What impact can interactive engagement (IE) activities using clickers have on students' motivation and academic performance during lectures as compared to attending traditional types of lectures? This article positions the research on IE within the comprehensive model of educational effectiveness and Gagné's instructional events model. For the study on which this article is based, an IE model was designed and explored within a pilot group. This model identified situations that make the model effective in terms of improving students' motivation and academic performance. Personal response systems (PRS, also referred to as 'clickers') were used to promote interaction. A pre-test/post-test control group design was used. Data were collected through a questionnaire and class tests. The results indicated the significance of IE activities amongst students in this research.