After I completed the e-learning course, and had written up the bulk of my paper, I really felt that I had accomplished something BIG. I was satisfied with my completed project and delighted with the prospect of having my OWN web page. I decided, however, to take just ONE more step...I spent a large part of one day hand coding my document, linking the pages, and uploading the whole thing.....here! I'm sure it was the "yelp" heard 'round the world.
The Course assignment asks the following questions:
Learning Theories - What were the learning theories that appeared to be (or actually were, if the program stated this directly) underpinning the training and how effectively were they applied? Compare and contrast how the course approach might have been different if the designers took into account another learning theory/model.
The two WebMonkey courses and the e-learning course were not a lot different. They both tried to personalize and humanize their course as much as possible. For example, the welcoming letter from e-learning's President:
Twice I received "personal letters" with his signature, asking how I was doing, and did I want to consider taking another course from his company.....for a modest fee. I felt throughout that the course tried to follow a constructivist model as best it could, considering learners worked in isolation-in the free courses. The pay-per-courses offered no end of technical support and advice. The quizzes also were designed to provide instant and meaningful feedback:
It is hard to really imagine a different approach to this course, but in a very strict Cognitivism sense, more learning could have been enforced had the progression through the units hinged on successfully completing the one before. In a sense, the e-learning course had this as a larger part of it's make-up, as the units were definitely sequential, and although one could have "fast forwarded" it would have been a labour of clicking.
The WebMonkey courses were much more random, although they could too have been followed in a linear fashion.
Technology - What technology was used in this program and how effective was it? How did you manage the use of the technology?
I had no particular difficulty with the technology of the course, although of course every example given was addressed to PCs 
In unit 7 of the e-learning course, the downloadable file provided for practice would not open. I *somehow * managed to complete the lessons using my own materials. As I mentioned earlier, my default browser (Safari) would not function in the lesson mode. This problem was solved by switching back to Internet Explorer.
Recommendations - Would you recommend this program to others? If so, to whom and for what purposes?
I would recommend either of these courses to someone interested in Web Page construction. As I was working through the WebMonkey for Kids programme, I was wishing my school computer lab was set up with an Intranet model, for I would definitely use that programme with young children.
Lessons Learned - What did you learn about the design and delivery of DL programs?
I would have to say the biggest lesson I learned, is that the learner MUST be highly motivated to complete this sort of course. The amusing and irreverent tone made the courses interesting and entertaining, but I know-from experience-that there needs to be something else that encourages the learner. In my case, it was the MADL assignment that was the motivation. I suppose if I had gritted my teeth and tried as hard to work through the problems the first time I had attempted to learn HTML and web page writing, once I had begun to successfully post my work, THAT would have been the necessary encouragement.
Criteria for Assessing DL Programs - Based on your experience, what set of criteria would you draw up to use in future situations to quickly assess the appropriateness of DL programs to your organizational setting?
Thinking of the reluctance my coworkers have to learning and grasping new technology, I would look for courses that were easy to operate, that did not rely on a lot of prior knowledge, and that offered quick and meaningful feedback. There is not much likelihood of a "free" course offering realtime help, and auto-answer generators are likewise less than fulfilling. I wonder if there will ever be a technology generated that takes the place-or indeed improves upon-the benefit of actual realtime, human contact? That is the crux of the success or failure, to me, of DL courses-the Human Contact. We CAN learn all we want to from computers and the Internet, but do we want to?