The largest training conference in the world, the ASTD 2014 International Conference and Exhibition is almost here.

With such a wide variety of sessions and exhibitors available, how can you rationally approach it if you are most interested in mobile learning?

One way to organize the offerings on mobile learning scattered through the conference program and the exhibition space is to use the six categories found in Float’s Mobile Learning Strategy and Implementation Roadmap, a tool we’ve created for developing individual mobile learning plans for our clients.

These categories are:

1. Overall vision and strategy,

2. Content strategy,

3. Technology strategy,

4. Design and development strategy,

5. Pre-project planning, and

6. Implementation and evaluation.

With these categories in mind, here is our second-annual cheat sheet of choices for mobile learning at ASTD 2014.

You can follow all of these speakers on Twitter with our curated list.

If you’d like to set up a brief discussion with one of Float’s mobile learning experts, contact us immediately.

Overall Mobile Vision and Strategy

Look for speakers and companies with a big vision of mobile learning, a vision that starts with business objectives and the needs of all the stakeholders. It’s not that the other speakers or exhibitors don’t care about these things, but they are usually more specialized in terms of what they offer.

Sessions:

Going Mobile and Beyond – Conrado Schlochauer
Sunday, May 4 – 3:45-5:00 p.m. – Room 207A

Big Learning Directions and Big Learning Data – Elliott Masie
Monday, May 5 – 4:30-5:30 p.m. – Ballroom A

The Performance Support Storm – Charles Jennings
Tuesday, May 6 – 10:00-11:30 a.m. – Room 4

Mobile Sales Playbooks Made Easy – Chanin Ballance, Coline T. Son Lee
Tuesday, May 6 – 1:30-2:45 p.m. – Room 151B

Impact of Mobile in Developing & Emerging Economies – Gerry Griffin
Wednesday, May 7 – 10:45-12:00 p.m. – Room 146A

Exhibitors with a big view of mobile learning include:

Mobile Content Strategy

These companies and speakers focus on the educational possibilities of mobile learning. This is by far the largest category of sessions and exhibitors on mobile at ASTD 2014.

Float’s managing director, Chad Udell, has a book on content strategy titled Learning Everywhere (at the ASTD bookstore at the conference), and will be giving a session on how companies need to plan for converting content from other formats, and for using many different types of screens at the same time, when planning content for mobile learning.

Other sessions in this category cover a wide variety of mobile learning experiences. The exhibitors listed below either have tools for developing content, or will develop different types of content for your needs.

Sessions:

New Mobile Technologies for Role-Play Simulations – Todd Zaugg
Sunday, May 4 – 2:00-3:15 p.m. – Room 152A

Transmedia Storytelling – Anders Gronstedt
Sunday, May 4 – 3:45-5:00 p.m. – Room 206

Introducing Lectora Mobile! – Mike Eddleman
Monday, May 5 – 1:00-2:30 p.m. – Room 150B

Let’s Go Mobile! Redesigning a Leadership development Game – Nicole Majak
Monday, May 5 – 3:00-4:15 p.m. – Room 140

Designing Game-Based Learning Environment That Makes Learning Irresistible! – Seung Taek (Peter) Lee
Tuesday, May 6 – 10:00-11:30 a.m. – Room 144A

Behave Yourself! Making Sense of Mobile Behavior Patterns – Brandon Carson
Tuesday, May 6 – 10:00-10:45 a.m. – Salons GHI

Content Strategy for Conversion and Multiscreen Delivery – Chad Udell
Tuesday, May 6 – 1:30-2:45 p.m. – Room 140

Exhibitors that focus on content/learning experiences strategy or who provide actual content are:

Mobile Technology Strategy

What equipment do you need to acquire in order to realize the mobile learning experiences that you have planned?

And, what software programs (“apps”) need to be purchased or programmed to make it all happen?

There are not many sessions at ASTD 2014 devoted to technology strategies, but this topic will be part of Carla Torgerson’s two-day Mobile Learning Certificate Program – originally developed by Float’s mobile learning experts – on May 2 and 3.

