Excellent paper and very informative. I agreed with everything except your last sentence where you state our challenge is "to enhance human-computer communications." Computers are a universal tool first built because they can do things easier, faster, and better than humans without the so-human mistakes that plague us (at least after the program has been debugged). I believe we should set our goal higher. We should build interactive learning systems that "do" learning better than we could ever do it! And why not?
As an aside, why tutorials were so "hot" on computers is that they took the repetitive drudgery away from humans for this activity. Unfortunately, the relief of repetitive drudgery does not enhance learning.
I wish to offer a challenge to this group. We talk a good game, but can we produce a practical application for all this theorizing? I propose that we INTERACTIVELY construct what we're talking about to serve as a model for others. How to do this? There is a Website set up by Paolo Tosolini that allows a person to distribute an interactive PC application (using MMToolBook). The remote user is able to launch it with a single mouse click from the Web page. Of course, there is some set up on the receivers' end, but nothing drastic.
I propose that we build an interactive application with input from all, but updates to the Website by only one person (to avoid conflicts), using Rod's paper as a guide and putting together the "ultimate representational model." "Build it and they will come!"
I am no MMToolBook expert, but I think with all the brain power on the net we could manage nicely! I suggest this educational scenario: adult learners with prerequisite background that have to learn a particular piece of equipment: description, operation, use, and set up. Length of course is not a factor. Cost is not a factor. (I guess this will have to be a virtual project!) Platform is not an issue.
I do not know if we should make this a public communal effort by broadcast messages on the ITForum listserv or "offline," any suggestions? Anyone willing to participate, let me know at: hdavis@mcs.com
I do not see this as a short-term project, we all work for a living one way or another, but we should be willing to put our expertise where our mouth is and produce something representative of what "good" interactive instruction is all about!!!