--- title: "Does Interactive Video Improve Learning? 9 Studies Graded — Wayflo" url: https://wayflo.com/blog/interactive-video-learning-research description: "I read 50+ papers on interactive video learning research and graded 9 key studies. What works, what’s proven, and what isn’t yet." lang: en --- ← All posts (https://wayflo.com/blog) # Does Interactive Video Actually Improve Learning? 9 Studies, Graded by Evidence Strength What the research proves, what it doesn’t, and how to build your course around it. Image: Justin Ferriman (https://wayflo.com/media/posts/8be32609-4b42-40ea-ab1b-ad23561b7ab8.jpg) Justin Ferriman · November 2, 2026 · 10 min read Image: interactive video learning research (https://wayflo.com/media/posts/64d0090a-3a62-49a3-8117-a530ca3ec271.png) Online platforms push you a new course every day. Almost everyone has the same pitch: launch this, and you're sorted. But should you do simple video courses, or they need an upgrade too? I've worked in this industry long enough to have an opinion. But opinions are cheap. So, I went down the rabbit hole, read 50+ research papers, and brought you scannable scientific evidence about video courses, beyond marketing hype. If you're on the fence about turning your video course into an interactive experience (https://wayflo.com/features), you should spend the next 5 minutes reading through. ## TL;DR: Should you use interactive videos as a course creator in 2026? Image: interactive-video-quiz-example (https://wayflo.com/media/posts/07380188-48c1-41c3-b197-547c8684c250.png) Here's how I'd build a course today, based on what I discovered when I read scientific papers (listed further below on this page): 1. **Ask a question every few minutes in your video course.** Short, specific, and tied to the key idea of that segment. Also, pause the video while the question is on screen. 2. **Use video as one ingredient.** Pair it with worksheets, practice tasks, community or live sessions. That's where the big "add-on" effect came from. 3. **Make people recall, not recognise, at least sometimes.** Mix multiple choice with short form answers. 4. **Bring interactions back later.** A quick quiz a day or a few days after the lesson is where testing effects are strongest. 5. **Ask about everything that matters.** Learners tend to remember what was questioned. If it's important, put a question on it. Not saying any of this based on what I feel, as I said before. Sharing all the evidence that led me to the above conclusions. ## 5 statistics (and many facts) about interactivity that marketing pages won't tell you I have no hate for marketing but sometimes real evidence gets buried deep under shiny copywriting. I got curious one day and came across the Haagsman et al. study in 2020 (https://dspace.library.uu.nl/bitstream/handle/1874/410482/Haagsman2020_Article_Pop_upQuestionsWithinEducation.pdf). It continued through 3 years at Utrecht and after reading through, I came across some interesting findings: Image: haagsman-fast-forwards-study (https://wayflo.com/media/posts/77f125cd-e5fc-4ef0-a100-19d088215852.png) - Students who watched with pop-up questions scored 79% on the video content test, versus 75% without (adjusted for prior exam grades). - Fast-forwarding dropped from a median of 5 to 0 per student. Rewinding overall dropped too (8 to 3), but rewinds spiked right after a question appeared. - 91% of students agreed the pop-up questions helped them study. These numbers got me hooked for a while, and I ended up reading all the papers I could find on the topic. Here are some more facts I came across: ### 74% of viewers who start a video course attempt an in-video quiz Many even jump back to the previous section before answering. This was determined as a part of Kovacs' study (https://dl.acm.org/doi/abs/10.1145/2876034.2876041) based on Coursera's Machine Learning course. **Pro Tip:** People use in-video quizzes at scale. Such in-video interactions increase the learner's engagement as they're hooked in answering questions one after another. This may lead to higher course completion rates. ### Taking a test beats restudying the same material I found a study by Adesope, Trevisan & Sundararajan (2017) (https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.3102/0034654316689306) where 15,000+ participants were analyzed during a practice testing meta analysis. Image: adesope-testing-vs-restudy (https://wayflo.com/media/posts/25877c1d-6868-4cec-bc5c-afca3cf15189.png) That's where I understood why **interactions like in-video questions work.** The study concluded that taking practice tests beats restudying the same material. There was a direct correlation where an average student who took a test beat about 70% of students who just restudied. The same study told me that **mixed format practice tests (like MCQs and short answers) were the most effective** for student learning. In plain words, making people pull information out of their heads beats showing it to them again. ### Videos with interactive tasks beat videos without them In 2024's a study by Ploetzner (https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11251-024-09693-5) in Interactive Learning Environments, found that **adding interactions other than just play and pause buttons beat normal tutorial/educational videos.