Why is interactivity important?
Interactivity is crucial to effective communications, as it gives presenters valuable real-time feedback to material they are presenting. For example, by asking participants to respond to a question or quiz, the presenter can instantly determine the degree to which students understand the material. Interactivity also allows students to ask questions and share ideas with their peers and the presenter, which helps to boost student attention level and interest. Research consistently suggests that interactivity plays an essential role in increasing student engagement and motivation. Organizations that rely upon highly interactive e-Learning have also reported that participants often perceive the learning experience as if they were getting individual attention and training, despite the distance. As a result, the quality of learning and level of retention are enhanced.
You have active involvement, learners are engaged (learning). The instructor can call on anyone so no learner can hide, no one is “safe” and they pay attention. It doesn’t require self-motivated learner, there are no “dead ends”. If the learner needs help, they can ask instructor for direction. They also can’t disengage without someone knowing. Seeing the real results of a class, allows the instructor to “pace” content properly. Most importantly, learning occurs beyond the instructor & material by sharing the experience of others.
It is important for two reasons: It provides users with a stake in your brand and their use of the site, and it generates so much traffic and site engagement that it dramatically improves a site’s revenue position. Let’s look at the traffic proposition first. There are plenty of examples, but a good one is a site designed to mirror an actual newspaper: The Huffington Post. While The Huffington Post generates a lot of traffic from provocative and politically-charged articles, the majority of the actual site engagement goes on in the lengthy conversations (and arguments!) going on under the actual columns themselves. It is not unusual for a Huffington Post article to generate hundreds of comments. Each single comment is not only an individual putting his or her personal statement on the site (which is powerful in and of itself), but is also a massive boost in terms of page views and individual engagement on the site. Take away the interactivity, and the Huffington Post’s revenue position
