Interactive Training Videos: How to Turn Viewing into Decision-Making

Have you ever been told to add a poll to a Zoom training to “make it more interactive”?

As if giving people a question to respond to at the beginning or end of a webinar would transform the learning experience.

People often equate interactivity with engagement, and therefore “good training.” But adding buttons to click or something to swipe doesn’t change learning outcomes.

What’s the difference between interactivity and engagement?

I often see the terms interactivity and engagement used interchangeably. It’s easy to slip (I’ve certainly done it), so let’s make sure we’re aligned.

Interactivity is about the structure of the learning experience. It's observable actions like clicking through a scenario or answering a question.

Engagement is about what’s happening in someone’s head while they go through the training. It’s the degree to which they’re processing and applying what they’re learning.

A course can ask for clicks or choices without requiring much thought or connecting to real decisions. But when interactivity is designed well, it creates the conditions for engagement. It gives people a reason to think, decide, and apply what they’re learning in context.

That’s the difference. One is how the experience is built. The other is what it produces.

What makes a training video interactive?

A training video is interactive when the learner is prompted to do something. That could mean making a decision, answering a question, or sharing feedback.

Interactivity exists on a spectrum. On one end, you might have a single interaction point, such as a knowledge check at the end of a microlearning. On the other end, you might have a branching scenario, where each decision leads to a different outcome and feedback is provided along the way.

There is no “right” number of interactions in a training video. One intentionally placed interaction can transform a training, while too many interaction points can start to work against it.

How do you decide where to add interactivity?

If you're unsure where interactivity belongs in a training video, start by stepping back and identifying the desired outcome.

After watching this video, what should someone be able to do differently? And how will you measure that change?

Once that outcome is clear, you can use it to decide what kind of interaction makes sense. The table below can help guide that decision.

What good interactive training video looks like

Once you've identified where interactivity supports your outcomes, the next step is to pilot it in your training. This means making sure the experience is actually driving the measurable impact you’ve defined.

In customer support training, for example, a learner might be shown a difficult conversation and asked how they would respond before seeing the outcome.

Take Avetta, a global leader in supply chain risk management. Their platform helps companies manage risk, improve safety, and enhance performance. They transformed their approach to onboarding and just-in-time learning for support agents (read more below).

Through interactive scenarios, learners see what a good resolution looks like in context and can repeat or practice until they feel comfortable. This is especially important for new hires building confidence and for employees developing new competencies in a safe space where feedback doesn’t impact the business.

How to create interactive training videos

With AI-powered video tools, it’s easier to generate a draft, review it scene by scene, and build in moments where someone needs to respond.

That flexibility makes it easier to shape interactivity as you build and refine it before rolling the training out more broadly.

Here’s how to get started.

1. Start with a place where something isn’t working
   Look for a moment in your training where people struggle to apply what they’ve learned. This might be a step that’s often done incorrectly, a situation where people hesitate, or a decision that leads to repeated mistakes.
2. Define the outcome
   Complete this sentence: After watching this video, [role] should be able to [complete a specific task] in [context], without [common errors or support].
3. Generate a first draft using existing materials
   Once the outcome is defined, use what you already have. A slide deck, a transcript, or an SOP can all serve as a starting point for an AI video generator tool.
4. Iterate at the scene level
   Work through the video one scene at a time. Refine the flow, adjust the tone, and make sure each moment connects back to the task.
5. Add interaction where it supports the outcome
   Focus on moments where someone needs to respond or make a decision
6. Publish and track usage
   Share the training through your LMS or internal tools so people can access it as part of their workflow.

At this point, you should have a working draft of your training to pilot.
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Use a template to structure your training

Templates are another way to get started. They give you a structure to build on, especially when you're shaping scenarios, decisions, and outcomes for the first time.

Synthesia offers a range of interactive training video templates built around common interaction patterns, which you can adapt to your specific training.

Note: There are a range of tools available depending on how you want to create and deliver training, from AI video platforms to screen recording tools and enterprise systems. If you want a deeper breakdown of options, you can explore our guide to training video production tools and companies.

How do you measure if it’s working?

Once you’ve created an interactive training video, you need to follow up to see if it’s effective.

Start by looking at how learners move through the experience. Are they engaging with the interaction points? Are they making thoughtful decisions, or moving through quickly?

From there, look at how well they’re responding. Are they choosing the right actions in context? Are they improving when given another chance to apply the same decision?

To track this, most teams publish interactive training through their LMS. If you export your video via SCORM, your LMS can capture completion, responses, and interaction data alongside the rest of your training.

Even without SCORM, you can still track how people engage with the video. Views, watch time, interaction clicks, and quiz responses can give you a sense of how the experience is being used.

The most important signal comes after the training. Are people applying what they’ve learned in real situations? Are errors decreasing? Are tasks being completed more consistently?

Come back to your north star. Can you measure the outcome you defined? If not, revisit how the interaction is designed.