Otherwise, your best bet for mobile tech talk is to chat with one or more of the experienced techies in the business – people like Robert Gadd or Katherine Guest (both at OnPoint – Booth 1833), Dawn Poulos at Xyleme (Booth 1914) or Chad Udell at Float (Booth 1837).

Vendors that provide custom mobile app development will also have programmers who can answer your technical questions.

Sessions:

Mobile Learning Certificate – Carla Torgerson
Friday, May 2 and Saturday, May 3

Exhibitors who can answer technical questions about mobile learning include:

Mobile Design and Development Strategy

Once you have a content strategy and a technology strategy, it is time to plan for design and development. This includes both graphic design and instructional design, as well as programming for the various mobile operating systems such as iOS or Android, or developing a mobile website using HTML5.

Are you taking a “mobile first” approach to design and development, and is your design “responsive” to different screen sizes from the smallest phones to desktop monitors?

There are only a few sessions at ASTD 2014 related to design and development, so you might want to consult with some of the exhibitors listed below for some advice on how to design and develop for mobile in an optimal way. For example, the push in mobile is toward small pieces of content, rather than delivering courses or large documents.

Sessions:

Instructional Design Considerations for Mobile Learning – Peter Berking
Sunday, May 4 – 2:00-3:15 p.m. – Room 147A

Brief is Beautiful: Unstoppable Drive Toward Bite-Size Learning – Stephen Meyer
Sunday, May 4 – 2:00-3:15 p.m. – Room 150B

Bleeding Edge No More! Time to Begin Training in HTML5 – Mark Simon
Monday, May 5 – 3:00-4:15 p.m. – Room 150A

Exhibitors with a skill set in custom design and development at ASTD 2014 include:

Pre-Project Planning for Mobile

Before actually implementing a mobile learning project, there is a need to do some pre-project planning. Here you need to select metrics for evaluation, decide on the scope of the project, settle on budgets and prepare a business case.

Only one session and a few exhibitors touch on these topics. Here they are:

Session:

Project Paramedic: Tools and Resources to Resuscitate Your Projects – Coline T. Son Lee
Wednesday, May 7 – 8:30-9:45 a.m. – Room 202A

Exhibitors who can help with project planning include:

Mobile Implementation and Evaluation

The field of mobile learning has not been around for a long time, so there is not a large body of case studies available on successful implementations of major mobile learning projects.

Luckily, there is one session by Kelly Lake that may be useful for evaluation of performance improvement using mobile learning.

However, every vendor that has been in business for at least 4 or 5 years offering mobile learning products and services will have multiple clients and case studies.

For case studies on Float’s experience with implementing mobile learning, check out our website.

For the other exhibitors, ask vendors of custom mobile development at the conference about their clients and case studies to learn more about what to expect in real-life implementations of mobile learning.

Sessions:

New Strategic Learning Analysis: A Holistic, Measurable Approach to Performance Improvement – Kelly Lake
Wednesday, May 7 – 10:45-12:00 p.m. – Room 152B

Mobile learning is only one of many topics at ASTD 2014.

In fact, there are only 20 sessions on mobile learning out of 417 listed (.48%), and only 45 exhibitors with mobile learning as a focus out of 412 (1.1%) companies with booths.

If mobile learning is your interest, I hope that this review of what is available is helpful.

To develop your own custom roadmap of how to implement mobile learning for your organization, please drop by the Float booth (1837) or schedule some time to start a conversation with us about your specific needs.

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Gary Woodill

Gary Woodill is a senior analyst with Float, as well as CEO of i5 Research. Gary conducts research and market analyses, as well as assessments and forecasting for emerging technologies. Gary is the co-editor of "Mastering Mobile Learning," author of “The Mobile Learning Edge,” and the co-author of “Training and Collaboration with Virtual Worlds.” He also presents at conferences and is the author of numerous articles and research reports on emerging learning technologies. Gary holds a doctor of education degree from the University of Toronto.

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