Designing Web-Based Training: How to Teach Anyone Anything Anywhere Anytime

6.3. USE COMMON LEARNING ACTIVITIES

In this section we survey formats for learning activities. These techniques are proven and flexible. When well designed and appropriately deployed, they work well. These activities can be adapted to work with any subject matter. Many can be used with the class as a whole, by small teams, by individuals monitored by the instructor, and by learners working alone. Here is a summary of the activities we will be discussing in this chapter:

Activity	Description	When to use it
Webcasts (P 195)	Many distributed learners participate fully in a conventional training event transmitted by a network.	To teach material best taught by traditional classroom activities, especially ones that require extensive interaction between the instructor and learners.
Presentation sequences (p 199)	Learners read, listen to, and watch carefully crafted explanations in a Web browser.	To provide a consistent high-quality explanation to all learners.
Drill-and-practice activities (p 202)	Learners repeatedly practice applying specific knowledge or a well-defined skill.	To help learners memorize facts that they must be able to recall without hesitation.
Scavenger hunts (p 204)	Learners find reliable sources of information on the Internet or their corporate intranet.	To make learners more self-reliant by having them locatereliable sources of information on the subject they are studying.
Guided research (p 207)	Learners gather, analyze, and report on information.	To teach learners to conduct informal ...