In the 20th century technology is everywhere. We can't escape it and according to the On the Cutting Edge - Professional Development for Geoscience Faculty, individual interactive activities do the following: "engage visual, kinesthetic, and mathematical learners as they review animations, manipulate graphics, and solve both computational and non-computational problems; have the potential to promote topical discussions as students who work on an exercise run into problems and turn to their classmates for help or advice; and make the assessment of learning outcomes -- which are defined in terms of what students should be able to "do" -- easier because students actually demonstrate their understanding of a concept or technique by applying it." http://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/online/interactive.html