** Ideas that mixed questions or tasks on screen enhanced the overall learning experience. I also discovered that a paused video during a question led to more attentive students, which in turn improved learning experience, which brings to my next finding. ### Quick tests during a lecture reduce mind wandering I also read about two related experiments at PNAS by **Szpunar, Khan and Schacter (2013)** (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3631699/)**.** They concluded that **students who got short quizzes between segments reported that their mind wandered less.** (19% vs 41% for students who didn't get short quizzes). Image: szpunar-mind-wandering-study-interactive-video (https://wayflo.com/media/posts/31852689-a426-4329-9c04-59bbd45ec9d3.png) Also, **the quizzed group scored 90% vs 76% for the restudy group** (who didn't get a quick test). The **students who were quizzed also took notes on 3x more slides** than the ones who didn't get a quiz. ## The studies I went through (and my understanding) Sharing the studies, research papers and all the material that led me to the above findings. Feel free to go through them, if you are curious. I've marked my grades in terms of how the study is relevant to understanding the effectiveness of interactive video in the elearning industry | **Study (year)** | **Where it happened** | **Design and sample** | **Key effect (g=effect size)*** | **What does it show?** | **Grade** | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Noetel et al. (2021): https://www.aera.net/Newsroom/Video-Improves-Learning-in-Higher-Education-A-Systematic-Review | Review of Educational Research | Systematic review and meta-analysis; 105 RCTs; 7,776 university students | Replacing teaching with video: g = 0.28. Adding video to teaching: g = 0.80 | Shows video helps, most as an add-on. Doesn't isolate interactivity; higher ed only | High | | Adesope, Trevisan & Sundararajan (2017): https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.3102/0034654316689306 | Review of Educational Research | Meta-analysis; 118 articles, 272 effect sizes; 15,427 participants | Practice tests vs restudy: g = 0.51; vs filler: g = 0.93; 1–6 day delay: g = 0.82 | Shows retrieval beats rewatching. | High | | Ploetzner (2024): https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11251-024-09693-5 | Interactive Learning Environments | Meta-analysis; 16 articles, 17 studies, 22 effect sizes | Enhanced interaction features in video: g = 0.52 | Shows in-video questions and tasks help on average. | Medium Medium-high | | Szpunar, Khan & Schacter (2013): https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3631699/ | PNAS | 2 lab experiments; 80 participants; 21-min lecture | Mind wandering 41% to 19%; final test 68% to 90%; notes on ~3x more slides | Shows interpolated quizzes boost attention and recall. | Medium | | Haagsman et al. (2020): https://dspace.library.uu.nl/bitstream/handle/1874/410482/Haagsman2020_Article_Pop_upQuestionsWithinEducation.pdf | J. Science Education & Technology | Several studies in a real flipped course over 3 years; up to 253 students per study | Test score 75% to 79%; median fast-forwards 5 to 0; 91% said questions helped | Shows a modest real-course gain and less skipping. | Medium | | Kovacs (2016): https://dl.acm.org/doi/abs/10.1145/2876034.2876041 | ACM Learning @ Scale | Viewing-log analysis, Coursera Machine Learning course | 74% of viewers who start a video attempt its quiz; backward seeks to review | Shows learners use in-video quizzes at scale. | Medium | | Beege & Ploetzner (2024): https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11251-024-09693-5 | Instructional Science | RCT, 2x2 design; 128 students; learning time held equal | No effect of prompts or navigation on retention or comprehension | Shows interactivity isn't automatically better once time is equal. | Medium | | van der Meij & Böckmann (2021): https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12528-020-09263-x | J. Computing in Higher Education | RCT; 40 students; recorded lecture | More watch time and replays; gain limited to the questioned item | Shows engagement rises. | Low Low-medium | | Reich & Ruipérez-Valiente (2019): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30630920/ | Science | Descriptive data, all MITx and HarvardX edX courses | Completion 3.13% of all participants (2017–18); 46% of paid verified learners | Shows how low completion is. | High High (descriptive) | Noetel et al. (2021): https://www.aera.net/Newsroom/Video-Improves-Learning-in-Higher-Education-A-Systematic-Review **Where it happened** Review of Educational Research **Design and sample** Systematic review and meta-analysis; 105 RCTs; 7,776 university students **Key effect (g=effect size)*** Replacing teaching with video: g = 0.28. Adding video to teaching: g = 0.80 **What does it show?** Shows video helps, most as an add-on. Doesn't isolate interactivity; higher ed only **Grade** High Adesope, Trevisan & Sundararajan (2017): https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.3102/0034654316689306 **Where it happened** Review of Educational Research **Design and sample** Meta-analysis; 118 articles, 272 effect sizes; 15,427 participants **Key effect (g=effect size)*** Practice tests vs restudy: g = 0.51; vs filler: g = 0.93; 1–6 day delay: g = 0.82 **What does it show?