Abstract: Interactive multimedia learning environments incorporate interactive features, such as questioning, through which questions are posed to students and feedback is delivered on their answers. An experiment was conducted comparing two forms of questioning. The participants learned about geology with a multimedia environment that included questioning episodes. In the interactive questioning condition, the participants were presented with the question, chose an answer from a set of three options, and got the corresponding feedback. In the noninteractive questioning condition, the participants were presented with the same question and options, but they were not required to make a choice; instead, they were exposed to the feedback for each option. In a control condition, the participants received statements equivalent to those in the question and feedback. After learning with the environment, the participants took retention and transfer tests. The results in retention and transfer showed that the participants in the interactive condition outperformed those in the control and the noninteractive conditions, who did not differ from each other. This finding means that participation is critical for questioning to work effectively. This has implications for the design of learning environments.
