C2 Workshop's E-Learning Blog

The "E-Learning & Interactivity" Bonding!

Kevin was all kicked up about the yet-another prize he had just won.

He tore open the wrapper in a hurry. The exquisitely crafted game console had his eyes popping out and sent his hands scrambling for the joystick.

But, it was missing.

Some more frantic search, and a small note revealed itself, "Hey there... We know you're a whizkid, and would master this one too in no time. For a change, we want you to just hang in there and say 'wow' for the mind-blowin' stuff we've put in here. How about that?"

Kevin cursed. Feeling mocked, he nevertheless plugged in the game and let it run. It was mind-blowin' stuff, awright! A technical wizardry Kevin had never seen before! But, the thing is, the 'wow' factor disappeared just soon after. Kevin wondered why? And, realized he was not an active 'part' of the game.

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E-Learning is so much like video games, on this score. It too gets 'disconnected' otherwise.

A caveat though! The 'levels of interactivity' it offers could differ, depending on the content and other constraints. That's to say, the interactivity component doesn't necessarily have to be such high octane stuff. Nevertheless, the bottom line is, it does remain the medium's backbone.

If an e-learning course needs to succeed with its learners, it has to keep them an active part of what it is discussing. Talk to them, engage them and keep them 'on their toes'! For, is this not the only bridge that keeps it connected with the learners? How does it, otherwise, differentiate itself from, say, a manual or a journal?

Going forward, the e-learning course may contain rich graphics, fancy simulations, and arresting visuals. But, the sizzle factor fizzles out, the minute the learners are let go off the interactive hook. And, in such a case, what remains of it is a boring page turner.

Such is the bonding that e-learning enjoys with interactivity. It can't be without the other.

In other words, if e-learning is the communication vehicle, interactivity becomes its fuel.

(Nirmal Ranganathan, Instructional Designer, C2 Workshop)

Interactivity in E-Learning

I’m one of those people who delete all forwards and make it a point to write a note to my friends informing them that they would make my world a happier place if they only stopped sending me... send this prayer to 20 people... don’t break the chain... see what miracle awaits you... kind of mails.

But on a bright, crispy Monday morning I stood defeated. My mail header read ”Forward: Air-Force Pilot Test. This is Tough!!!!! It will drive you nuts!! Have fun!”

What really set me going was the game’s instructions. It read “The object of the game is to move the red block around without getting hit by the blue blocks or touching the black walls. If you can go longer than 18 seconds you are phenomenal. It’s been said that the US Air Force uses this for fighter pilots. They are expected to go for at least 2 minutes. Give it a try but be careful... it is addictive!!”

See what I mean? Maybe you don’t. Why not click here to play the game and see why it took up the better part of my day!

Now that set me thinking. What really made the game interesting? The game itself? Nahh!!! I mean you would rather catch me dead than playing dodge with a piece of red tile. Personally, I think it was more to do with the challenge thrown... Betcha, you can’t do this! And what I really found phenomenal was the way the game was linked to it’s objectivity - to make the person play in the first place. In other words, the game reeked of “Interactivity” from start to finish.

And that I feel is the key to Interactivity’s success in e-learning. Establishing dialogue at the word go. Especially when the learner can “shut you up” with the click of a button.

So why is "Interactivity" valuable? Simple. It allows the learner to ACTIVELY engage with other learners, instructor, and material being learned. Why is "Good Interactivity" indispensable? Simple again. It grabs the learner’s attention, helps retain interest, increases information transfer, increases retention power and can be used as an evaluation method.

So what have we? Flash Cards, Roll-over Text/Images (learners mouse over text/word/images and relevant information is displayed), Drag and Drops, Flow Diagrams, Inventories, and Simulations, and the good ol' Games. There’s a little I’ve come to realize about all of them. Varying formats help build skills faster. For instance, weave Drag and Drop into the Hangman format, throw in Spin the Wheel into multiple choice questions, so on and so forth. That’s just for starters though. The thing is to make it interesting, something that will challenge the learner till the interactivity ends. For that a simple checklist is all that we need:
1. Decide if the interactivity meets the course objective
2. Zero in on the interactivity’s objective
3. Decide on the best interactivity format (puzzle, simulation, scenarios, role play, games)
4. Identify if the learner is ready to bite the bait (motivated enough to play the game)
5. Fine-tune learning essentials with fun elements (not all tasks should be difficult, not all questions/choices should be easy/difficult)
6. Make rules easy to follow
7. Always keep score

At the end of it I think we have a winner.

(Banshori Bhattacharya is Instructional Designer at C2 Workshop)