Do more clicks equal better engagement?

Not when it comes to elearning content. 

Thanks to social media sites and platforms like Google, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube most of us see clicks (or likes) as a success measure for the content we create. We’re told that more clicks means more engagement, and the more engaged your audience is the better. But the world of elearning is vastly different, and doesn’t quite work like that. 

Let’s start by saying that interactivity does help achieve better learner engagement - it helps speed up the learning process and makes it more enjoyable, however it’s a common misconception that content has to be highly interactive in order to motivate learners. There’s a fine line between interactivity and distraction (leading to disengagement or even withdrawal from the content).

Too much interactivity causes learners to disengage with elearning content due to frustration, distraction or boredom. When learners are asked to click too many times, the likelihood is they’ll abandon the learning experience altogether, or they’ll simply click ‘Next’ as quickly as possible to reach the end of the course, without having absorbed any of the content at all. If your learning content isn’t meaningfully engaged with, it’s unlikely that it’ll meet your learning goals. Learners will fail to demonstrate the key skills, information, attitude and behaviours you want them to, which is a failed situation from every perspective. 

How do you know that you’ve struck the right balance of interactivity?

Typical symptoms of overly interactive content include:

• Redundant clicks
  This can happen when the learning content demands answers from the learner,  without returning giving them anything valuable in exchange. Learners need to feel that the effort they put in is moving them closer to their learning goals - so rewards such as new information, further context or explanation, examples, stories, opinions, rewards, resources or feedback can help motivate them to continue their learning journey.

• Over use of design elements
  This generally occurs when the content puts design or activity above the actual information that needs to be shared. Content might be squeezed into an activity that is simply not suitable for the point that the content is trying to make, or the volume of content that is being conveyed. We’ve all experienced pop up windows with a scroll bar that goes on, and on, and on. Did you read to the end? No, nor did I. 

• Interaction overload
  Learner’s become fatigued by content that places too many demands on their cognitive capacity. Even meaningful, well designed activities can cause fatigue if there are too many of them. There’s only so much a learner can process in the time they have, and given most workplace learning takes place on the job, the volume of content needs to reflect the amount of time available to learn. 

Overuse of design elements confuses the learner and provides a poor user experience.

Interactivity can really hinder engagement with your learning content, yet when executed correctly, it has been found to be a critical success factor for elearning.

A 2016 research study found that interactivity actually helps a learner’s ability to change their attitude and behaviours, which is the foundation for learning new skills and knowledge. 

Interactivity positively affects our capacity for:

• Visual Learning 
  This is our ability to recreate sensory information in our minds and create fresh thoughts. It’s vital for sparking our interest, igniting the parts of our brain that process information, and helping us navigate complex scenarios.  

• Staying in the moment
  This is the faculty which allows us to feel like we’re somewhere else. It’s how we achieve the sense of escape, like we’ve been transported elsewhere, away from our immediate surroundings. This is very useful for understanding information in various contexts, and allows us to transfer learning easily into our own world or workplace setting. 

• Feeling connected 
  The feeling of being connected with other minds, also called social presence. It’s what allows us to become submerged in the learning subject matter. 

• Pushing our limits
  Interactivity helps us push our minds to the limit to undertake a complex or challenging task because we’re motivated to do so, driven by enjoyment, pleasure or satisfaction. Flow is a key driver in pushing us forward. 

Interactivity positively effects our capacity for learning.

It’s clear that interactivity plays a huge role in the way content is interpreted.  All of the above areas will impact a learner’s openness and behaviour, which ultimately leads to change. This change is commonly seen as new skills, knowledge, behaviours and attitudes - and it should be the goal of any piece of learning content.

The right kind and amount of interactivity can lead to attitude and behaviour change - which means real learning outcomes and therefore real business outcomes. 

So what types of interactivity are the best for stimulating maximum learner engagement? 

• Scenarios with learner decision points
  Giving learners plenty of realistic scenarios, using imagery and relatable characters that present various viewpoints will allow learners to feel safe exploring the consequences and outcomes of their decisions. Including multiple decision points along their journey keeps the learner in flow and propels them towards their learning goals.

• Relevant, well placed knowledge checks
  Knowledge checks have an important role to play in elearning as they provide an opportunity for the learner to check in with their understanding of the content. Knowledge checks should be relevant to the immediate content being covered, should be written for the audience and should never be tricky. They’re a great tool to provide feedback and help learners realign any misconceptions they have about the content - just make sure all feedback is accurate and respectful. 

• Select and reveal knowledge hierarchies
  ‘Select and reveal’ activities can take almost any shape and can lend huge support to learner understanding, especially when information is subject to a knowledge hierarchy. Knowledge hierarchy is a process where one step comes before the other, and where learners benefit from more time to process the volume of information, such as when they are exploring a chart. 

• Pull learning models
  Pull learning models are learning designs which encourage learners to seek out the information they want and need as they progress through the learning journey. This, by its very nature, results in the learner clicking various areas and objects to collect what they need before progressing. Pull learning models are great for motivating adult learners and encourage a sense of autonomy and control. 

Deciding on suitable interactivities is part of the learning design process and should be based on your learning objectives and your audience. Working with elearning experts will help you identify the right timing and format of interactivities to help your learners get the most from the content.

Do you have an elearning project you want help with? 

We specialise in developing custom elearning courses. Our mission is to build better elearning that drives better business so you can develop skills and knowledge where you need it most.

Sounds good? Get in touch via 1300 086 692 or send us an email.