Modular learning: The concept of splitting a large education programme into smaller units or modules is a common practice as this makes a course more manageable. There are challenges involved to ensure the individual elements within a module are clearly linked, ensuring knowledge and skills are not fragmented (which can readily occur with modularised content) but are joined up. This will allow a learner to make the necessary connections between the different elements, without which there would otherwise be a lot of fragmentary knowledge without any depth of understanding.

Advantages and limitations are present within a modular approach, however, by following good practice in course design and construction this can help to ensure this approach is effective. Considerations include:

• Students being taught learning-to-learn skills prior to starting a course.
• Allowing adequate time for practice and reflection to aid recall of learning.
• Contextualising knowledge to the workplace and include theory, problem-solving skills and measurable assessment.
(See Ian R. Cornford (1997), 'Ensuring effective learning from modular courses: a cognitive', Journal of Vocational Education & Training, 49:2, 237-251, accessed 4th October 2025.)

Blended learning: This is a combination of digital (e-)learning and physical classroom (as well as outdoor practical) based learning, although there are different interpretations of what this term means. Providing face-to-face presence of a tutor or teacher with non-physical online presence can often provide a good balance of immediate support with independence of learning. In some cases, the tutor / teacher support is provided via online live sessions, which effectively replicates that which occurs in a classroom, although there is the challenge of ensuring adequate connections are made between learner and tutor / teacher in these digital environments.

E-learning (Electronic learning): There are quite a few definitions for this term, so in a nutshell we are looking at digital means of engaging with learning, so it's a broad framework in which learning can take place. E-learning might provide tutor support, or not; it might provide all the learning content for a course, or just part of the learning material and be part of a blended learning approach. The content might be software on a desktop computer or hosted online. Other features can include peer collaboration, interactive models, self-assessment questions, video, audio, through to virtual environments and worlds with student avatars. Social media elements can be embedded into most learning platforms, with all of the following terms being sub-sets of e-learning.

Online learning: Learning which takes place using digital content which is only available online over the Internet. This might form part of the e-learning aspect of blended learning, although the term is also sometimes used to refer to e-learning itself.

M-learning (Mobile learning): A more flexible widely accessible means to learning, which can increase the opportunity for greater learner participation by making learning experiences accessible by smart phones. Mobile learning, along with mobile touch screen tablets, the medium in which short learning elements can more readily take place. Desktop computers are just as suitable for e-learning but not as flexible as mobile technology in where one can learn.

Context aware learning is at the cutting edge of mobile learning making this type of learning especially interesting and challenging for developers. (see 'Traxler, J. & Kukulska-Hulme, A. (Eds) (2016) 'Mobile Learning. The Next Generation'). Mobile learning can include mobile apps or web-based apps.

Having learning material designed for location aware situations can help reinforce and arguably drive workplace learning. Having immediately available learning material on health and safety issues prior to and during working activities is one area that can readily benefit workers and employers. Whether assessing the risk from the use of equipment or the ground one is to be undertaking work on, it's important that the situation in which work is to be carried out is safe to the user, others and the surrounding environment. Mobile learning offers the potential to remind users - maybe through context awareness ¯ of hazards and risks, plus it can then capture (photo / video / audio) the situation as a record of compliance, or similar. Being digital this can then be fed into the overall grounds management system evidencing appropriate/good practice is or was undertaken. The combination of M-learning with bite-sized learning / micro-learning / nano learning will provide a strong approach to delivering appropriate learning to learners who work outdoors.

Reflecting on the concepts and implementation of some potential projects within an outdoor context:

• Mobile learning can certainly provide the freedom to effectively learn anywhere. Content can be designed to ensure that if communication signals are lost then phone storage and cache would keep applications functioning.

• Whilst an outdoor environment may not be conducive to focused and more complex knowledge building, but rather knowledge reinforcement, it could provide a spark for inspiration for further quiet contemplation whilst working outdoors, often alone or at least remotely from other workers.

• Context awareness through the use of GPS. If a user was in a particular location, then learning content would be aware of this and suitable content would be 'pushed' to the device so a learner is effectively exploring elements of that locality.

• Augmented Reality (AR) could be incorporated into the context aware applications (a context-aware learning space (CALS)) to make learning more engaging than traditional text, images and video. Raising awareness of groundskeeping and engaging others, such as potential career workers or the general public through context aware applications could certainly help to broaden the understanding of the industry.

