No matter what business you’re in, chances are you have education, training, or learning objectives to meet. Some of these objectives, such as highly complex technical learning or certification requirements, call for a significant learning-management tool or system (LMS). But for many, if not most, learning needs, you simply need to convey some new information to your audience and be sure they’ve seen and understood it. For these, a lightweight tool or application can be the best, most flexible, and cost-effective solution.

Clockwork recently partnered with the American Cancer Society (ACS) to create such a learning experience.

Delivering Information Quickly and Consistently

ACS needed a way to deliver quick, trusted information about cancer risk factors and prevention, targeted specifically to two Native-American populations faced with low literacy rates and in remote locations where internet connectivity is unavailable or unreliable.

To achieve this we created a mobile-only app that conveys culturally specific and sensitive information in a voice-over-driven, watch-and-learn visual format. The content is downloaded and lives natively on in-field devices so learning can happen anywhere people are. Simple, plain-language quizzes at the end of each learning module reinforce the messages and allow ACS to gauge how well the information is absorbed and understood.

Lightweight Learning Apps: The Benefits

  • Fast and focused: Convey quick-hit-yet-important information easily, and monitor understanding and retention.
  • Education anywhere: Ensure portability and flexibility across devices and environments, regardless of internet connectivity.
  • Two-way learning: Assess your learning content’s effectiveness by tracking engagement through views and understanding through quiz results.
  • Optimized face time: Leverage app content to prepare participants for in-person follow up.

Universal Uses

Lightweight learning applications can be a powerful tool for many communications needs. Think about the many opportunities or situations you have to share key information and assess how well it sticks:

  • Summarize, reinforce, and assess presentation content at trade shows, conferences, or meetings: did your messages take hold?
  • Deliver information at job sites or work areas where information-sharing is needed, but internet connectivity is low or unreliable.
  • Support sales: Faster than firing up a presentation, a learning app can convey product, assortment, and service information quickly and visually.
  • Engage reluctant or nonverbal audiences: Is your information sensitive or uncomfortable? Do you need to connect with people who would rather not be participating? An app provides a neutral layer to get the conversation started.

The right flexible tool will change as learning needs change to ensure future product flexibility and scalability. For example, the ACS app’s plug-and-play framework allows for simple scaling through module extension, so ACS can add more content to address additional health concerns in the future. And although the initial app was built for a specific Android tablet, Clockwork’s underlying technology approach is iOS-ready, supporting extension to Apple devices.

These types of tools can create powerful and pivotal experiences. Effective communication is key to any learning or training initiative and consistency is mandatory. Achieving all of that with interactive, strategically designed software gives users an engaging experience and your team data. It’s a win-win.