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A few years ago, online learning consisted of the user sitting in front of a computer and reading flat, boring courses. There was no room for interaction, clarifying questions, or sharing opinions. As content continues to evolve, so does the approach to learning. Now training managers must look for solutions that engage users. This is where interactivity triumphantly comes in.
Adding interactive content to an online course is one of the keys to ensuring its effectiveness - motivation, critical thinking, and engagement increase when your audience feels actively involved in the learning process.
If you want to learn more about how to include it effectively in your training and about the types of interactive content you can use, keep reading!
Would you like us to help you create training? You can contact us by phone: +359 878 685 304, e-mail: office@nitbg.com.
What is interactivity in e-learning?
Imagine that you are trying to learn something new online, and all the learning content you find is just a long, boring block of text. It would be quite hard to keep your interest, right?
That is exactly where interactivity appears in online training!
Interactivity refers to the different ways of accessing and navigating learning content. In other words, content can respond to specific actions performed by the user. Instead of simply reading texts, interactivity turns learning into a dynamic and collaborative experience in which the learner can interact with the content, play games, exchange ideas, and watch videos.
Increase the interactivity and effectiveness of your training.
Types of interactive content to make your interactive training engaging
Our brains are wired to associate through visual elements. They are easier to absorb than text, especially if they are interactive.
Infographics, charts and images
Interactive cards
This interactive content allows the user to discover what is hidden behind each card. It is effortless; you can fill each card with content on both sides so that the learner interacts with them to discover more. This is the ideal way to offer content with questions and answers or cause-and-effect relationships.
Through an interactive slider, the user can reveal the content by simply sliding the card. It is great for showing "before and after" or comparing two images.
Linked scenes
Linked scenes allow you to simulate a large number of situations or exercises. You can create simple linked scenes such as didactic cards with different levels, where you can discover each concept and expand the information, or even more complex decision trees where the learner is the main character. In this way, each user will create their own learning path, which based on their decisions will help them move between the content that interests them most, so they can learn while having fun.
Hot spot
Hot spots are interactive content that highlight essential parts of an image or provide additional information. They place the relevant information on specific aspects of the images that learners can discover by clicking on each of them. You can use them as a game-based learning activity consisting of a question that must be answered by selecting a specific area of the image.
Infographics
Infographics are visual representations of text, data, or graphics that you can use to summarize topics so they are understood more simply. Use them to present your content in a fun and visually appealing way. Showing the information in this fresher way will make it more attractive and user-friendly. Try it, you'll like it!
Charts
Charts allow you to present different percentage values on a single image. They are ideal for training because percentages and figures are usually great hooks for the audience. Include them in the most visual way possible and the information will be absorbed more quickly, while also providing dynamism by presenting the data differently.
Multimedia content
Audio
What about creating interactive training using a podcast? Audio multimedia resources are ideal for delivering practical or additional information in e-learning courses. You can play with the content, even add interviews to integrate different viewpoints that will appeal to your audience.
Video
Videos are flexible and entertaining formats that connect with the audience instantly, providing context and making storytelling easier. They are one of the most valued resources for modern learners, who are 75% more likely to watch a video than to read text.
Through video, you can offer your audience more information in a user-friendly and entertaining format, explain complex topics with the help of visual aids, and include webinars to expand the content of your training.
Interactive video
Interactive videos allow you to take e-learning to another level. It is even better than the traditional format because it requires active participation.
Exercises
Multiple choice questions (ABC)
It is no secret that people love question-and-answer exercises! And when it comes to reinforcing learning, multiple choice exercises are incredibly interactive content.
Users must test their knowledge through a series of questions by selecting the correct answer from a range of options. This is probably one of the most effective formats for assessing whether knowledge is being absorbed correctly.
