Why Use Learning Technology? | Course Design | Building Interactivity | Facilitating Online Discussions | Assessment and Evaluation

Educational Technology Resources

Building Interactivity

A central key to effective online course development is the notion of interactivity.

Interactivity may be viewed in terms of 3 components:

1. Interactivity amongst students

This type of interactivity may be found through learning activities associated with:

• Discussion groups
• Chat Discussions
• Group Projects
• Peer Editing and Feedback
• Participation in Global Communities

2. Interactivity between students and the professor

Opportunities for student to teacher communication include:

• Welcome e-mail
• Teacher responses to discussion board postings
• Online chat office hours
• Ongoing interaction with individual students

3. Interactivity with course materials

Interactivity with course materials involves strategies designed to:

• Engage the learner
• Provide for time on task. That is, the learner applies the learning in some way
• Provide learner feedback.