We like starting with definitions. Interaction has been defined as "mutual action between bodies". Well, interacting with a computer isn’t that much fun, but it does suggest that some type of information is delivered to your employees, and in return, they do something with their computer to learn it.

Employees receive specific feedback about their performance, and this feedback is an effective way to reinforce what you want them to learn.

There is an old Chinese proverb which speaks volumes about how people learn:

   “Tell me and I will forget,
show me and I may remember,
involve me and I will understand.”

Interaction is involvement. Involvement teaches.

We also like studies. Studies have shown that people generally remember 20% of what they see, 40% of what they see and hear, and 70% of what they see, hear, and do!

Types of interactivity? Essentially, interaction with a computer interface is quite limited: employees can click on objects, drag them from one spot to another, type in information, draw shapes…

Here are a few examples, from simple to more complex interactions. For each of these types of interaction, imagine the feedback provided to employees to be as specific as the training requires, based upon the employee’s answer, action, performance, whatever. Imagine also that, based upon their performance, employees can be returned to the specific learning area for remediation, if appropriate.

Types of Interactivity 

* simple question and response – a great deal can be accomplished by asking your employees questions about what they have just learned. These should cover small "chunks" of learning – an employee can generally hold around 3 or 4 new chunks of information in their minds, probably less.

Questions are easy to write, but good questions are those which trap common employee misconceptions. If detailed feedback is provided to employees based upon their specific responses, a lot of learning can take place here.

* complex question streams – instead of simple questions presented as an employee learns, there are often effective ways to stream an employee to different learning areas depending upon the response to a question. These may take a lot of time to develop, but they are often more representative of how an employee learns from life!

* decision-making in work processes – instead of answering questions, employees interact with a set of steps to complete a task. They can be asked to select the correct procedures to follow to complete a task correctly, by ranking, ordering, dragging objects, etc. It is important here to reflect as closely as possible the types of decisions employees make on their jobs – if there are points in which they would call a supervisor, or a help desk, these support tools need to be built into the interaction.

* process simulations – how can you create interactions which teach employees how to perform a process correctly by simulating it? Employees can work with an interactive "form" they must fill out properly, a software screen they must know how to operate or analyse, or a machine panel they must set up properly or monitor, just as they would on their jobs. These types of interactions are often an inexpensive alternative to providing the real thing for employees to practice on, and interactive process simulations provide constructive feedback!

* work simulations / case studies – this is perhaps the most difficult interaction to develop, but when done well, it can be a wonderful teaching tool. For employees who work in complex situations – selling, customer service, diagnosing problems – it is possible to set up simulated work environments, such as case studies. The use of media such as video and audio is helpful in creating a "real-job" environment, but it is perhaps more important to ensure that you provide employees with the supporting "tools" they need to make decisions which sell properly or resolve customer problems effectively.

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