Sorting (Sort)
Sorting exercises are self-study activities very similar to the ABC exercise. They also check knowledge by challenging the learner to drag each answer or concept corresponding to each group. It is simple: one image, several answer options. The drag-and-drop dynamic makes your content much more flexible and fun. Engaging learners through these exercises will instantly capture their attention.
Matching (Match)
Connect concepts from one group to another through this interactive game that reinforces learning in a dynamic and fun way. Students must click on a concept from the first group and then choose another idea from the opposite group that they think is related to the first, and once they complete the exercise, pairs of concepts will be formed.
Ordering (Order)
Ordering exercises are ideal for learning processes. Students will have a list of answers that they must choose and arrange correctly by clicking the arrows to place them in the right position.
Fill in the blanks
Other exercises you can add to your interactive online training are fill-in exercises. Test learners' ability to remember and connect new concepts through incomplete texts that the learner must complete by choosing the correct answer. This format is ideal for providing more features to the exercise.
Interactive games
The alphabet game
The classic definition game is excellent for reinforcing basic concepts in a short time. It is a way for your audience to learn without realizing it. The game uses the alphabet to discover words or concepts. To play, users will answer questions about the learning content corresponding to each letter until they complete the round. Once finished, they can play several times to improve their score.
Trivia
It is like going back to your childhood! Your audience must answer questions from the entered categories and get at least one correct answer from each category in order to move forward. Learners must click on the wheel and answer the questions until they complete the round.
Swipe
In this engaging game, learners can classify the cards according to the option that corresponds to them, competing with the timer!
Memory game
This is an interactive game consisting of finding the pair for each card. The important thing is to discover as many pairs as possible in the shortest possible time! It is a fun way to remember and connect concepts, and you can create several games with different topics for learners to play as many times as they want.
Word game
Letter by letter, users must discover as many hidden words as possible. To do this, they will have 6 or fewer attempts and an initial hint to help them guess and learn. This is one of the most fun and interesting ways to absorb concepts during training.
Would you like us to help you create training? You can contact us by phone: +359 878 685 304, e-mail: office@nitbg.com.
Why is it important to offer interactive online training?
Interactive content makes learning much more fun because the learner can experiment with information instead of simply reading and memorizing concepts. In addition, interactive online courses allow users to receive immediate feedback and comments, which greatly helps knowledge acquisition.
Offering interactive online training to your employees allows them to participate actively in their learning. It makes learning more meaningful and improves independence. Interactive online training increases learners' motivation, concentration, attention, and engagement, which will help them progress in training and improve their level of information retention.
Learn what the benefits of e-learning are for businesses and employees.
Best practices for ensuring the effectiveness of interactive content
For this type of content to be useful, there are specific techniques and tips you can follow. Introduce questions about your content. With them, you encourage active learning, make it easier to absorb concepts, and achieve your training goals faster. They can be included in various formats, such as fill-in-the-blank or matching exercises.
On the other hand, if you want to save time creating interactive training and encourage social learning, add content generated by your users. In this way, they can contribute their experience to improve the quality of the interactive course, strengthening your corporate culture.
As a final practice, make virtual activities accessible to your audience. They will make the learning process easier and more enjoyable. For example, you can conduct Q&A sessions or assessments to encourage users to interact with you, with the content, and with each other, thus increasing their collaboration and participation.
You know that what cannot be measured cannot be improved, so include quizzes and final assessments in your interactive courses to make sure how the content is being absorbed. You can add as many attempts as you want. You can even set a passing score and have a question bank so they do not repeat if your users complete them in several attempts.
When the goal of training is not just to deliver information but to change behavior, a particularly good approach is using scenario-based learning. It places employees in realistic work situations and gives them the opportunity to practice their decisions in a safe environment.
And one last thing: in addition to choosing the type of interactive content that best fits your audience's needs, simplify the process with an authoring tool that offers these ready-to-use resources. And if it allows you to include external content from other platforms, even better.
If this is difficult for you – call us at +359 878 685 304 and we will help you make your interactive courses engaging!
