I think the most current example I can think of are the courses in this introduction to on-line teaching. This reminds me of other times I’ve 
been engaging with new information. At the beginning, it’s a bit of a mystery how it all fits together but as time goes by and I engage more deeply with the material, I start to see how it all fits.
What makes it an effective practice for me was to see the visual guide at the beginning of each module which showed what was to be covered. Additionally it helped that the material was broken into small steps. I also liked that you checked off when a portion was completed, this was reinforcing and another visual reminder. It helped that there was a definitive structure and a place to look for help. Looking at other posters gave me ideas about other ways to approach the courses.
As for doing it over again, it might be helpful to have video/audio links in the course.