Join us to explore innovative ways of using cutting-edge technology and strategies to create interactive learning content for online and hybrid courses. This session will concentrate on how to effectively transform presentations, videos, discussions, and assessments into interactive learning activities to engage learners in the learning process in creative ways.
Learner engagement is one of the most important aspects of online learning efficacy. One of the desirable goals for instructors is to ensure a high degree of interactivity and participation from learners in online or hybrid courses. This has been proven to be one of the most effective ways for enhancing the learning experiences of learners and is also aligned with Quality Matters requirements.
We describe interactivity as a combination of strategies and technologies that drive learners to move from being passive recipients of knowledge to active learners engaged through a series of actions and reactions. This assists learners in developing a deeper comprehension of the learning materials in order to attain the intended learning objectives.
Research reveals that interactive learning content helps learners actively participate in the learning process as well as contribute to the overall satisfaction of their online learning experience. As technology advances, educators are gaining access to an increasing number of tools that allow them to include interaction into their online courses. Although there is a wealth of technology accessible, educators sometimes lack the necessary understanding to successfully leverage suitable technology to create dynamic and engaging learning material.
The purpose of this presentation is to demonstrate the innovative use of cutting-edge technologies with examples, discuss strategies, and provide resources for developing engaging online courses employing interactive content including presentation, video lecture, discussion, and assessment, respectively.
Detailed discussion of the significance of each of these content types, as well as the technologies that could be used to incorporate interactivity into each of them, are provided in the section below.
Interactive Presentation
Interactive presentations are a great way to present information while keeping learners' attention and assisting them in remaining engaged, which should pull them in, draw their attention, and stimulate their thoughts and comprehension. Learners have more control and greater flexibility over how they study the content, which allows them to make the learning experience more personal to them. It is possible to incorporate various types of interactive elements into a presentation such as interactive videos, quiz questions or knowledge checks, or even branching scenarios in which learners can choose a path that will lead them to different learning activities. The following tools will be presented for creating interactive presentations: Genially, Pear Deck, FrameVR.io
Interactive Video
Videos that follow a traditional linear format offer just a few controls, such as play, stop, rewind, fast-forward, or restart, which offer fewer opportunities for learners to enhance their learning experience. Instead of passively watching a video lecture, today's learners demand a dynamic experience that is both engaging and participatory. When compared to the traditional videos, interactive video increase engagement by overlaying the existing video with additional content such as quiz questions, hot spots, and other features that encourage participation. Learners can have more control over their experience in an interactive video, which makes viewing active instead of passive, creates a game-like experience that grabs and keeps learners’ attention, and creates a personalized video path that evolves based on the learner's choice and preferences. The following tools will be presented for creating interactive videos: Lumi, Nearpod
Interactive Discussion
Discussion is important to learning in all disciplines because it helps learners process information rather than simply receive it. Leading a discussion requires different skills from lecturing. The goal of a discussion is to provide learners with opportunities to practice thinking about the learning materials, to encourage them to think more deeply, articulate their ideas more clearly, and eventually help them to achieve the designated learning objectives. Discussions are not limited to text-based discussion boards; video, audio, and visual tools may also be used to generate compelling discussions. Utilizing rich media in discussion promotes communication skills and analytical reasoning. The following tools will be presented for creating discussion: VoiceThread, Flipgrid
Interactive Assessment
Interactive assessments provide opportunities for learners to acquire skills of self-monitoring and self-regulation through instant and adaptive feedback. The interactive nature of the online formative assessments imparts a sense of control over the pace and timing of learning, which can promote autonomous learning skills. Interactive assessment also offers expanded options for educators as they gather information about their learners' mastery of learning objectives and provide tailored feedback to prompt deeper understanding. The advance of technology offers the potential to design richer, more interactive assessment and feedback. The following tools will be presented for creating interactive assessments: H5P, Zoom, Socrative
In this presentation, we will…
- Discuss the importance of using different types of interactive content
- Demonstrate by using various cutting-edge tools to create interactive content with examples
- Discuss strategies and best practices for creating interactive content
- Share resources for further exploration
Level of Participation
We invite all participants to bring their own computers to this session to experiment with the tools discussed during the presentation and review examples of interactive content created with those tools on a given website. The attendees will be encouraged to participate in a discussion, exchanging ideas and tips for creating and utilizing interactive content in online courses.
Session Goals
The goal of this session is to help participants familiarize with innovative use of various emerging technologies and strategies to create a variety of interactive learning content for online and hybrid courses.