Does Interactivity in Short Synchronous Webinars Improve Learning?

Webinars, or on-line seminars, are increasingly popular methods of sharing information. Such short term courses deliver a set of content within a few hours, typically one to two hours. Emergent theories with different learning models focus on high levels of interactivity to improve learning. Much is written about the role of interactivities (polls, discussions, quizzes, and exercises) as assets for training sessions. However few, if any, studies actually link such interactivity to increased learning in webinars. The main research question of this study is: does interactivity in short course synchronous sessions (webinars) increase learning? In addition, how does interactivity impact participant satisfaction? This study compares two webinar sessions to determine the impact of interactivity as well as customer satisfaction