** Shows retrieval beats rewatching. **Grade** High Ploetzner (2024): https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11251-024-09693-5 **Where it happened** Interactive Learning Environments **Design and sample** Meta-analysis; 16 articles, 17 studies, 22 effect sizes **Key effect (g=effect size)*** Enhanced interaction features in video: g = 0.52 **What does it show?** Shows in-video questions and tasks help on average. **Grade** Medium Medium-high Szpunar, Khan & Schacter (2013): https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3631699/ **Where it happened** PNAS **Design and sample** 2 lab experiments; 80 participants; 21-min lecture **Key effect (g=effect size)*** Mind wandering 41% to 19%; final test 68% to 90%; notes on ~3x more slides **What does it show?** Shows interpolated quizzes boost attention and recall. **Grade** Medium Haagsman et al. (2020): https://dspace.library.uu.nl/bitstream/handle/1874/410482/Haagsman2020_Article_Pop_upQuestionsWithinEducation.pdf **Where it happened** J. Science Education & Technology **Design and sample** Several studies in a real flipped course over 3 years; up to 253 students per study **Key effect (g=effect size)*** Test score 75% to 79%; median fast-forwards 5 to 0; 91% said questions helped **What does it show?** Shows a modest real-course gain and less skipping. **Grade** Medium Kovacs (2016): https://dl.acm.org/doi/abs/10.1145/2876034.2876041 **Where it happened** ACM Learning @ Scale **Design and sample** Viewing-log analysis, Coursera Machine Learning course **Key effect (g=effect size)*** 74% of viewers who start a video attempt its quiz; backward seeks to review **What does it show?** Shows learners use in-video quizzes at scale. **Grade** Medium Beege & Ploetzner (2024): https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11251-024-09693-5 **Where it happened** Instructional Science **Design and sample** RCT, 2x2 design; 128 students; learning time held equal **Key effect (g=effect size)*** No effect of prompts or navigation on retention or comprehension **What does it show?** Shows interactivity isn't automatically better once time is equal. **Grade** Medium van der Meij & Böckmann (2021): https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12528-020-09263-x **Where it happened** J. Computing in Higher Education **Design and sample** RCT; 40 students; recorded lecture **Key effect (g=effect size)*** More watch time and replays; gain limited to the questioned item **What does it show?** Shows engagement rises. **Grade** Low Low-medium Reich & Ruipérez-Valiente (2019): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30630920/ **Where it happened** Science **Design and sample** Descriptive data, all MITx and HarvardX edX courses **Key effect (g=effect size)*** Completion 3.13% of all participants (2017–18); 46% of paid verified learners **What does it show?** Shows how low completion is. **Grade** High High (descriptive) *** Quick Note on the effect size (g)** Most of these papers report an effect size called **Hedges' g (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Effect_size#Hedges'_g)**. It tells you how far apart two groups are, measured in standard deviations. You don't need the maths for understanding this. Image: effect-size-scale (https://wayflo.com/media/posts/35524d08-1884-4d55-97ea-16170b1c1d20.png) **A rough translation:** - **g = 0.28 (small):** The average student in the video group does better than about 61% of the comparison group. - **g = 0.52 (medium):** The average student beats about 70% of the comparison group. - **g = 0.80 (large):** The average student beats about 79% of the comparison group. For context, 50% would mean no difference at all. So 0.28 is a real but modest edge. 0.80 is the kind of difference you'd actually notice in a classroom. ## How did I grade interactive video learning research? You (and I) keep reading 'vendor studies' and 'state of elearning reports', trying to find a way to improve your learning engagement. But we all know these reports and all studies are not equal. A controlled trial and vendor controlled/sponsored/published report is very different. So, while going through 50+ studies, I made a grading mechanism. Broke down the impact of a study in 3 tiers: - **High:** Covered scientific, systematic reviews and meta analysis from controlled studies or very large datasets in an academic setting. Gave me evidence for simple descriptive facts. - **Medium:** Well designed experiments with decent sample sizes and multi year studies inside real courses. - **Low:** Factored in small trials (with under 50 people) or one-off case studies or a vendor reported number with no evidence of a control group. I also moved down a study when the pool was really small or when all the factors were not controlled, like extra study time spent by learners. That's how I could reasonably conclude that adding interactive elements to video courses really helps and should be your main priority in 2026. ## FAQ ### Does interactive video improve learning? Yes, it helps, but not on its own. Several