A database, gradebook, online registration, and online quiz editor are among the integrated features of the toolset. Especially significant to InterQuest is the Directed Discourse Engine. This allows creation and management of Peer-Peer discussion activities from within the Web. The consequent activities are asychronous and student driven through a graphic user interface. Students engage in learner-learner exchanges of modeled discourse.
Student activity is tracked and recorded.
The fundamental lesson I have learned from extensive online development and teaching is the need for a sound and appropriate pedagogy in advance of the technological choices. The chief difficulty students have is in making use of instructions. Every activity requires some instruction. Many students seem not to gain a picture of the activity from the written instructions. The Directed Discourse Engine has made an improvement by delivering instructions for discussion activities in a step-perform manner.