It's things like this that make me sad that we're moving to a video-based web instead of a text based. I can read the text-based content much more easily and quickly and at my own pace, skimming or skipping around. Enrolled anyway - mainly because I currently assume I know how to search as well as about anyone already so I'm interested to see how I'm wrong.
Each video has a textual transcript (which isn't exact, but captures the gist of what the lecturer says well) with good screenshots added. The lecture videos also have captions for people who like to read along as they listen and watch.
Daniel Russell is doing a free Google class on how to search the web. Besides six 50-minute classes it will include interactive activities to practice new skills. Upon passing the post-course assessment you get a Certificate of Completion.
Advanced search skills are not only a useful everyday skill but vital to doing scholarship. Searching the web is a superpower that would make thinkers of previous centuries green with envy. Learn to use it well. I recommend checking out Inside Search, Russel's Blog or perhaps reading the article "How to solve impossible problems" to get a feeling about what you can expect to gain from it.
I think for most the value of information is high enough to be worth the investment. Also I suspect it will be plain fun. I am doing the class and strongly recommend it to fellow LessWrong users. Anyone else who has registered please say so publicly in the comments as well. :)
Registration is open from June 26, 2012 to July 16, 2012.