Active learning strategies - get your learners actively participating

“Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.”
— Benjamin Franklin

Think back to the last, or most memorable mandatory training you completed. Whether it was delivered digitally or in person, do you remember how engaged you felt? Are there any topics or pieces of information you can recall? Why do you remember those above others?

Chances are that the information you can recall was the most relevant to you and/or delivered to you in an active format. So, what do we mean by active learning?

How to create active learning with purposeful design

Active learning doesn’t just happen – it’s the product of intentional, well-crafted instructional design. Beyond interactive activities, it requires thoughtful alignment with learning outcomes, learner needs and meaningful, real-world application. This is where expert instructional design becomes essential.

Effective learning experiences begin with clearly defined objectives: what learners should know, do or feel by the end. Instructional designers map these goals to strategies that actively engage learners. For example:

• If the goal is critical thinking, we might integrate case studies or decision-tree simulations.
• For collaboration, we design problem-solving tasks in small-group formats.
• To make ideas stick, we apply retrieval practice or peer teaching.

Each activity is selected and structured to support measurable outcomes, not just to "make it fun."

Equally important is understanding the target audience – their prior knowledge, skills, digital literacy – and the course delivery format (digital, blended or in-person). These insights guide the selection of the most appropriate tools and strategies to maximise engagement and accessibility. Passive content is either replaced or enriched with interactive, participatory tasks that promote active involvement.

To foster deeper learning, instructional design includes scaffolding: sequencing activities to gradually build confidence and complexity. Reflection prompts, checkpoints and feedback loops are integrated to encourage metacognition and help learners assess their progress.

Engaging learners in digital spaces

Online learning doesn’t need to be a one-way experience. Below are some effective ways to make digital learning more dynamic and impactful:

• Scenario-based learning – Present real-world situations for learners to analyse and solve, helping them apply knowledge practically.
• Branching simulations – Allow learners to make choices that lead to different outcomes, promoting critical thinking and decision-making.
• Reflection activities – Encourage learners to think about what they’ve learned and connect it to their own experiences for deeper understanding.
• Interactive quizzes and polls – Engage learners by testing knowledge and gathering opinions in real time, making learning more participatory.
• Gamification – Incorporate game elements like points and badges to motivate learners and make learning fun.
• Interactive videos with embedded questions – Use videos that pause for questions or tasks, keeping learners engaged and checking comprehension.
• Personalised learning paths based on learner input – Adapt content and activities to individual learner needs and preferences for a tailored experience.
• Live webinars and Q&A sessions – Provide real-time interaction with instructors, allowing learners to ask questions and engage directly.
• Discussion forums and peer involvement – Facilitate conversation and collaboration among learners to share ideas and learn from each other.