Road Map to Create Interactive Digital Content for K–12

Content delivery plays a major role in how students approach and absorb a topic. There are plenty of options when it comes to digital content development for K–12. Besides knowing the objectives, required topics, and resources, incorporating engaging interactive elements to provide two-way communication ensures active student participation.

Steps to create interactive K–12 content

Interactive content for K–12 need not be complex animations and simulations. It can be as simple as adding a few questions at the end of a lesson.

1. Create a road map: Align the topics with the desired outcomes, with links to resources and assessments. This will evolve into interactive lessons after multiple improvements.

2. Identify the space for interactive content: Source content from reputable resources. Real-life scenarios and examples make the content more relatable. Outline the content, and select topics for interactivity. Each lesson starts with an introduction and achieves one or more learning objectives.

3. Determine the length and path: Chunk the lessons based on the learning objectives, focusing on one microlesson at a time to make it easy to consume. Determine the time taken to complete each chunk, taking factors like text length, multimedia length, frequency of assessments, and navigation into account. Many learning management systems allow an adaptive release of lessons, where the student has to complete or score above a certain mark to open the next lesson. Imagine students answering a few questions after a lesson. If they answer correctly, they progress to the next lesson. If not, they are redirected to the lesson or to an alternate remedial path to help with the topic.

4. Incorporate interactivity: Add check-for-understanding questions and application-based assessments. Students need to be active in their learning process and click, choose, or answer every now and then. Allowing them to arrive at the correct answer and permitting multiple attempts will foster self-learning and motivate them to learn more.

5. Accessibility: Any online content needs to be accessible to all. Provide permissions for assistive technologies, and include transcripts, captions, and alternate text for all lessons. Revise and improve with student and teacher feedback.

Benefits of interactive content

The eLearning industry is dynamic and has great scope for improvement. In the current digital world, students can access mobile-friendly digital content from anywhere. Interactive content can make learning a fun mobile activity. Interactive content sees 52.6 percent more engagement than static content. It accommodates different learning styles, with individual learner paths and higher retention rates. Interactive quizzes and games act as formative assessments in understanding a student’s progress. The granulation of topics and addition of interactive elements rejuvenate students’ attention for every new chunk of content. It promotes collaboration and cooperation among students. Content developers can offer data analytics tools that help educators track student progress through interactive assessments and provide individual attention.

One of Amnet’s clients is a renowned eLearning solutions provider that sought Amnet’s help in repurposing and building on their online content for the US high school biology curriculum with a comprehensive set of microlessons. Read the case study to know how Amnet helped a renowned eLearning solutions provider craft engaging microlessons for interactive learning.

Sources

 https://ctl.wiley.com/creating-interactive-content/ 

https://medium.com/@therohit.shah1999/5-tips-for-publishers-to-create-successful-k12-ebooks-in-2024-c00838eff94f 

https://www.mediafly.com/blog/state-of-interactive-content-in-2022/ https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/harnessing-interactive-content-why-use-what-benefits-sunday-oladokun/

https://research.com/education/interactive-learning-statistics

https://amnet.com/thought-leadership/case-study/how-amnet-helped-renowned-elearning-solutions-provider-craft-engaging-microlessons-interactive-learning 

https://amnet.com/the-role-of-content-development-in-k12-learning-solutions