Student preparation for practical class is key to making the most out of face-to-face in-class time. Student engagement with pre-class material is critical to this process. To maximise student engagement in an undergraduate molecular cell biology unit, a series of interactive online pre-class activities were developed using Articulate Story line. The activities were designed to introduce students to laboratory procedures and concepts, and included interactive elements to engage students and promote active pre-class learning. Student responses and engagement with pre-class activities were assessed using an anonymous survey and, Moodle analytics. Molecular biology students overwhelmingly agreed or strongly agreed that the interactive format of the pre-class activities was engaging (77.5%), the activities were a valuable resource (84.2%) and should continue to be included in the unit (89.2%). Student comments further highlighted the positive impact of these activities and provided evidence of student engagement and learning.