Which level of Interactivity you need?

How do you decide which level of interactivity you need for your eLearning courses? What are the parameters you consider?

We all are aware of 4 levels of interactivity starting from page turners to Game based learning but the most important question is ‘what would best suite my audience’.

We need to have following approach:

• Understanding TG for the course (How tech savvy they are, do they like lot of reading or would they love interactivity or gaming, what devices they use etc.)
• Review the content (nature of content)
• Check your budget/resource pool availability and their capabilities if you are developing it in-house
• Identify the best methodology to impart knowledge for your audience by doing some surveys/mock-ups

to come to a conclusion what would be best suited for your audience.

The most important aspect which should not be missed out here is that always keep learner in your mind. Remember you are developing the course for your learning and the whole exercise would be futile if they are not able to absorb the knowledge well because the format was not appropriate.

People sometime get confused with the level of Interactivity and they feel higher the better :). eLearning is typically defined and broken down to 4 different levels depending upon complexity, user interaction, sophistication of the course etc.  Let us look at the details:

Level 1: Courseware in this level is generally created to build awareness for the learner. The purpose of the course is primarily informational with little or no feedback to the learner. The content is presented with supporting media such as:
     a. Stock Photographs
     b. Simple Illustrations
     c. Simple Animations

Navigation is primarily linear with a simple menu. The course does not feature video or audio. Audio can be included based on requirement. Interactivities are primarily used for knowledge checking and assessments.

Level 2: All of Level 1, plus: Courseware in this level is created in order to enable learners to demonstrate knowledge of the material after taking the course. The content is presented with supporting media such as:
a. Stock Photographs
b. Illustrations
c. Icons and Graphics
d. Simple and Medium Conceptual Animations
e. Audio, Video

Navigation is non-linear and may feature branching and feedback loops. The course will feature audio and can have short video. Interactivities are used to teach content and for knowledge checks and assessments.

Level 3: All of the Level 1 and 2, plus: Courseware in this level is created to enable learners to apply the knowledge and skills (application) acquired by taking the eLearning course. The content is presented using a wide variety of media such as:
a. Stock Photographs
b. Simulation and scenario based
c. Complex Illustrations
d. Medium and Complex Conceptual Animations
e. Video

Navigation is non-linear and may feature branching and feedback loops. A learning path may be determined based on learner interaction with the course. The course will feature audio, video, or realistic series of still photographs and animated graphics. The Course will be character based. Interactivities created may require the learner to deal with unfamiliar problems, examples, or role plays. Interactivities may be created using branching logic. The course may be driven using scenarios.

Level 4: All of the Level 1 ,2 and 3 plus: High degree of interactivity; Extensive branching (four or more levels). Courseware in this level involves more in-depth recall of a larger amount of information (compared to lower categories/levels) and allows the user an increased level of control over the lesson. The content is presented using a wide variety of media such as:
a. Stock Photographs
b. Simulation and scenario based
c. Complex Illustrations
d. Complex Conceptual Animations
e. Video
f. 3D animations and graphic

Navigation is non-linear and may feature branching and feedback loops. The learning path may be determined based on learner interaction with the course. The course will feature audio, video, or realistic series of still photographs and animated graphics featuring characters how interact with each other and / or the learner. In this level it is not uncommon to create simulated environments and have the learner navigate through them. Sophisticated Interactivities and games that engage and inform the learner.