Meryl's Notes Blog

When companies began implementing computer-based training (CBT) programs, they took advantage of the computer’s ability to be interactive with the learner. In the early ’90s, I worked with the government’s CBT training program. The classes used a mixture of interactivity and lecture (reading) along with the prerequisite pre- and post-tests. It proved successful.

CBT has been around and many courses developed. Some may have strayed from the purpose of the course and started implementing anything and everything interactive thinking the learner will walk around understanding it all. Not so according to E-Learning’s Stop Aiming for Interactivity!

The article hits all the right points. In my company, we’re required to take a training course on telecommunications rules (read: snore) every year. The last time I took it was an online version. It required reading parts of the policy and then answering questions based on what you just read. Ha. I’ve read this stuff every year and I still don’t remember much of it not even from the so-called interactive training. The course developers wrote complicated questions rather than keep it simple and memorable.

We’ve gotten to the point where we add interactivity for interactivity’s sake. The same problem we see when designers throwing flashy stuff and graphics for design’s sake. Hello? What is the purpose? Who is it for? I’d rather use a site that is simple and meets my needs than some whiz bang site that didn’t take needs into consideration.

Two of my favorite online stores are not fancy. In fact, one of them reeks of mid-’90s design with frames. They had already gained my trust and respect through their excellent customer service and friendly newsletters.

It’s time to return to basics. Make the instructional material compelling to read that the learner would want more or go off and search for more information to add to what he has learned. Keep games, questions, and any other interactive component relevant to the learning goals. Not all e-learning is bad. I’ve taken my share of online classes and have successfully applied them in the real world.