What Are The Limitations of M-learning?

Hello!

This is not a true story. Although Ashton is fictional, the mobile learning challenges faced by Kathryn (CLO of AshCom) and her team are real.

They are shared by many learning teams from corporations, non-profits, associations, and educational institutions. We hope you’ll be able to relate to the characters and their problems, as well as the solutions they discover. We also invite you to read the first eBook in the series.

The Friday Morning Meet-Up

Kathryn turned on the lights in the large conference room. She heard chairs scraping against the floor as colleagues moved around the table. Cheerful voices mingled with the sound of coffee mugs and laptops being placed on the tabletop. Kathryn glanced at the clock.

The team had gathered at exactly 10 a.m. on Friday morning. It was time to begin.

Two days earlier, she had asked the team to spend 45 minutes discussing the benefits of mobile learning. Today’s meeting was “the negative meeting,” a format Kathryn occasionally used for major topics. She preferred two shorter sessions so the team could focus separately on the positive and the negative aspects.

The first meeting had been a success. In the second session, everyone felt free to be critical without becoming defensive. Although she did not use this approach often, it worked well for important initiatives such as designing mobile learning for sales teams.

Major Changes After the Merger

Since Globex was acquired by AshCom, the learning team had undergone significant changes. The group had grown from five to eight members. Productivity had increased, and the team was learning to collaborate effectively. Kathryn knew they needed time to gel and already saw the benefits after six months of working together.

Ronda, Vice President of Sales, had presented a challenge to Kathryn. An engineer and experienced sales leader from one of the world’s largest medical device manufacturers, Ronda had joined AshCom eight months earlier and was under considerable pressure to deliver results.

She now managed a combined sales team of 286 people across the United States and Canada.

Ronda’s goal was to create a unified sales system for both AshCom and Globex. The target was to grow sales by four percent without losing any of the $3.6 billion achieved the previous year.

The new system created fresh learning needs. Ronda wanted to ensure every salesperson had the necessary information. She asked Kathryn whether the team could build the entire sales learning system to be mobile-friendly.

Negative Day: The Limitations of Mobile Learning

Kathryn started the Friday meeting on time and moved directly to the agenda, skipping the usual “happy talk.” She noted that Michael had called the day his favorite, and she agreed. Today was negative day.

The group laughed. Michael, a former college professor, focused on curriculum development and administration. Kathryn valued him as a strategic advisor.

He was a rigorous thinker who enjoyed examining both sides of any issue. Kathryn’s two-meeting format aligned perfectly with his approach.

Instead of sticky notes used in Wednesday’s “positive” meeting, Kathryn stood at the whiteboard and invited the team to list the drawbacks of mobile learning.

She had warned them in advance.

The Team Speaks Up

Michael spoke first. “I did some reading and found the topic fascinating. Several years ago at university we considered mobile delivery but decided against it. We were concerned that not enough students would have smartphones and some would be left behind.

Recent data shows smartphone ownership among students has risen significantly. While access could still be an issue, it is far less problematic than before. A quick survey might be useful. One interesting statistic is that smartphone users interact with their devices on average 200 times per day—so perhaps this point belongs on the positive list as well?”

“Okay,” Kathryn replied. “Not entirely a negative, but worth noting.”

Maggie, who had been with AshCom for more than 20 years, spoke next. “I have concerns about connectivity. Our sales team is spread across the U.S. and Canada. Can all 286 account executives count on reliable internet access, even if they own smartphones?”

Kathryn wrote on the whiteboard: “Duly noted.”

Amy responded quickly: “What about sound?”

Others looked puzzled.

“I’m concerned about whether learners will be able to hear voice-over audio if they need to keep their eyes on the screen,” Amy explained.

“I hadn’t thought of that,” Kathryn said, adding it to the list. “Definitely something to consider.”

Alishia added, “Building on that—will learners actually be able to see everything we want them to see on a mobile screen? What are the practical limitations?” The point went on the list.

Distractions and Risks

Adeena spoke next. “After doing some reading, I have two concerns that should be noted, even if they aren’t strictly negatives. First, should we worry about distractions when people learn on smartphones? Pop-ups, texts, and incoming calls could interrupt sessions and affect retention.”

