Angela Britcher 7 March 2024

Traditional online training formats can often feel like staring at a wall of text. This passive learning experience leads to disengaged participants and lower knowledge retention. Learning and development professionals know they need to engage and delight their learners. We have four practical ideas to infuse your training with fun and engagement to help learners retain the information and enjoy their experience.

Gamification: Level Up Your Learning!

Tip 1: Align with Learning Objectives: Don’t just throw in points and badges for the sake of it. Ensure your gamification elements directly connect to your learning objectives. Award points for completing key modules, mastering skills through challenges, or participating in discussions.
Tip 2: Create a Clear Path to Success: Establish a clear point system, leaderboard, and badge criteria. Learners should understand how their actions contribute to their progress and how they can “win” the game.

Simulations and Scenarios: Put Theory into Practice

Tip 1: Design Realistic Scenarios: Craft scenarios that mirror real-world situations learners might encounter in their jobs. This allows them to apply their knowledge and practice decision-making skills in a safe and controlled environment.
Tip 2: Offer Multiple Choice Points: Incorporate branching options within the scenario, allowing learners to choose their course of action and face the subsequent consequences. This fosters critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

Branching Scenarios: Personalized Learning Journeys

Tip 1: Cater to Different Learning Styles: Offer various learning paths based on learners’ initial assessments or choices within the scenario. This personalizes the learning experience and caters to individual needs and preferences.
Tip 2: Provide Immediate Feedback: Integrate feedback loops within the branching scenarios. After each choice, offer learners immediate feedback on the impact of their decisions, reinforcing learning and guiding them toward successful outcomes.

Interactive Quizzes and Polls: Make Assessments Engaging

Tip 1: Go Beyond Multiple Choice: Utilize diverse question formats like drag-and-drop, matching, or open-ended responses to keep learners actively involved in the assessment process.
Tip 2: Leverage Instant Results and Feedback: Provide immediate feedback on quiz and poll results. This allows learners to gauge their understanding, identify areas requiring improvement, and reinforce their learning in real time.

Edusity offers a range of interactive activities that can transform your online training into an engaging and dynamic experience. By incorporating these interactive activities into your Edusity courses, you can transform your online training from static to dynamic, fostering learner engagement, boosting knowledge retention, and, ultimately, driving better learning outcomes.