The document discusses the benefits and considerations of delivering eLearning on tablets, emphasizing their unique capabilities and the necessity of adapting content for mobile use. It highlights the importance of choosing which legacy courses to convert, ensuring user-friendliness and touch interactivity, while suggesting a web-based approach for broader compatibility. Additionally, it underscores the need for a mobile security policy to protect access to learning materials and leverage collaboration among users.

2. Establish the real benefit you will achieve
by delivering eLearning on iPads or other
tablets. It could be as simple as solving a
problem of access, extending availability -
“anytime, anywhere” or a more specific
benefit targeted at a mobile workforce. If
you get this right, the rest of it will fall in
place more easily.

3. Apple and the iPad created the tablet market and continue
to dominate it, but, with a projected decline in its sales,
will it remain the dominant device? Look at the other
devices from strong global players, like Microsoft,
Samsung, Asus and a host of other well known
manufacturers. All have competitive and economically
priced products and all offer the Android and Windows
operating systems which, we know, are more open and
flexible than Apple’s iOS. An attractive alternative and one
that can get you up and running extremely quickly is BYOD,
as this allows you to focus on content and leaves the
choice of device to your users.

4. Learning on tablets is fundamentally not the same as mLearning on mobile phones
or even eLearning on PCs and laptops. iPads or tablets are like 'mobile computers'
– they combine the best features of mobile phones and computers and provide an
opportunity to make the best use of these features to deliver an unique learning
experience. Considering eLearning and tablet learning as separate entities will help
you to identify the difference in purpose and benefits each device offers. You can
make the best use of the capability of a tablet to provide an eLearning experience
in the much sought after mobile learning environment.

5. Walk, don't run. Adapting your eLearning for a tablet
could be your first step towards going 'Mobile' with
learning. Converting legacy content to a tablet-
compatible format is a quick and cost effective way to
mEnable your learning content. The tablet’s screen
size and display area of 7 - 10 inches, compares
favorably with that of PCs and laptops and therefore
content repurposing is quite straight forward and
often minimal. Though this might not be construed as
true mLearning, this exercise prepares the ground for
getting started with the wider adoption and use of
this new breed of mobile devices.

6. Walk, don't run - Part 2 (all good things
have sequels!)
While mEnabling your existing
eLearning content is a great first step,
the euphoria of mEnabling everything
in sight might do more damage than
good. It's important to evaluate and
choose which of your legacy
courseware needs to be converted; one
that meets the user need, business
context and delivers a valuable learning
experience.

7. User-friendly – Think of situations where users will rely
on the tablet and its contents to prepare themselves for
a task, perform an activity or simply grab some key
information. Needless to say, your learning content
should be concise, easy to search and consume, and
critically and contextually relevant.
Touch-friendly – Exploit the tactile nature of tablet
interactivity and make your navigation
controls, links, buttons et al, clear, distinct, wisely
spaced and large enough for the user to tap, swipe and
manhandle with the least possibility of error.

8. Native apps are expensive! Why? Because you
need one for (almost) every kind of OS and device
out there! So unless you have a very good reason -
like a processing intensive task, a need to use a
specific capability like the camera, or if you want to
store data locally for offline accessibility - it's
advisable to invest in a web-based approach. Not
only is it economical, it also works across a wide
range of devices and platforms. While apps deliver
great user experience, the increasing use and
capability of HTML5 will deliver a similar
experience and will even better it in the near
future.

9. In our multi device world, where users
often access at least 3 types of devices in a
day, responsive design seems like a 'no-
brainer' for delivering eLearning across
platforms. Responsive design provides
device/display specific structuring of the
content, enabling the content layout to
change to the device, size and viewing
mode (landscape or portrait). But, you have
to ensure the relevance, type and context of
the content, and more importantly the
'point of use' and access is not
compromised.

10. Research suggests that 79% of tablet usage (in the
US) occurs at home as a second screen and mostly
for entertainment and browsing. As these devices
are increasingly used for email, web browsing, social
networking, surfing and watching video, they offer us
a unique opportunity to design programmes that use
tablet applications and functionality to enable and
encourage learners to collaborate and learn from
each other. Build opportunities for sharing,
comparison and collaboration into your eLearning to
encourage and leverage the best practices and
capture knowledge.

11. Devising and communicating a clearly outlined
mobile security policy for your staff goes a long way
in defining the boundaries of good mobile practice
and usage. Login protected web-based access to
materials are a well established security protocol
and are not a great concern, but apps that allow
the download of material onto the learners'
devices can be. So look for additional measures like
screen locks, auto-timeouts, password-protected
access to the content inside the apps, data
encryption, and solutions such as Mobile Device
Management (MDM) and Mobile Application
Management (MAM).

12. Upside Learning Solutions Pvt. Ltd
www.upsidelearning.com
info@upsidelearning.com