The majority of Americans of US Military age own mobile devices such as smartphones. The small footprint applications on these mobile devices, commonly called "digital apps" or "mobile apps," are widely available and enable users to access information, play games, communicate with their friends and colleagues, purchase goods, and pay bills. As mobile apps continue to expand their presence in everyday life, the connection to military training is also taking hold.

This paper discusses the learning value of mobile devices and their ability to support learning and practice anytime and anywhere. By enabling learners to access instructional material in many forms (audio, visual), to remediate and practice skills independently and to support access to updated information immediately, these devices are revolutionizing education in our school systems. However; as with all revolutions, this one may come with a cost. This paper leverages recent research in learning and retention for specific militarily-relevant skill types to recommend the most effective way to integrate these devices and the mobile apps into instructional and practice programs for the military user. Additionally, this paper will discuss the trade-offs between enabling users to personalize applications and devices and the complications this introduces into instructional design. Finally, this paper will recommend a way forward for how best to implement the potential these devices offer in military training.

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Susan Archer