Project managers to benefit from mobile learning

Time-poor project managers are set to benefit from the growth in e-learning, according to a recent report commissioned by project management training specialists the ILX Group.

Results from the 2012 Digital Learning for Business report show that e-learning is experiencing growth and will be the dominant form of training as people move outside the classroom, said Michelle Phillips, ILX Group country manager for Australia and New Zealand.

“The dominance of e-learning figured prominently in the ILX report. Its cost effectiveness, time efficiency and proven higher knowledge retention helped confirm this learning approach as a more relevant alternative to traditional classroom training, the popularity of which is predicted to continue to decline.”

This supports research by Global Industry Analysts, which forecasted that the e-learning market will grow to more than $107 billion by 2015. While the USA and Europe currently dominate the global e-learning market, the Asia-Pacific region has the fastest growing global rate with 20% market share.

The report also confirmed that although laptops remain the learning device of choice, their use will decline as tablets see a 40% boost in popularity.

“The way people learn is changing. This is reflective of faster paced and more mobile lifestyles. While laptops are still popular, increasingly people are moving to digital devices for enterprise learning,” said Phillips, ILX Group. “It is no surprise that such devices are fast becoming the preferred learning platform. Their interactivity helps make learning more enjoyable and accessible, while games and simulations add an extra dimension to learning and cater for a wider variety of learning styles.”

Survey participants comprised more than 100 human resources decision makers from a number of global organisations with headquarters in the UK across a broad range of commercial sectors. Phillips stated that although the report is derived from UK data, “it mirrors what we are seeing happening in Australia and New Zealand”.

She said: “The sheer size of this continent and the consequent mobility of its diverse and dispersed workforce combine to accentuate both the important current and future role played by digital devices and the increasing relevance of e-learning.”