Interactivity is one of the most important factors in the design and development of effective web-based training. There are many definitions of interactivity, and we could probably have a very lively debate trying to define interactivity. Let me propose a working definition that we could use for this lesson: Learner interactivity is the active involvement, participation, and engagement of the individual in the learning process. Or as William Horton states in his book: "Learning activities are coordinated actions that exercise basic intellectual skills, thought processes, and analysis techniques." p. 192 Whether we are designing web-based training or instructor led training, interactivity is an important component to include. When we talk about interactivity, we are focusing on the activities that engage the individual with the content. Interactivity requires the inclusion of the appropriate instructional strategies that involve the learner both cognitively and motivationally. An interactive environment should utilize questions and activities that require students to significantly interact with instructional materials. Interactivity also requires that the learner is able to access feedback in some form to evaluate their learning. Benefits of interactivity include increased student interest and higher cognitive processing. Have you ever sat through a class where the instructor does all the talking, perhaps even clicking on a PowerPoint presentation? There are no questions to respond to, no opportunities for discussion, and no exercises to complete. You just sit and listen. The equivalent in a web-based lesson is the "click and read" design. Not a very engaging or motivating strategy! One of the major flaws seen in some web-based instruction is that it includes only a very shallow level of interactivity which does not encourage learners to engage in meaningful learning.
I would like to point out that navigation is not interactivity. Navigation is the technique one uses to access the content, to get to a specific section of a lesson. Navigation is indeed an important factor to consider and design in online training. If a person can't get to the content, they can't work with the content. But clicking on a button to get to the next screen is not a form of engaging interactivity. "Good interaction doesn't just happen - it has to be designed." (Moore, 1996) Deliberate strategies that support and encourage interaction need to be carefully designed and integrated within web-based training. Moore and Kearsley (1996) present three types of learner interaction. So how do you design engaging, interactive activities for web-based training? Horton includes excellent descriptions of 14 different types of activities you can design - some that can easily be included as part of a blended eLearning course. |
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