studies found that interactive features in educational video have an effect on learning. For example,quizzing during lectures cut mind wandering and raised test scores (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3631699/) in controlled experiments. But interactivity helps the most when it makes learners think (not just click). ### What does the research say about the effectiveness of interactive video vs regular video? Regular video gives a small gain over traditional teaching according to a study. Adding active elements, especially questions, over traditional teaching gives larger gains, according to Noetel et al.'s review of 105 randomised trials. The strongest supporting evidence comes from research on practice testing, which consistently beats rewatching (Adesope et al., 2017). ### Do in-video quizzes increase course completion rates? Nobody has proven that yet. But studies have shown that quizzes change behaviour inside a single video. Fewer fast-forwards (a median of 5 dropped to 0 in Haagsman et al., 2020) and more rewinding to review. For context, only 3.13% of all MITx and HarvardX learners completed their courses in 2017 to 2018. None of the studies I reviewed yet measure whole-course completion. I'll update this space when a study tests completion directly. ### How often should I add questions to a video lesson? No research gives a magic number or frequency. One study, Szpunar, Khan and Schacter (2013), split a 21-minute lecture into four segments of roughly five minutes each, with a short quiz after each one. Mind wandering fell from about 40% to about 20%. A question every five minutes or so, at natural breaks in the topic, is a sensible starting point. Pausing the video while the question is on screen is my recommendation. ### Are vendor stats on interactive video engagement reliable? Treat them as low-grade evidence. Most vendor reports have no control group, define "engagement" loosely (a click or a view often counts), and come from companies selling the tool. Use them as hints about what to test, not as proof that something works. ## Ending note: My learning about interactive learning Video as a medium is a good way to learn. But, in 2026, with distractions as frequent as a social media ping, they work far less when a person just sits there and watches. Real impact happens when video makes a learner do something: answer, pause, think, and interact. In short, the video should be interactive! Remember, when you ask questions while teaching through a video, it breaks the passive learning streak, and engages learners. ## Sources - Michael Noetel, Shantell Griffith, Oscar Delaney, Taren Sanders, Philip Parker, Borja del Pozo Cruz, and Chris Lonsdale. Video Improves Learning in Higher Education: A Systematic Review (https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654321990713). Review of Educational Research, 2021. - Olusola O. Adesope, Dominic A. Trevisan, and Narayankripa Sundararajan. Rethinking the Use of Tests: A Meta-Analysis of Practice Testing (https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654316689306). Review of Educational Research, 2017. - Rolf Ploetzner. The Effectiveness of Enhanced Interaction Features in Educational Videos: A Meta-Analysis (https://doi.org/10.1080/10494820.2022.2123002). Interactive Learning Environments, 2024. - Karl K. Szpunar, Novall Y. Khan, and Daniel L. Schacter. Interpolated Memory Tests Reduce Mind Wandering and Improve Learning of Online Lectures (https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1221764110). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2013. - Marjolein E. Haagsman, Karin Scager, Johannes Boonstra, and Margot C. Koster. Pop-up Questions Within Educational Videos: Effects on Students’ Learning (https://doi.org/10.1007/s10956-020-09847-3). Journal of Science Education and Technology, 2020. - Geza Kovacs. Effects of In-Video Quizzes on MOOC Lecture Viewing (https://doi.org/10.1145/2876034.2876041). ACM Conference on Learning @ Scale, 2016. - Maik Beege and Rolf Ploetzner. Learning from Interactive Video: The Influence of Self-Explanations, Navigation, and Cognitive Load (https://doi.org/10.1007/s11251-024-09693-5). Instructional Science, 2025. - Hans van der Meij and Linn Böckmann. Effects of Embedded Questions in Recorded Lectures (https://doi.org/10.1007/s12528-020-09263-x). Journal of Computing in Higher Education, 2021. - Justin Reich and José A. Ruipérez-Valiente. The MOOC Pivot (https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aav7958). Science, 2019. Justin Ferriman Founder of Wayflo, creating the next era of online courses. Previously founded and sold LearnDash. Let's connect! Justin Ferriman on X: https://x.com/justinferriman Justin Ferriman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justinferriman/ Justin Ferriman's website: https://justinferriman.com/ ## Structured data ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "BlogPosting", "@id": "https://wayflo.com/blog/interactive-video-learning-research#main", "headline": "Does Interactive Video Improve Learning? 9 Studies Graded", "description": "I read 50+ papers on interactive video learning research and graded 9 key studies. 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