[quoting Spannaus, 17 Oct 94] Our tutorials, I think, are tactical rather than strategic, since they exist to support a learner's agenda, and are invoked when the learner needs them.
I think the notion of technology as a support tool is critical to its success.
I'm not sure I understand the connection you're making (Rod) between learner control and transactions. I understand transactions as being dynamic and responding to learner input, but not in the sense of learner control. Can you say more about that?
Learner Control has traditionally been defined as control over Sequence, Content, or Pacing. However, with multimedia we provide the students with many more options which are part of the interface structure--and which they must control. I'm just working on a paper now which is trying to reclassify learner control into a continuum format (like Barbara's paper here and Tom Reeves' recent publications). Bottom line--learner control is more than deciding which lesson to study.