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Online learning systems that colleges
might use to deliver their courses:
Blackboard Demo Courses
Try two demos of courses (Space 301, Nursing 100) offered
by colleges using the popular Blackboard online learning
platform.
eCollege Free Demo
You can demo the eCollege System 3.0 which is used by
many colleges to deliver their online courses.
WebCT Free Demo
Tryout the WebCT course delivery system used by many
colleges in their online learning programs.
Demos offered by providers that primarily
serve the IT market. Some use a CBT type format
and some are actual courses:
Digital Think's Free Demo Class
This free 2 module course is designed to aquint the
user with Digital Think's learning environment and design
methodology.
Productivity Point Downloadable Demos
This page has an Office 97 demo from PPI, a Java Demo
from MindQ, and 10 downloadable IT demos from NETg.
Scholars.com - free online Microsoft training
and mentoring
Early adopters can get a free 4 hour CBT training demo
for either Windows 2000 or SQU Server 7.0 along with
1 week of free online mentoring.
Scholars.com free demos
Scholars.com offers demos to its IT training from CBT
systems, either by downloading or getting a CD of 9
demos mailed to you.
Tutorials.com Free Access 97 demo
Free demos for: A Database Overview, Creating a Quer,
Introducting Form Fields
Tutorials.com free demo of Introduction
to Word 97
Free demos on: The Menu Bar, Inserting Text, Finding
Text
Tutorials.com Free demo on Time Management
Free demos on: Accountability, The Procrastinators,
Telephone Tips
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If you are curious what an online learning environment might
be like, you may want to check out some online demos.
Actual demos will give you a better idea of what learning
online can be like than any amount of advice.
Before you go basing you entire opinion of online learning
on a demo, there are several things to consider. Since
there are so many different technologies, learning providers,
subjects and levels of courses you may not get an accurate
impression from a demo.
For example, if you wish to learn a new IT topic at your
own pace with a CBT,
a demo from a learning provider that you are considering might
be very applicable. However, If you really want to get
your MBA online, trying the same CBT demo of an IT topic will
give you very little idea what an online MBA might be like.
The learner (seeking to get an online MBA) might enquire
what vendor, of online course delivery systems, the college
he is considering uses. If that vendor has a demo it
will help him get a feel for the learning environment, but
won't give him a good feel for the student interaction, or
the particular program he is considering (it is hard to simulate
class discussion in a demo).
Once you determine the type of course you wish to take, and
the type of provider you may choose, your demo time can be
more productive. We recommend that you sample a couple
of the online learning demos that are available, to get a
better idea of the wide variety of online learning environments
and tools that exist today.
In order to get an idea how an online college course might
be structured, take a look at a syllabus of an online masters
course at George Mason University instructed by Chris Dede (a
pioneer in distance learning technologies). Keep in
mind this course uses a wide variety of technologies, but
does not use a course delivery system offered by one of the
vendors. This course also happens to contain some great
distance learning references!
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