Conferences are a concentration of expertise, and therefore a great place to get answers.

But, of course, the answers you get from attending a conference will depend very much on the questions that you ask as you visit the conference.

mLearnCon is the premier conference in the world on mobile learning in corporate settings, with a fantastic concentration of experts, experienced users, and solid vendors offering their services.

There is so much available that one of the problems is knowing what to choose from among the myriad options of keynotes, workshops, sessions, and exhibitors.

So, in an effort to help you sort out what to pay attention to at mLearnCon, here are 10 questions that can be answered by attending the conference.

I am new to mobile learning – where do I start?

If this is your first time at mLearnCon, and you are new to the field of mobile learning, there are some optional workshops and sessions provided just for you.

You can also speak to any of the many experienced vendors in the exhibition area. Some have been in the mobile learning business for over a dozen years.

Here are some choices of sessions to attend.

How can mobile learning impact the business side of my organization?

We all know that our mobile learning strategy should follow from the business objectives of the organization we work for.

Here are some sessions that pay attention to the impact of mobile learning on the bottom line.

How do I create a mobile learning strategy?

At Float, we believe that planning for mobile learning starts with developing a comprehensive strategy and roadmap for your organization.

The strategy includes many topics, including:

• overall business objectives,
• needs of stakeholders,
• content strategy,
•  technology strategy,
• a design and develop.m.ent plan, and
• a project plan for implementation.

There are many decisions to be made along the way, and these sessions will help to answer your questions about strategy.

Ask Float about how we develop a specific strategy roadmap for mobile learning implementation for each of our clients.

How do I design for mobile learning?

Good design is critical to success in mobile learning.

A keyword to look for here is “affordances,” a term in the design world that indicates the features of a device or environment that allow you to do something. Only by understanding the many capabilities of mobile devices can you figure out what problems you can solve by using mobile.

Here are key sessions on design for mobile.

How do I build effective mobile learning content?

The answer to this question depends on your ideas on what constitutes mobile learning content.

At Float, we see it in the broadest terms, from the presentation of materials to live experiences where mobile devices augment a learner’s interaction with the local environment in which they are operating.

The sessions on content development at mLearnCon show the industry thinks of content in many different ways, so if you end up confused, drop by the Float booth and chat with us. We’ll help sort out the issues with you.

How can I use mobile learning for performance support?

While there are many different ways to deploy mobile learning, we think that one of the smartest ways to use it is for performance support.

Instead of just presenting materials in the traditional way (“push”), mobile learning works best when users ask for specific information when they need it (“pull”). Pull requires a new way of thinking for training departments, regarding information architecture and availability.

Here are sessions that reinforce the possibilities of performance support with mobile.

Where is mobile learning going in the future?

No one can predict the future with certainty, but some of the most experienced people at the conference have sessions that point to trends over the next few years.

Check out these sessions for a glimpse of the future of mobile learning.

Where can I hang out with other techies like me?

Some sessions at mLearnCon are more technical than others, which will attract fellow programmers and developers.

If you like tech talk and want to delve into the code and operating systems, these sessions are for you. You will also pick up lots of new ideas from these experienced techies.

Where is the cool stuff?

I don’t mean to imply that other sessions are not cool, but this selection of topics features some of the newest ideas and technologies emerging today.

If you want leading-edge thinking for mobile, then attend some of these sessions.

Where can I meet those nice folks at Float Mobile Learning?

As a leading custom mobile learning developer, Float has a strong presence at mLearnCon. You can either drop by our booth (#204) or attend a session given by one or more of our experienced staff (four different Float staff are presenting at this conference). Here is where you can find us.

Of course, these are not all the sources of information to answer your questions at mLearnCon 2014.

There are also two stages of brief sessions on Tuesday and Wednesday, and many knowledgeable vendors who are more than willing to answer your questions about mobile learning.

We look forward to meeting you at the conference.

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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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