It has a linear orientation, is simple, includes quizzes and an index, and even incorporates some animated gifs to motivate the learner! But, there isn’t a whole lot of interactivity, is there? What do you think? Do you like the site’s layout and structure? Do you like its design and its use of frames? If you were designing this course, would you organize things differently?

http://www.digitalthink.com/servlet/ServletLoginPage

SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS: We registered everyone for this demo in advance (in order to protect your privacy, we did not submit your name or email address). To log in, type your University Computing ID in the Student ID field, and then type edlf801 as the password. When finished, click enter...

After you enter the “Locker,” look for the demo course called Smart Searching: The Power of Simple Searches under the heading Enrolled Course(s). It’s probably a good idea to visit the DigitalThink Orientation before you start...be advised you may need to download a plug-in or two...

In this model, the training is self-paced. The instructions are delivered by text and audio. It includes practice exercises, quizzes, and feedback, and there is an online facilitator who can answer questions and provide support via e-mail.

In addition, there are discussion groups, live chat rooms, and live messaging with other students who happen to be on-line while you are. As you can see, there is a bit more interactivity in this example!

Did you get a chance to try out the chat room or live messaging? If so, did you find it engaging? What do you think about the audio? Do you like it? Do you feel it enhances the learning experience? Did you experience any problems with this feature? By the way, do you like the concept of an online facilitator?