This is the photo gallary of the prototype of our online course - Social Software for Distance Student

Figure 1 showsthe main page of the course. Five categorise are listed on the mainpage. Learners can select the category they are interested in and go on a guided tour.

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Figure 2 shows a guided learning tour. Skype is the selected topic and learning will be lead by the instruction go to via each session. Besides session1, each session has pre-requist sessions, without finishing the pre-requist sessions, learners are not allow to go further. This machanism will make sure that learner can digest what he has learnt before gaining new information.

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Figure 3 shows a self-directed tour, skype is a selected example here. Learning can free select topic they are willing to learn.  This is the alternative tour to guided learning tour for more advanced learners.

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Figure 4 shows a specific session of a guided tour. Graphical representation as well as demonstration videos are used to minimize extraneous cognitive load.Furthermore,  sitemap tells learners where the current stage is  in order to prevent "lost in space". Another feature is the related topic..We acknowledge the individual difference is learning, some people are able to handle more information at a time whereas some people prefer concentrating on the most important information. Hence, same as sitemap, learners can disable or enable this feature with their own choice.

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Figure 5 show the quick reference. Learners are able to find information easily from here and directly go to a specific topic they are looking for. It makes the information finding very effective and this quick reference is highly recommended to advanced users.

In the next version of our prototype, search function will be built into the system to enhance information finding experience and system usability.