Learning Express

While I think the tutorial on the MSL site is very good, I did glaze over a bit when listening to the differences between setting up an account from home or in a library. That being said,the actual setting up of an account is easy and should be for most people.

I decided to try the GRE math exam. I thought it was all very straight-forward. I liked being able to monitor my use of time by looking at the countdown "clock" on the upper right side of the page. The screens are clean and easy to read. Being able to test myself at my desk, in my own home, was pleasant. The diagnostics and summary of the test results are very good. Being able to look at the answers and explanations is helpful and compliments the learning that is supposed to be taking place. (I'm not sure how much I want to brush up on my geometry at this point.)

In the "Job Search and Workplace Skills" center, I added the Business Writing I course. The course is very basic and chops the writing process into its elemental steps. For anyone who has never been exposed to the writing process, this would be a helpful course. Being able to go at one's own pace is a definite plus for this program. I also like how each exercise is saved and a final "product" is created from the completion of each step. I found this reinforced my desire to continue. My reservation about this course is the level of reading required. The program assumes a very high reading ability. Based on my observations, I think this could be a problem for some.

I selected an eBook for vocabulary improvement. I was disappointed. It is merely a collection of 501 multiple choice sentences, looking for the best word to complete the sentence. The answers are provided with a definition for the correct answer. I think this is a test not an eBook. I expected more reading about how to improve one's vocabulary, an explanation of word roots, etc. I also find scrolling down pages an unenjoyable way to "read." But then, I am one of the dinosaurs yet to succumb to an eReader.