Did you know that over 70% of global internet traffic are accessed via mobile?
More and more people are using their mobile devices to get things done directly on the go, on their mobile devices, whether that be shopping, paying bills or learning!
The fact that around 47% (and growing) of organisations globally are now using mobile devices for their online training needs further shows that we cannot escape the future of mobile for so many aspects of our lives.
Education-based or service organisations are continually innovating to meet this growing trend and one such organisation is the Australian Fitness Academy who this month is working with us to create their own Branded Moodle Mobile App.
Just a quick recap, the Branded Moodle Mobile App is our latest step towards excellent student learning experiences.
Simply put, the Branded Moodle Mobile App is all of the latest functionalities and stability of the generic Moodle Mobile App combined with an organisation or institution’s own custom branding.
We had the opportunity to talk to James Poynter, Business Operations Manager, at Australian Fitness Academy on their latest innovation in mobile learning.
Moodle HQ: Thanks for taking the time to chat with us, James. Perhaps we can start with a bit of background about Australian Fitness Academy – what the organisation does, its objectives in relation to learning/education?
James: Thank you. The Australian Fitness Academy is the leading online fitness course provider in Australia – we deliver the nationally recognised Certificate III and IV in Fitness qualifications to thousands of students across Australia and the world.
Our aim is to provide the highest quality training online, so that students can study at their own pace at a time convenient for them. Many of our students want to become personal trainers as a career change, or to supplement their current income – and online study offers a flexible way to learn around your own work, family and fitness commitments!
Moodle HQ: How did you first hear about the Branded Moodle Mobile App and what attracted the Academy to get their own app?
James: The Australian Fitness Academy currently use Moodle for our Learning Management System (LMS), as it offers us the best variety of features and plugins. Moodle has enabled us to customise our LMS to create a unique experience for our students.
It was only logical to work with Moodle HQ to create our Branded Moodle Mobile App, as the course content and resources on our LMS automatically sync through to the app – so we do not have to update both with content changes.
Our research found over 35% of our students access the LMS on a mobile or tablet device, and as this is continuing to grow we wanted to optimise this experience for our students. Our largest customer demographic is in the 25-35 age range, and so they naturally would be accustomed to using apps on a regular basis.
Moodle HQ: What was the process of getting the app like? Can you run through with us the step by step you have had to do to get the app developed?
James: Our first step was to test the functionality of the standard Moodle Mobile App plugin, to ensure our course resources and features expressed themselves correctly on the app. Once we were happy with the functionality we contacted Moodle HQ to develop our own branded version.
Throughout the build, we worked closely with the certified Moodle Partner My Learning Space to adapt some of the Moodle settings. By making small changes we were able to allow our students to download exercise videos and podcasts onto the app – so they can study on the move without using their data, or needing wifi.
Moodle HQ: We know your app is not yet released but what will it be called and what outcomes are the Academy looking for with the branded app for your learners?
James: Our ‘AFA App’ is due to be launched this month, and we hope it will reinforce our reputation as the leading online fitness course provider in Australia.
A large number of our course resources are designed so students can learn anywhere, anytime. Through the app, students will be able to listen to podcasts in the car on their morning commute, or on their headphones anytime they are on the move. Alternatively, if students are in the gym they will easily be able to access instructional exercise videos and demonstrations on the app – which will make the learning experience much more efficient and engaging.
Students will be able to complete short quizzes on the app, and will also be able to receive direct notifications and messages from our dedicated team of tutors throughout the course.
Overall, we hope the app will improve our customers learning experience as they take the next steps to becoming industry leading fitness professionals.
Thank you so much for taking the time to chat with us James on the Australian Fitness Academy’s latest innovation in mobile learning.
We look forward to following up on the progress of the app when it is available in the App stores and in use by your learners.
To find out more about the Australian Academy of Fitness please visit their website.
If you and your organisation are interested in finding out more about the Branded Moodle Mobile App, please contact us at Moodle HQ for a chat or you can also find the information on our website.