Kathryn wrote “Distractions” on the board. “And the second?”

“The second issue is privacy and security. I’m not an IT specialist, but I wonder whether mobile learning introduces new risks.”

Kathryn added “Security/Privacy” and made a note to herself: “Check with AshCom IT.”

Kathryn noticed that the younger team members had not yet spoken. Their perspectives mattered to her.

“Martina and Darryl,” she said, “you’ve been quiet. We value your instructional design and creative skills. What are your thoughts?”

They exchanged glances. Martina spoke first. “Darryl and I discussed this over lunch yesterday. The points we want to raise are more about limitations than outright negatives. This applies beyond mobile learning.”

The room turned toward them with interest.

Darryl Takes Over the Whiteboard

Darryl asked, “Mind if I use the whiteboard? I think I can show you better than I can tell you.”

“Of course,” Kathryn replied.

Martina and Darryl stood up. Martina explained, “We spent time thinking about the creative process. We both love instructional design and visual storytelling. It’s exciting when a designer has a big idea that is not only visually strong but also creates a powerful learning experience.”

Darryl wrote “BIG IDEA” on the left side of the whiteboard and drew a box around it.

“But every practical step reduces that idea,” Darryl continued. Martina wrote “Authoring tools” and drew a smaller box—about 25 percent smaller than the first.

“I’m not criticizing the authoring tools,” Darryl said. “They are far more powerful than what we had five years ago. Still, they act like bumpers in bowling. We immediately limit what we can do, and the big idea shrinks.”

Going Through the Motions

Martina continued, “In the end, many courses look and feel similar. Learners often just click ‘next.’ Authoring tools allow rotation and resizing, but without strong instructional design, the result is still a standard e-learning module—only now viewed on a mobile device.”

Darryl added the next limitation: the learning management system. “The LMS is essential for tracking metrics. Without it we cannot measure whether learning objectives have been met. Yet the LMS further constrains the original big idea.” Martina wrote “LMS” and reduced the box size by another 25 percent.

Michael spoke up.

The Big Idea

“I’m glad you asked,” Martina replied. “Our concern is that a strong learning concept could be lost because of the constraints of our authoring tools. If delivery is mobile, the LMS adds another layer of limitation. Learners must first navigate to a website and log in. On a subway during rush hour, that login screen alone can become a barrier.”

Martina concluded, “With all these constraints, will we lose instructional strength and creativity? Will we be able to design the kind of learning experiences Kathryn envisions?”

Tension filled the room. Everyone knew the limitations existed, but seeing them visualized as shrinking boxes made them feel more concrete. No one offered an immediate solution. The silence lingered.

Solid Learning Science, Creative Design, and Tech-Savvy Delivery

Kathryn spoke first. “Great learning experiences require strong learning science, creative design, and technically sound delivery. You’re pointing out that mobile learning brings real constraints. It’s our job to find ways to protect the big ideas. All of these points belong on the ‘Negative List,’ but each one needs a solution.”

Amy, a consultant to Kathryn and experienced advisor to many large organizations, added, “I want to remind everyone of something Kathryn mentioned last time. Ronda, our VP of Sales, must integrate two sales teams and roll out a new system. Sales training is one of the highest-impact learning investments a company can make. Sales truly are the lifeblood of the business.”

“I can’t predict how AshCom’s leadership will respond,” Amy continued, “but I expect they will support the approach Ronda and Kathryn believe is right. We will need to address every challenge we’ve identified and explain how we plan to overcome it.”

Kathryn checked her watch. “Time’s up. We all have other meetings. We’ve surfaced important issues and now need solutions. Please keep thinking about both the benefits and drawbacks of mobile learning. I’ll reconvene the group in a few weeks.”

Everyone stood and left. Kathryn remained alone for a few minutes, studying the whiteboard and making notes.

Conclusion

You can follow the rest of this Mobile Learning series and see how Kathryn and her team resolve these challenges. Download the eBook “How L&D Leaders Use Custom Mobile Apps to Increase Performance and Revenue.” It will help you evaluate whether custom mobile learning is right for your organization and share proven approaches.

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