--- title: 10 Activity Ideas to Enhance Interaction in Your Online Course description: Explore interactive activities you can create with our tools to enhance interaction and keep students immersed and engaged in your courses. image: https://blog.openlearning.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/blog-july-1artboard-2-copy2x.png --- [![OpenLearning Logo](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5f6fb7cbdbe1b69641ddf9fe/5f71c1cd44fb7b7354aed8e9_Open%20Learning%20Logo.webp)](https://blog.openlearning.com) - Educators - Get Inspired Curated content to help you create, market and deliver world-class education. - [Beginner Course Creators](https://blog.openlearning.com/openlearning-blog-beginner-course-creators?hsLang=en) - [Employee Onboarding and Training](https://blog.openlearning.com/onboarding-training?hsLang=en) - [Marketing Your Course](https://blog.openlearning.com/marketing?hsLang=en) ![icon-1](https://blog.openlearning.com/hubfs/Images/icon-1.png) - [Downloadable Resources](https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/bufc4bjkqmflegwai5t3s/ADOkkCFNU1LsxShHdPOz7ss?rlkey=e0ne00og4hp6ux1ut6wvomh9l&st=zfyrc58o&dl=0) Templates to help you plan and manage your online course project. ![Nav_Icon_2](https://blog.openlearning.com/hubfs/Images/Nav_Icon_2.svg) ![external-link-alt-regular](https://blog.openlearning.com/hubfs/Images/external-link-alt-regular.svg) - [Workshops and Webinars](https://solutions.openlearning.com/events?hsLang=en) Browse upcoming events and access on-demand webinars. ![Nav_Icon_3](https://blog.openlearning.com/hubfs/Images/Nav_Icon_3.svg) ![external-link-alt-regular](https://blog.openlearning.com/hubfs/Images/external-link-alt-regular.svg) - [Lifelong Learners](https://blog.openlearning.com/learners?hsLang=en) - [Product Updates](https://blog.openlearning.com/tag/updates) - [Subscribe](https://blog.openlearning.com/#hs_cos_wrapper_module_1623683371629468) [Try it for free](https://solutions.openlearning.com/contact/sales?hsLang=en) ![search icon](https://blog.openlearning.com/hubfs/Images/search-regular-icon.svg) [Try it for free](https://solutions.openlearning.com/contact/sales?hsLang=en) # 10 Activity Ideas to Enhance Interaction in Your Online Course By [David Collien](https://blog.openlearning.com/author/david-collien) min read Share ### Contents - 1. Create or construct, and share or exhibit - 2. Create or do, and then compare or cluster - 3. Reciprocal teaching - 4. Discover and share - 5. Append or extend discourse - 6. Crowd curation, approval, feedback & peer review - 7. Crowdsource - 8. Contribute or integrate and combine ideas or collaboratively edit - 9. Pass it on or take a turn - 10. Role play 434 Continuing the topic [on how to create a thriving social community on OpenLearning](https://blog.openlearning.com/tips-to-build-thriving-social-community?hsLang=en), this week, I will discuss activities that course creators can initiate to enhance interactivity in their course. Online learning systems have traditionally entirely relied on submission drop-boxes or quiz-like assessments. The future of instructional design, or learning design, looks very different. More advanced systems have started to introduce isolated interactive experiences with simulations and virtual environments. While this is all possible on OpenLearning, [the platform takes an additional step of encouraging teachers to create activities that facilitate community interaction.](https://blog.openlearning.com/tips-to-build-thriving-social-community?hsLang=en) You can incorporate activities that provide interactive collaboration and sharing with the tools provided to keep students immersed and engaged in your courses. Sounds too good to be true? Here are some activity ideas to actually make this happen:   ## 1. Create or construct, and share or exhibit (an activity that encourages self-expression) Example: Build something and exhibit it. Experience something and share it. ![openlearning_createandshare_example](https://blog.openlearning.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/openlearning_createandshare_example.png?width=1000&height=1051&name=openlearning_createandshare_example.png)   ## 2. Create or do, and then compare or cluster Example: Build something and then categorise it with things others have built. Discuss pros and cons of each others contributions. Compete, achieve recognition, then help others. Note that we refer to competition that fosters an attitude of helping each other to achieve new heights, rather than pitting against each other.   ## 3. Reciprocal teaching Example: Teach each other something. Let a student teach a topic.   ## 4. Discover and share Example: Find something interesting and show it to the rest similar to a show-and-tell.![openlearning_discoverandshare_example](https://blog.openlearning.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/openlearning_discoverandshare_example.png?width=1000&height=583&name=openlearning_discoverandshare_example.png) ## 5. Append or extend discourse Example: Write the next part of a story, continue off from where someone else left off.   ## 6. Crowd curation, approval, feedback & peer review Example: Decide on favourite examples, praise what’s good about what each other has shared.   ## 7. Crowdsource Example: Collect people’s experiences on an issue/scenario.![openlearning_crowdsource_example](https://blog.openlearning.