In recent years, digital education has shot up both in value and reach. And as smartphone ownership grows steadily among students and learning materials become increasingly digitised, mobile learning statistics state that it is an important trend in digital education.
But what is mobile learning?
Let’s break down the concept:
A unit of online learning, mobile learning simply refers to the act of gaining any kind of knowledge by using a hand-held device.
So, which devices fall under this category?
Well, m-learning can be done through mobile phones, tablets, mp3 players, and notebooks.
The advantages of mobile elearning are manifold:
To begin with, students learn on the go.
Moreover, they can access online educational content across multiple devices. Since students learn at their own pace, m-learning offers personalised learning paths.
Let’s look at some recent statistics to find out more.
Mobile Learning Statistics (Editor’s Choice)
- 99% of UK Millennials own smartphones, phone stats reveal.
- The elearning industry has grown by 900% since 2000.
- Mobile learning proved to be effective for 90% of K-12 students in 2019.
- Mobile learning boosts productivity by 43%.
- The market value of mobile learning was $27.32 billion in 2019.
- 74% of employees underwent training through mobile learning in 2017.
- Mobile learning contributed to growth in 76% of businesses in 2015.
General Mobile Learning Trends
1. Smartphone ownership statistics for the UK reveal smartphones have an overall penetration rate of 92% as of 2021.
(Statista)
This means that 55.5 million people in the UK own and use smartphones. If we narrow down the numbers to learners aged between 16 and 24, 99% own a mobile device, smartphone usage statistics for the UK tell us. These figures are up by 3% from 2019.
2. Mobile stats confirm 97% of kids between 12 and 15 owned smartphones or tablets in 2019.
(Statista)
That year, 86% of kids aged between 8 and 11 also owned smart devices. Since a majority of young learners in the UK depend on their devices for their educational needs, it’s safe to assume that mobile learning is on the rise. In addition, the Coronavirus pandemic brought on distance learning and drove the numbers even higher.
3. Mobile phone usage statistics reveal mobile-only users are at 27%.
(Docebo)
In contrast, desktop-only users are at 14%.
What’s more:
71% of Millennial learners have reported that they prefer mobile learning, as they connect more to their phones than to desktop computers.
4. Elearning statistics highlight that this industry has grown by a staggering 900% since 2000.
(SkillScouter)
The elearning market is estimated to triple its size between 2020 and 2025 and record a revenue hike of $6 billion by the end of 2022.
Amidst this growth is mobile learning, which had a projected increase to $38 billion by the end of 2020. As a result, educational institutions, especially in Europe and the US, are adapting themselves swiftly to mobile learning trends and offering more and more online courses.
5. E learning through mobile devices is remarkably effective among K-12 students, with 90% of respondents benefiting from doing research in the m-learning mode.
(Statista)
And that’s not all. Check this out:
- 90% of teachers responded that mobile learning has made research easier.
- 84% of respondents said that working on mobile devices enhances their projects and presentations.
- 83% of learners were impressed by the availability of practice exercises for their lessons in this mode.
- 76% of learners thought personalisation was the biggest benefit of mobile learning.
6. Mobile learning statistics from 2019 suggest 71% of students’ understanding of school concepts has been driven by m-learning.
(Statista)
Assessment refers to evaluating, measuring, and documenting students’ academic readiness, skill acquisition, and learning progress. So, instructors prefer a mode of learning that supports assessment. In fact, 71% of teachers have reported mobile learning helps them with a host of assessment tools.
7. In 2019, 67% of teachers said m-learning opens up newer avenues of learning, while 71% said it promotes group learning, mobile learning statistics confirm.
(Statista)
A majority of course-makers found that m-learning is remarkably adaptable to new ways of learning and new content.
The thing is:
Mobile learning technology is designed to offer self-paced learning. At the same time, it also supports group learning.
How exactly?
Well, when mobile learning is synchronous, it unites learners worldwide in a single online classroom and encourages collaborative learning by offering online projects, questionnaires, and quizzes that require group effort.
8. People who learn on mobile learning devices report a 43% upshot in productivity.
(Edume)
Mobile learning delivers concise, bite-sized pieces of information alongside microlearning norms. So, learners find it easier to retain knowledge.
