eLearning interactivity glossary

Learn about the various eLearning interactivities and discover which components, at which level, are best for your courses and online training objectives.

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360° virtual tours Turn a series of images into a 360° virtual tour, providing learners an immersive experience of unfamiliar environments. View interactivity
Animated explainer videos Animated explainer videos bring movement to larger concepts and can walk learners through complex content telling a story they can connect with. View interactivity
Animation Use animation in your course to help make instructional material relatable and relevant with engaging storytelling and visuals. View interactivity
Character avatars Avatars help to engage learners, provide a visual presence, and deliver information in a friendly and interactive manner. View interactivity
Click-to-reveal Use click-to-reveal interactivities to organize content-heavy course slides with timelines, tabs, and more. View interactivity
Drag-and-drop Engage learners with drag-and-drop activities, encouraging them to make logical associations between draggable elements. View interactivity
Fill-in-the-blank Include fill-in-the-blank questions to test learner understanding by measuring specific knowledge. View interactivity
Flashcards Stimulate your learners' visual memory and help them retain knowledge using flashcards. View interactivity
Interactive images Create an interactive image to display clickable hotspots for an extra layer of engagement and retention. View interactivity
Matching Assess learner comprehension and recall while reducing the ability to easily guess answers with matching activities. View interactivity

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What are design levels?

Our Custom Learning team offers three design levels of eLearning interactivity. From the simplest at Level 1, to the most complex at Level 3, there are eLearning interactivities to suit every learning need and budget. Use the chart below to compare and contrast the differences between each design level.

	Level 1	Level 2	Level 3
Learning goal focus	Introducing core knowledge concepts such as passing information to the learners using mostly linear navigation with limited interactive elements.	Supporting learners in more complex learning objectives including helping them analyze and apply what they have learned.	Providing learners custom or gamified learning experiences to support learning outcomes such as evaluating, problem solving, decision making and creating.
Design	Basic design including standard layouts and visuals with static images and basic infographics.	Custom designs with varied standard layouts, animations, and more complex interactions.	Completely custom design and learner experience tailored to the learner needs and desired outcomes.
Interactivity percentage	1-10%	40-60%	80-100%
Interactions	Basic interactions including simple click to explore elements, true/false, multiple choice, and multiple select questions.	More complex interactions such as timelines, sliders, hotspots, interactive images and videos, matching activities, and simple scenarios.	Custom layouts, images, and interactions such as complex branched scenarios, software simulations, and gamified experiences.
Usage examples	Courses delivering general awareness such as policy updates or regulations.	eLearning activities requiring practice to internalize concepts such as process or soft skills training.	Immersive experiences such as virtual field trips, mission simulations, and creative problem-solving training that foster deeper understanding and provide real-world applications of the materials.
Considerations	This level risks feeling like eTextbooks if relying on lengthy readings. Consider Level 2 or 3 for enhanced interactivity for lengthy or higher level learning outcomes.	Keep interactions focused and as intentional supports for learning outcomes. Unnecessary interactivity may be too high-tech or mentally taxing for some audiences.	This level of customization requires more effort and resources, and meeting accessibility guidelines may prove more challenging to achieve.

How can we help make your courses interactive?

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