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/openlearning_crowdsource_example.png?width=1000&height=523&name=openlearning_crowdsource_example.png)   ## 8. Contribute or integrate and combine ideas or collaboratively edit Example: Write resources or a textbook together or brainstorm and then compare/filter the ideas.   ## 9. Pass it on or take a turn Example: Find someone to show your thing to, they do something to it, and give it to someone else.   ## 10. Role play Example: Take on a persona, act out a scenario together.![ezgif-5-6927c04913](https://blog.openlearning.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/ezgif-5-6927c04913.gif?width=800&height=491&name=ezgif-5-6927c04913.gif)   Active learning experiences that are fun and meaningful are key to not only engaging your students, but also transforming them. This will not only result in happier, motivated students but will also lead to increased completion and engagement rates within your online course. *Have you applied one or two of these methods in your course? Share your experience in the comment sections below!*   [![Boost your learning design skillset with us today. 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Don’t forget to share it! ### Recommended Resources May 7, 2026 ### [The Making of NSW’s Digital Athlete Program by Learning Plan](https://blog.openlearning.com/the-making-of-nsws-digital-athlete-program-by-learning-plan?hsLang=en) [Continue Reading ![right arrow](https://blog.openlearning.com/hubfs/Images/arrow-right-icon.png)](https://blog.openlearning.com/the-making-of-nsws-digital-athlete-program-by-learning-plan?hsLang=en) April 2, 2026 ### [What Changes When Course Teams Streamline Build And Delivery](https://blog.openlearning.com/what-changes-when-course-teams-streamline-build-and-delivery?hsLang=en) [Continue Reading ![right arrow](https://blog.openlearning.com/hubfs/Images/arrow-right-icon.png)](https://blog.openlearning.com/what-changes-when-course-teams-streamline-build-and-delivery?hsLang=en) March 16, 2026 ### [Online Learning Engagement Starts With the Right Course Design](https://blog.openlearning.com/how-ai-enhances-student-engagement-in-online-learning?hsLang=en) [Continue Reading ![right arrow](https://blog.openlearning.com/hubfs/Images/arrow-right-icon.png)](https://blog.openlearning.com/how-ai-enhances-student-engagement-in-online-learning?hsLang=en) ## Get more resources in your inbox ![back to top button](https://blog.openlearning.com/hubfs/Images/back-to-top.png) Company - [About us](https://solutions.openlearning.com/about) - [Team](https://solutions.openlearning.com/team) - [Careers](https://solutions.openlearning.com/careers) - [Press](https://solutions.openlearning.com/press) - [Blog](https://blog.openlearning.com) - [Investors](https://solutions.openlearning.com/investor-center) - [Contact](https://solutions.openlearning.com/contact) Use cases - [Case studies](https://solutions.openlearning.com/case-studies) - [Professional development](https://solutions.openlearning.com/internal-learning-development) - [MOOCs](https://solutions.openlearning.com/moocs) Platform - [Features](https://solutions.openlearning.com/platform-features) - [Philosophy](https://solutions.openlearning.com/learning-philosophy) - [Pricing](https://solutions.openlearning.com/pricing) - [Course marketplace](https://www.openlearning.com/courses/) - [Partners](https://www.openlearning.com/partners/) Support - [Learning Design](https://solutions.openlearning.com/learning-design-services) - [Marketing](https://solutions.openlearning.com/marketing-services) - [Help & support](https://help.openlearning.com/) - [Research](https://solutions.openlearning.com/research) - [Events](https://solutions.openlearning.com/events) - [Learning Designers' Toolkit](https://medium.com/learning-designers-toolkit) - [COVID-19](https://solutions.openlearning.com/covid-19) Resources - [OpenCreds](https://solutions.openlearning.com/opencreds) - [BEST Network](https://www.best.edu.au/) - [UNSW Transition Programme Online](https://www.unswcollege.edu.au/study/foundation-studies-overview) - [CS101](https://www.cs101.com/) Follow us on social media ![Follow OpenLearning on LinkedIn](https://blog.openlearning.com/hubfs/5f71dd6a12c4ea5089f6ffe6_linkedin.svg) [![Follow OpenLearning on Instagram](https://blog.openlearning.com/hubfs/5f71dd6ba85b924388d32db2_instagramm.svg)](https://www.linkedin.com/company/openlearningcom/) [![Follow OpenLearning on Facebook](https://blog.openlearning.com/hubfs/5f71dd6aa7133903129695ee_facebook.svg)](https://www.instagram.com/openlearning_global) [![Follow OpenLearning on Twitter](https://blog.openlearning.com/hubfs/5f71dd6a96a9290ccd6928af_twitter.svg)](https://facebook.com/OpenLearning) © 2026 OpenLearning Limited (ASX: OLL) - [Terms of service](https://solutions.openlearning.com/terms-of-service) - [Privacy policy](https://solutions.openlearning.com/privacy-policy) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "David Collien", "url" : "https://blog.openlearning.com/author/david-collien" }, "dateModified" : "2022-08-30T03:29:53.901Z", "datePublished" : "2018-07-05T04:00:43.000Z", "headline" : "10 Activity Ideas to Enhance Interaction in Your Online Course", "image" : [ "https://blog.openlearning.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/blog-july-1artboard-2-copy2x.png" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://blog.openlearning.com/activity-ideas-enhance-interaction", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://blog.openlearning.com/hubfs/OpenLearning-Logo.png" }, "name" : "OpenLearning" } } ```