The learning design involves students being immersed in an authentic task through the use of an interactive multimedia CD-ROM.

The Learning Design Sequence is illustrated as follows.

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WHAT THE STUDENTS DO

Students use an interactive multimedia program on CD-Rom whereby they are required to invest $100,000 over a period of six quarters. Figure 1 below illlustrates the content structure of the program and students are requried to visit all or some of these areas in order to invest their money.

Figure 1: Structure of Interactive Multimedia CD-Rom

Students can visit each area in any order for any length of time. There is theoretical and practical information contained in the library, the stockbroker, the Institute and in the filing cabinet in the office. There is also a television and telephone in the office that delivers information. The object of the exercise is to maximise wealth through wise investing.

SIGNIFICANCE OF ORDER
There is no significance or importance to the order. Some students went straight to the Institute and worked through the theory, others began investing based on information contained in the library and the stockbroker's office. The ways in which they went about the task are based on their learning styles.

CRITICAL ACTIVITIES
All the tasks could be optional if the students went about their investing the way most people do, that is, in an uninformed manner. However, the critical activities would be based in the office - using the material in the filing cabinet , reviewing the news on the television, and answering the phone to get personally delivered hints and tips.

ACCESSIBLE RESOURCES
The main resource of this learning design is the interactive multimedia program. There are 6 quarters represented in the program. As the student "warps" to the next quarter, the materials contained in each area are updated. Learning resources are available as follows:

Reception: This area contains a person who can be clicked on to give hints and tips on how to get started with the program, suggestions on where to go first, etc.

Stock Exchange: This area contains a viewing room which shows the current prices for the 6 stocks, as well as two people who can act as online "experts" giving the student the benefit of their experience. One of the experts relates her advice to the theory, the other uses common wisdom. This part of the program also has a library containing historical data on each of the 6 stocks as well as background information on the economy.

Stockbroker: The stockbroking area is where the students go to buy and sell shares. It contains a rack with flyers on market updates, economic forecasts, brochures on each of the companies, and some off-beat information such as "investment by the stars". The students can also view their portfolios in this area.

The Institute: This area allows students to enrol in formal education for which they are charged a fee. The theory is divided into three tutorials and there is a free self-test. Quiz-type tests are embedded in each of the tutorials. Once students enrol in, and pay for, a tutorial, the information is automatically delivered to the filing cabinet in their office.

The office: This area is personalised to each student. When they first enter the microworld they register at the reception desk and all their information is personalised.

Figure 2: Example of "The Office"

It is via their office that they can move through the quarters by clicking on the clock. The television, telephone and filing cabinet all deliver information in various forms. The book on the desk, when clicked on, delivers the personal portfolio of the student.

RESOURCES IN CONTEXT
The students have the opportunity to arrive at their learning from a number of perspectives. The students can watch news items, listen to "experts", read information and watch their own progress as they warp through the program. They have the opportunity to learn from experience. In the first two quarters they have the unique opportunity of backtracking to reinvest based on what they learn after they warp. This enables them to gain some benefit from moving into the future. However, this prop is removed after the third quarter.

VARYING THE RESOURCE SET
The students need access to a computer with a CD-Rom. There is also a paper-based instruction sheet in case they have trouble finding the online help. Everything provided is deemed essential.

SUPPORTS SUPPLIED
Some of the students elected to work in pairs, and some asked to work alone. The dyads were more successful (increased their wealth) than the singles. A paper-based learning guide was available. Everything else was incorporated into the learning environment.

SIGNIFICANCE OF SUPPORT STRATEGIES
The support strategies incorporated into the learning design are pivotal to the design of the environment. They were devised in the first instance and the design of the environment fell out of these.

SUPPORT STRATEGY ADAPTATION
All of the support strategies could be considered critical - they allow the students to decide their own way of learning - either through the theory or through experience.