Why is interactivity important in education?
One reason is that interactivity is particularly compatible with established psychological models of learning and the central tenets of adult learning theory.2 In particular, constructivist principles help account for the importance of interactivity in distance education. (Constructivism is the view that knowledge is “constructed” by the learner by testing ideas, concepts and approaches based on existing knowledge and one’s actively acquired experiences, and that knowledge is not merely acquired passively. Constructivist theory holds that students learn best when students actively participate in problem-solving and critical thinking while involved in an appropriately formulated learning activity, and that this learning involves the integration of newly acquired knowledge with pre-existing intellectual constructs. For a Website offering extensive discussions on constructivism see http://curriculum.calstatela.edu/faculty/psparks/theorists/501const.htm). Experts in adult learning also arg
