animation-examples/

tips and pointers: http://articles.sitepoint.com/article/iphone-development-12-tips

simulator (will show you what it looks like in the iPhone frame, doesn’t mimic the touch, gestures, etc.) http://www.testiphone.com/

Windows Mobile:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa286514.aspx

Blackberry:

Blackberry development program area – http://na.blackberry.com/eng/developers/resources/

http://www.blackberry.com/knowledgecenterpublic/livelink.exe?func=ll&objId=800440&objAction=browse&sort=name

AND I WOULDN’T BE TRUE TO MY MOBILE DEV ROOTS WITHOUT FLASH/FLASH LITE – which should be picking up some significant steam as it gains support on most platforms. It’s still my personal favorite, but that’s the Flash Developer in me coming out, I’ve also done work on the other platforms above.

http://www.adobe.com/devnet/devices/?devcon=f2mobile

M-Learning Goes Corporate and Succeeds

As an advocate for corporate mobile learning, I’m always encouraged when I hear about a company that takes it seriously. Lots of companies have experimented with podcasts and some have even produced html based learning content for their customers or employees, but it has yet to win broad acceptance in the corporate training community. However, there are a few exceptions, companies that have taken the plunge and they are realizing the benefits of their investment in mobile learning.

In an earlier post, I wrote about Mobile Learning at Merrill Lynch, where they’ve adopted m-Learning as a serious option for training their employees. In another, similar success story, Accenture (a large consulting firm) has embraced mobile learning for their employees and their senior executives in particular. Here’s a link to an article in Training Magazine where they discuss the mobile learning program at Accenture.

Accenture chose to use mobile learning as an augmentation to it’s normal e-Learning platform, specifically for compliance training on a number of topics. Results from their internal surveys indicate that learners liked the new mobile training modality and they plan to offer more of it in the future. Highlights from their internal survey of learners include the following observations:

– more than 1000 completions of 7 courses
– overall satisfaction rating of 4.4 out of 5, compared to 4.0 out of 5 for traditional e-Learning
– 92% of those surveyed would like to use their mobile device for training
– most executives who took the training would prefer their mobile learning in chunks of 10-15 minutes
– over half of the respondents would prefer an option to download their courses so they could take them when not connected to the Internet

An important thing to note here is the fact that some of the findings reinforce many of the guidelines we’ve been given when designing mobile learning assets. Those guidelines include keeping your mobile learning assets between 5-15 minutes (small chunks) and the suggestion that you consider the fact that the learner may not have a good connection/or any connection to the Internet. It’s good to see that the designers in this case took the time to consider these guidelines when designing their courses. You can read the whole article (here), make sure you read the “Quick Tips” section for some valuable insight into their design process, perhaps it can help you with your own designs. I really liked the idea of bookmarking all the pages, that makes a lot of sense for a mobile learner who may be intermittently engaged in your training.

Thanks to Training Magazine and author Sarah Boehle for this article.