What’s more:
Mobile learning also involves users in fun activities through gamification. This boosts interest among everyone – from employees undertaking training courses to students completing coursework. That’s why mobile learners complete their courses 45% faster than those on desktop.
9. Elearning courses on mobile have a completion rate of 72% and boost knowledge retention five times.
Although the completion rates of online courses (72%) are less than those of real-life classrooms (75%), it’s still a decent number.
But the thing is:
Knowledge retention is where online learning trumps traditional classrooms. Students who undertake mobile learning were able to complete five times more tasks than they would in a real classroom.
10. Udemy tops the list of popular mobile learning companies, with 12 million learners enrolled.
(SkillScouter)
Udemy emerges as the clear winner among online learning platforms, as it’s got over 20,000 experts making courses. Another popular platform is Teachable, which has 3 million students worldwide, and 20,000 courses on offer.
Other players in the scene are WizIQ, Ruzuku, Educadium, Learnworlds, Thinkific, Academy of Mind, CourseCraft, and Skillshare.
11. Day One Technologies, operating for over 20 years, is one of the UK’s top mobile learning development companies.
(e-Learning Centre)
One of the oldest players in the game, Day One Technologies has simulations and scenario-based training in its list of attractive offers.
Other mobile learning developers in the UK are:
- LEO Learning – an award-winning software that makes use of gamification and AR.
- Kineo – a global company that has rolled out custom solutions for Rolls Royce, Inland Revenue, and others.
More Mobile Learning Statistics
As we mentioned earlier, mobile learning supports microlearning, which drives knowledge in small increments, enhancing information retention exponentially. Recently, microlearning has soared in popularity, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic compelled learners to shift from classroom learning to self-paced online courses.
Let’s look at some popular trends in microlearning and mobile learning:
12. Microlearning is a popular choice for L&D professionals, as it pulls up retention rates from 15% to 90% in the workplace, according to learning stats.
(Edapp)
Professionals have noted that learners who opted for this model have been able to demonstrate a deep understanding of the concept and apply their knowledge in practice.
Why does this happen?
The answer lies in our physiological makeup and cognitive abilities. What we mean is this:
In 2000, experts found the average attention span of people was 12 seconds. By 2015, it had reduced to 8.25 seconds. So, how to educate minds whose attention span is constantly declining?
The solution lies in microlearning. In fact, learners and developers benefit alike. Read on to find out how.
13. Thanks to the ease of building mobile learning and microlearning courses, 8 out of 10 L&D professionals favour them.
(Edapp)
Development costs for designing microlearning modules are quite low. Compared to traditional learning, they’re reduced by 50%.
But that’s not all:
The speed of developing material is enhanced by 300% in this mode.
14. Mobile learning statistics from 2020 recorded an upward trend in its popularity, with its market value being $27.32 billion by the end of 2019.
(Edapp)
Distance learning is best executed when undertaken on mobile devices. This is why the popularity of m-learning courses has shot through the roof since the pandemic.
Here’s the deal:
- In 2015, mobile learning was valued at $7.98 billion.
- In 2019, this value shot up to $27.32 billion.
- By 2025, mobile elearning is expected to be worth $78.5 billion.
15. Mobile phone learning statistics confirm the practice is growing in workplaces, with 74% of workers reported learning on mobiles in 2017.
(Shift Elearning)
Mobile device training is a massive thing in companies. According to a study conducted in 2015, 30% of smartphone users admitted to using their phones to learn about and store training modules for their workplace. And those numbers have been growing steadily since.
16. Mobile learning technology has been a boon to businesses, as 55% of entrepreneurs reported an improvement in business performance as of 2015.
(Shift Elearning)
Survey findings reveal 72% of companies have reported that mobile learning has allowed them to adapt better to marketplace changes.
What’s more:
A 2015 study by Asia-Pacific Skillsoft has revealed that 76% of businesses have reported direct growth due to mobile learning.
Conclusion
More and more organisations are embracing m-learning. It’s a trending concept in education because it involves microlearning and video-based learning, both of which are user-friendly and drive user retention.
Among the benefits of mobile learning are:
- Formal training
- Informal learning
- Self-directed learning
- Just-in-time learning aids
- Social learning
As we have seen from the latest mobile learning statistics, it’s a massive industry with research-backed benefits.
Bottom line:
M-learning remains the go-to training methodology for organisations and online education platforms alike.
Sources:
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