As mobile learning continues to increase in popularity, pioneering designers are creating innovative new mobile applications to assist on both sides of the learning exchange. Madhuri Dubey, one of these pioneers, has developed a free app for instructional designers called MoBytes. It addresses the immediate learning and performance needs of instructional designers, who must continually refresh their knowledge and skills.
The app comprises more than 50 "Mobytes"—a just-in-time chunk of learning content—on various topics pertaining to instructional design. MoBytes contain just enough knowledge for instructional designers to be able to perform a certain task. The topics in the instructional design wizard are divided into five categories:
- instructional design basics
- evolution and application
- learning theory and styles
- instructional theory
- getting started with instructional design.
MoBytes in each of these categories deliver practical information on working with subject matter experts, interacting with clients, applying learning theories, and creating learning objectives. Dubey narrowed down content for the app to text (writing as simply and concisely as possible), images, and references sources.
"Only those illustrations that were absolutely necessary to understand the concept were included," she explains in an article for eLearning Industry.
MoBytes can be viewed as the CliffsNotes version of the instructional design bible. It is available on Android devices, and will be coming soon to iOS devices.