Determining format and delivery method

Once we’ve established the goals for an interactive project, we can determine the best format to achieve them.

We’ll take several things into consideration to decide on a final format:

• Goals - First and foremost, does the format serve the goals we established in the first step? If a key project goal is to provide asynchronous content for a flipped classroom model, for example, a self-paced interactive module may work to serve that content. But if fostering group work is the aim, other collaborative tools would be more appropriate.

• Content - For instructional interactives, the content itself will play a role. Is the content best conveyed visually, through text, or interactively? For many projects, multiple modalities will likely be useful, and it will be important to choose a format that can support them all.

• Time and resources - Some types of interactive are fairly well established. Some tools to create formative assessments, for example, provide tools with fixed layouts that can be implemented quickly. Others require a more bespoke design that will require iteration and careful collaboration with a learning design team. These more ambitious projects allow more room for innovation, but need to be carefully scoped to account for the resources that will be needed to complete them–including your time as a subject matter expert.

• Reusability - Does an interactive module need to be easily updated or reused in future iterations of your course or in related courses? If so, it may inform the format.

• Integration with course content - Will the interactive be used independently, or in a larger course? If independently, does it need to allow for grading and assessment? And in a larger course, how with the content of the interactive be reinforced elsewhere in teaching?

Based on an evaluation of these criteria, we’ll advise on a format that makes sense for your project. The list below summarizes many of the most common formats and use cases, but for a more detailed portfolio with examples, check out the Common interactive formats section.