Keeping learners engaged in elearning with a limited number of interaction types is always a challenge. To make courses more engaging and give our customers more ways to solve problems, it is good to occasionally push the boundaries and try something different. In response to an E-Learning Heroes community challenge, I chose to make a simple 3 slide interaction in a pro/con list format. It allows the learner to enter some basic information about their dilemma, move forward to drill down on the potential pros and cons of their decision, and finally view the results. Problem solved!
3-Step Interaction
Breaking this into 3 steps allows the learner to first think about their overarching problem first and document some thoughts about the general overview of it. Second, they are able to focus on brainstorming ideas in either the “Pro” or “Con” column with all of their focus on that area. Each side is blocked off when working on the other to focus thinking on only that topic. Lastly, the final slide recaps their ideas so that they are able to visually see all of their thought processes and have a more simplified view of their problem in order to make a final decision.
Application of the Pro/Con or T-Chart Activity
After creating the demo and gathering some feedback, my colleagues and I discussed some additional use cases for this type of interaction.
- Anchor Activity: Perhaps a learner is beginning a course that they have little knowledge about. This type of interaction could be used as an anchor in gathering what they know about the content and revisiting their score as they move through the course.
- Action Plan: Presenting a two column list could be useful in creating an action plan for future use or the gathering of feedback from multiple learners at the end of a session with a print or email button. This could also be a helpful activity to get learners thinking about the pros and cons of applying what they’ve just learned into specific situations in their job.
- KWL Chart: A simple graphic organizer with categories tracking what a learner already knows (K), wants to know (W), and has learned (L) could also be applied at the beginning and end of a course.
You can try the interactive pro/con list.
If you want to try your hand at something similar, you can download the Storyline interaction. If you try this interaction in a course, I’d love to hear about it in the comment.
Creating dynamic elearning that is both engaging for the learners and effective when compared to your learning objectives can be a tricky art form. If you have an elearning project on the horizon and if you have some time in the next week or two, drop us a line and let’s grab virtual coffee! Maybe we can bounce some ideas around, or maybe there’s a way we can help you in your elearning development!
