Following on from my talk earlier this year, the DLI invited me back to present a webinar on mobile apps for digital learning. In this blog post, I reflect on the session and explore how apps can influence learner motivation, confidence, and engagement.

I’ve really enjoyed working with the Digital Learning Institute this year. They have a fantastic audience and a genuinely engaged community of students who ask thoughtful questions and are keen to connect theory with practice.

My December webinar focused on mobile applications for digital learning, drawing on my doctoral research into how adults experience learning through apps. The session explored what makes mobile experiences distinct, and we discussed how design choices within apps can shape motivation, boost confidence, and influence how learners perceive their own progress.

The key focus was on how mobile app design can influence learner motivation, confidence, and perceptions of progress. We explored how features such as structure, feedback, and interaction can either support learners or create friction, depending on how thoughtfully they are designed.

Overall, the session emphasised the importance of intentional design when using mobile applications for learning. Mobile tools can be powerful, but only when design decisions are guided by an understanding of how learners actually experience them.

I am grateful to the DLI for inviting me back to deliver another webinar and for the opportunity to share my research with their community!

You can watch my talk from the DLI’s YouTube page.