• Identification of weeds, pests and diseases to help reinforce this essential skill would appear to suit mobile learning, and especially quick nano-learning. This could possibly link to Twitter to raise awareness of current conditions such as the spread of disease within a geographic area giving helpful forewarning to others of what action might be needed to counter a potential disease attack.

• There is a need for a coherent approach to mobile learning, ensuring that the learning is not fragmented, but has a sound building block approach. It will most likely be nano- micro- bite-sized learning within the context of modular learning. The back-end system will need to be well structured to cope with the many mini learning elements, especially managing what a particular user has already experienced and the need to revisit prior learning experiences. Without good structure and planning then retaining learners over a period of time will be unlikely and this will just be seen as a short-term novelty and fad, losing an opportunity to promote the industry.

• How best can the learning experience on mobile devices be shared with other potential / actual learners? Collaboration in learning, building a community of learners, whether geographically based, type of sports or facility based, age group based, learning level based, general interest based, or any other sort of community connections could help to further engage learners and with the focus being on mobile, and arguably interaction with social media accounts then viral learning is a possibility. Ethically, it will be essential for learners to be able to opt in or out of any sharing or collaboration activities.

• Polling or surveys will sit very well with mobile learning, especially to help gauge user reaction to current events. Following up at regular intervals can help identify how opinions will change over time and informed trends can be deduced from what happens to initial, often overreactions. Over time, people become more informed and less likely to overreact, and make more rational decisions. This could be useful to decision makers, to avoid making popularist short term decisions, with long term often negative consequences.

• Informal learning: m-learning provides an avenue for this type of learning allowing for ad hoc learning to take place, with possibly learners generating their own learning elements to complement a formal learning structure.

• Monitoring and recording activities / work undertaken, the quality (good or bad) of the work, materials applied, the impact of material application, damage caused by over usage. It is so easy to capture digital data with a mobile device; the issue is what to do with it and in such a way that it is beneficial to an individual and an organisation. Avoiding information overload is a big problem in modern society, so an appropriate management system for capturing and then representing the recorded data - such as through the use of graphic dashboards - is essential if this is to be of practical use to an outdoor worker and grounds manager.

• Wearable devices, especially if GPS enabled, can free up hand requirements from users and could be an ideal way of capturing much activity which a grounds person carries out. Voice activated commands to start / stop recordings would also be a good feature, as clearly not everything in a working day would want to be captured.

• Games as learning elements on mobile devices could certainly engage many audiences.

• Gathering and understanding environmental data is an important part of working outdoors, especially if better informed decisions are to be made on ground conditions, materials application and machinery usage. Sensors for temperature, relative humidity, rainfall, wind speed, air pollution (especially in cities), soil moisture content, etc. can all be interacted with mobile devices (again this can also come back to context awareness of devices and capturing such data when they are in the vicinity of sensors).

M-learning can provide a ubiquitous was of learning, although the more uses there are the greater the need to ensure a coherent approach is taken to avoid fragmentation of data and knowledge creating a confused situation where learning does not take place.

Bite-sized learning: This is much smaller than modular learning (being a sub-set of modular learning) and with specific (typically sub-sets of learning outcomes) chunks of learning in the region of say 10 - 15 minutes, or so. With the demand on employee time to be constantly on the go, this approach could be a popular method for outdoor workers. Micro learning and nano learning are arguably sub-sets of bite sized learning but depending upon various definitions could actually be the same type of learning.

Micro-learning: These are relatively small learning activities, of say 5 - 10 minutes length, forming a sub-set of modular learning. If people need to learn complex concepts or skills, then the very limited time for micro-learning will not be adequate to help develop the required cognition. A certain amount of focussed study and learning is needed (typically) to be able to consider and reflect on more complex issues. Reinforcing knowledge and the understanding of the learning is a strength of micro-learning and is ideally suited to mobile learning. However, even the relatively short length of micro-learning may still preclude regular engagement with outdoor workers where they have not been exposed to learning for a long period of time.

Nano-learning: This is arguably the smallest version of bite-sized learning and might be considered very short bursts of learning lasting from 1 - 5 minutes. The type of learning will be focused on a very specific outcome or may be used for a quick recall of a subject that has previously been studied. As an introduction to a subject a short (and snappy) approach can help learners take the first steps to more detailed study. This can also be of benefit to those learners who have not studied in a long time or are especially nervous about re-engaging with the learning process.