<$BlogRSDUrl$> Marcus P. Zillman, M.S., A.M.H.A. Author/Speaker/Consultant
Marcus P. Zillman, M.S., A.M.H.A. Author/Speaker/Consultant
Internet Happenings, Events and Sources


Monday, January 24, 2005  

net.TUTOR
http://gateway.lib.ohio-state.edu/tutor/

net.TUTOR offers interactive tutorials on basic tools and techniques for becoming an effective Internet researcher. Managing cognitive load -- the amount of information people can process -- is essential to effective teaching or training. Bombarding learners with too much information at once, called cognitive overload, is one of the chief obstacles to learning. A commonly cited research study notes that working memory, the kind we use when learning new information, can hold seven (plus or minus two) chunks of information. Dividing each net.TUTOR lesson into segments (Classroom, Quiz, etc.) and then further subdividing these segments into a manageable number of chunks, allows users to digest new concepts and skills in a manner that prevents overload. Web-based tutorial users will also enjoy a great deal of flexibility in managing their cognitive load, selecting instructional tasks from a menu of lessons, depending upon the amount and kinds of skills they bring with them, and once engaged in a lesson, selecting which portions of that particular lesson they wish to complete. Because the limited capacity of working memory is rapidly overwhelmed by large amounts of new information, frequent opportunities to practice are important. Rehearsal encodes or moves information into long-term memory. The net.TUTOR user is presented with practice opportunities throughout the classroom portion of the lesson. Finally, online testing is used to reinforce material. Elaborative rehearsal involves presenting questions which allow the user to apply knowledge in an appropriate context, thus encoding it into permanent memory. When feasible, net.TUTOR test questions may also provide an authentic assessment of user skill levels by calling on the user to apply the appropriate techniques and practices from the lesson. This has been added to Tutorial Resources Subject Tracer™ Information Blog.

posted by Marcus Zillman | 4:20 AM
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