Interact! With Online Learning
By James Kirk

Quality learning materials should be attractive, visual, and engaging. Here are some tips for locating and creating interactive exercises for your own projects.

Online instruction offers many options for content and delivery. As the novelty of learning on the Web wears off, though, using interactive materials in your online instruction becomes more important. No learner wants to read page after page of text, and reading a seemingly endless number of Webpages is not the most effective way for users to learn new concepts.

Materials that are interactive change in appearance or content in response to a user's actions. For example, a short movie plays when a learner clicks on a graphic. That's a very basic example; in recent years, JavaScripting and Java applets have brought more advanced interactivity to the Web. This chart lists examples of Webpages with interactivity levels ranging from none to basic to sophisticated.

What's the best way to bring interactivity to your Web-based learning? In many cases, you can find free online materials on the Web suited for your courses. Sometimes you'ill need to create your own materials. Either way, you have the power to enliven passive online instructional materials.

One of the most obvious starting points for finding interactive course materials is the major search engines, for example, Google or Yahoo. You can search for key words, such as games, tests, quizzes, and simulations, then add words like education, training, or interactive.

A second place to look for materials is other online courses, which can be found via search engines or through portals, such as Free Online Courses, Blackboard, Hungry Minds, and World Wide Learn. Many of the courses on these sites are free, but they should be examined on an individual basis. Read the information about each course carefully, and if you have questions, email the contact person or Webmaster.

A third place to look for interactive course materials is selected game and test sites. (See examples.) Many of these sites contain high-quality exercises that can be used without charge. For example, in Lemonade Stand, participants run a corner lemonade stand, learning the basics of supply and demand. As with all content, make sure the selected materials are directly related to your instructional objectives and field test them before using them with learners.

Trainers who have facilitated groups for any length of time know how much learners enjoy self-assessment exercises and tests. I've listed several Websites that host collections of useful and provocative interactive exercises. One site, Emode, is very high quality and it's free. Collectively, the sites compose a virtual library of assessments for almost any training occasion. For example, participants can take tests to help determine their I.Q or emotional age, whether they get enough sleep, and whether they're natural leaders. Many of the tests are statistically valid.

Before using online materials that someone else has created, always ask for permission. Email the contact person whose address appears on the homepage. If no such address appears, try emailing the Webmaster. Include the following information:

• the context in which you want to use the materials (for example, class, workshop, or training module)
• number of participants
• whether this is a one-time or continuous use of the materials
• whether materials will be used online or whether they'll be printed out
• whether the materials will be edited and if so, how
• how you plan to reference the author
• whether anyone is making a profit from your use of the materials.

Making your own exercises

If you can't locate appropriate ready-made exercises on the Web and you aren't fortunate enough to have a team of technical experts to create online exercises for you, you may need to bite the bullet and make your own interactive activities. There are several software programs that you can use; here are three to consider. Trial versions of each can be downloaded from the Websites.

• The Hot Potatoes suite includes six applications, enabling you to create interactive multiple-choice, short-answer, jumbled-sentence, crossword, matching, and gap-fill exercises for the Web. Hot Potatoes is easy to use, available in Windows and Mac formats, and free of charge to not-for-profit organizations.

• GameShow Pro enables you to design your own version of TV's Jeopardy, Family Feud, or Tic-Tac-Toe. You can input topics, questions, and answers. Numerous options let you determine the match length, set timers and point values, select basic or wacky sounds, and hide bonus questions. (Note: previous versions of GameShow Pro were not Web compatible.)
  
  
• Macromedia's Flash 5 helps users create interactive Web activities that run on low-bandwidth connections. The program does not require programming expertise, but it takes more time to create activities with Flash than with Hot Potatoes or GameShow Pro. In return, Flash allows you to create more diverse and advanced Web applications. Flash is becoming the default animation standard for the Web.

These Websites and software programs should help you offer learners more interesting and effective online experiences. Adding interactivity is one of the easiest and best ways to enliven your online training materials.

Dr. James J. Kirk is a professor of human resource development at Western Carolina University. He can be reached at kirk@wcu.edu.