If we want workplace education to create impact, it must be memorable, engaging and applicable to real life. That’s the clear goal, but getting there can be tricky, especially on a large scale, which often means relying on asynchronous online training options.
In this article, I will explore interactive learning and development as it relates to online training, what it means, how to achieve it and why it’s so important. We’ll take a close look at the practical nature of interactive learning, discuss what makes it a critical aspect of employee training and how it can be part of creating transformative change.
What makes interactive online learning work?
First, let’s look at what defines interactive online learning and what makes it different from other types of learning.
Consider this comparison: In more passive online learning, a participant will learn primarily by listening, watching and observing. Conversely, in an interactive model, the participant will be expected to engage with a story or situation by being asked to make choices that will show potential consequences.
For instance, if a person is learning about their role in preventing workplace harassment, a passive model may run through some scenarios and offer lecture points on what not to do. In an interactive model, the learning will also show a scenario, but what follows is quite different. Beyond simply being told or shown what not to do, the participants may be prompted to make choices, and then would discover how that choice impacted a certain outcome. This puts the learner in the position of needing to think through how they might approach a similar situation in real-life.
Here are some of the elements that, when combined, make interactive learning especially effective:
- Interactive elements — Throughout the learning experience, the participant selects from different options before going further. The options are then interpreted for the learner. This enables them to get insights into what each choice might mean — and empower them to learn from their decision making. And with interactive learning there’s an opportunity to go beyond simply right and wrong. For particularly complex topics, it offers the chance to explore gray areas that can help deepen a person’s understanding of the subject matter, as well as constructive reasoning behind their own choices.
- Storytelling — The inclusion of storytelling is part of engaging participants in a personal way. As humans, we’re wired to tune into storytelling as a way of immersing ourselves into someone else’s life. We do it as part of our entertainment, but it’s also a critical part of interactive learning. It is one of the factors that makes learning particularly vivid and memorable.
- Practical and relatable scenarios — Rounding out the complement of interactive elements and storytelling are relatable scenarios, such as video-based scenes, especially if they are presented in a way that relates to practical, real-life situations. But rather than passive observing, to be effective there must be an interplay between the interactive elements that make it an experiential simulated experience.
- A safe space for learning — For interactive learning to happen effectively, it needs to be delivered in a way that the participants will feel comfortable. Putting them in a position where they might feel pressured or embarrassed will run counter to the impact you are trying to create. Ideally, they will have the flexibility to take the training wherever they want, making them relaxed and open to learning.
- Opportunities for reflection — Interactive learning has its most powerful effect when participants have the time and space, they need to be able to reflect on what they learned. Reflection solidifies learning, opens the door to self-discovery and helps to draw a connection from what they learned to how it applies to daily life experiences.
- Communication and feedback — Ensure that participants have the ability to share their thoughts, concerns and ideas about what they learned. Enable them to talk about what they discovered and what it means to them. Take that feedback to help adjust and improve the learning experience.
4 ways interactivity makes for more powerful learning
Research shows that interactivity can greatly enhance our ability to take in information. Interactive online learning is a form of “active learning,” which is explained by experts at the University of Toronto as an “instructional method that engages students in the learning process.” It requires participants “to do meaningful learning activities and think about what they are doing.” Moreover, they point to research showing that active learning enables both “engagement and long-term learning.”
- Enables greater memory retention — Studies show that interactivity enhances recognition and recall of interactive content. When we interact with the content in a meaningful way, we take in the learning points in a much different and more powerful way than when we are passively watching and listening.
- Creates better learning outcomes — Because it engages participants in an immersive way, research consistently finds that interactive methods correlate with positive outcomes, such as higher rates of attention, interest in subject matter and satisfaction.
- Enables practical, real-life application — When the interactivity includes simulated exercises that are relatable for the participant, they can more easily apply it to real-life situations. That’s because it creates an opportunity for the learner to practice critical thinking around potential choices.
- Increases learner satisfaction — Interactive learning leads to greater satisfaction among participants. According to a survey cited in Tech Edvocate, 93 percent of employees said they would “prefer to receive training in a more interactive format.”
Creating transformative change over time
No one training session (online or in-person) can create instant change, but interactive online learning holds the promise of creating transformative change over time. It does that by engaging participants to practice in a safe space, to (virtually) learn by doing and have the flexibility to learn and reflect in a place of their own choosing and at their own pace. It prompts critical thinking around possible choices. And with the inclusion of storytelling, it can foster a personal connection to new ideas, insights and perspectives.
For organizations, beyond affordability and convenience, interactive learning has the advantage of creating consistency around learning — in that everyone is engaging with the content in the same way, no matter what their position in the organization or geographic location.
Moreover, interactive online learning, like everything affected by technology, will continue to evolve. And in the years to come, the implications of how it will ultimately impact workplace learning and development will continue to unfold in new and surprising ways.
