What is Edovo’s definition of active learning content (aka courses, interactive resources, surveys)?
You’ve got a full-blown curriculum, a survey you carefully designed with a university, or a ‘zine you’d like folks to interact with. Amazing. But now what?
On Edovo, not all content is created (or uploaded) the same way. This article focuses on active learning—resources that invite learners to engage by engaging with numerous multimedia elements, completing a quiz, or typing a reflection to a prompt. If your content doesn’t include any of those elements, it’s likely a passive resource, and you’ll want to click here to learn more about passive learning resources.
Your Cheat Sheet for This Article
Active learning means learners engage with the content—think quizzes, open response questions, pre- or post-assessments, or knowledge checks.
There are three active learning formats on Edovo: Courses, Interactive Resources, and Surveys.
Courses: Structured learning experiences with multimedia content, clear objectives, multiple lessons, graded assessments, and tracked progress. Learners earn certificates, and courses appear on their transcript.
Interactive Resources: Short-form, flexible content like a quick quiz after a video or an open-ended prompt after a newsletter. There’s no formal curriculum or certificate, but learners still engage with the material—and it shows up on their transcript.
Surveys: Tools for gathering learner feedback, reflections, or preferences. These aren’t instructional, but they’re valuable for insight and improvement. They appear on the transcript, but no certificate is awarded.
If your content doesn’t ask the Learner to do anything, it probably fits the passive resource category.
Active learning content can be organized into series. Click here to learn how.
What Am I Uploading, Anyway?
Before you rush to turn everything you’ve ever created into a course just to get it uploaded—pause. Take a breath. On Edovo, format matters, and choosing the right one will save you time and make your content more impactful.
Each content type on our platform serves a different purpose and follows a different upload process. While we’ll cover publishing, screening, and what an item is in more detail in other articles (linked here for your convenience!), this section focuses on one key question:
Which type of active learning format best matches your content—and how can you be sure you’ve chosen the right format based on your goals?
Let’s walk through the three active formats available on Edovo, and how to choose the best one based on your goals. The first step is to ask yourself, “How do I want learners to engage with my content?”
Active Learning Format: Courses
Courses are structured, multi-lesson educational experiences built around clearly defined learning objectives. Each course guides learners through a progressive, scaffolded sequence of lessons designed to build knowledge and skills over time. The curriculum is grounded in adult learning theory and instructional design best practices.
Courses include interactive components such as
Knowledge checks
Open-ended reflections
Graded assessments
Pre- and post-tests
Multimedia elements (videos, audios, text, images, documents)
All of these elements, when structured within a scaffolded curriculum, reinforce learning and long-term retention. Learner progress is tracked throughout, and upon completion, learners earn certificates and see the course reflected on their Edovo transcript.
If a stand-alone resource is a slice of pizza—quick, satisfying, and self-contained—and an interactive resource is a bag of trail mix—portable and engaging with a mix of elements, a course?
That’s the five-star tasting menu.
You’re not just giving someone a fish. You’re teaching them how to catch it, clean it, season it, and host a dinner party with it. This is where your teaching chops shine.
Click here to learn more about courses.
Active Learning Format: Interactive Resource
In Edovo terms, interactive resources are short, single-topic learning experiences that prompt engagement. Learners may respond to open-ended questions, complete a quick quiz, or type a reflection based on what they’ve just watched, read, or heard.
It is the trail mix bag of learning. It’s hands-on, flexible, and meant to be explored—not consumed all at once. Unlike courses, it’s not built on a structured curriculum, and unlike stand-alone resources, it gives the learner something to interact with. There are no formal learning objectives or graded assessments, but the act of responding turns information into insight—and gives the learner a chance to connect more personally with the content.
Think of interactive resources as snackable experiences with a twist. They don’t track progress. They don’t assess knowledge. But they do prompt active thinking, personal connection, and reflection that learners type into the interactive resource.
Pro Tip:
Interactive resources are a gateway to deeper engagement. They’re lightweight but powerful—perfect for helping learners reflect, reset, or relate a concept to their own life without diving into a deep, robust curriculum.
Click here to learn more about interactive resources.
Active Learning Format: Surveys
In Edovo terms, a survey is a tool for listening, not teaching.
Surveys are a powerful tool for gathering de-identified information about incarcerated learners’ opinions, experiences, behaviors, and demographic characteristics. It’s not designed to deliver content or assess progress—it’s designed to capture insights, experiences, and perspectives from learners.
They appear on the learner transcript (like all items), but they do not result in a certificate or grade.
Think of them like the “How was your meal?” slip at the end of dinner: they don’t add calories, but they do add value.
Click here to learn more about surveys.
Pro Tip:
Surveys are your go-to method for gathering de-identified learner insights at a national scale. If you're conducting research, validating your program, or just trying to better understand your audience—surveys can give you the data you need.
Want to understand learner needs before launching a program? Run a survey.
Need data for a funding report or impact study? Use a survey to measure outcomes.
Trying to validate your curriculum? A well-designed survey can surface what’s working—and what’s not.
Remember: Surveys don’t teach. They reveal.
Wrapping Up: What Format Fits Your Content?
Now, you’ve got a clear answer. Whether it’s a course built for skill-building, an interactive resource designed for quick engagement, or a survey meant to listen and learn—each format serves a purpose.
Understanding the difference ensures your content connects, gets approved faster, and delivers the impact you intended.
If your content doesn’t ask learners to respond in any way, that’s okay—it likely belongs in our passive learning category.
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