0.2 Hypermedia

Hypermedia

The term hypertext was coined by Nelson in 1974 to describe “non-sequential documents” composed of text, audio, and visual information stored in a computer, with the computer being used to link and annotate related chunks of information (nodes) into larger networks, or webs(Nelson, 1974a&b). The goal of hypertext is to immerse users in a richly textured information environment, one in which words, sounds, and still and motion images can be connected in diverse ways. Enthusiasts feel that the characteristics of hypertext parallel the associative properties of the mind, thereby making the construction of one’s own web a creative educational activity.

Hypermedia refers to computer software that uses elements of text, graphics, video, and audio connected in such a way that the user can easily move within the information. Users choose the pathway that is unique to their own style of thinking and processing information. According to its very nature, it provides a learning environment that is interactive and exploratory.

Hypermedia is based on cognitive theories of how people structure knowledge and how they learn. It is designed to resemble the way people organize information with concepts and their relationships, or links, are associations between ideas---for example, when thinking about bicycles, one creates a link between ideas about transportation and recreation. With hypermedia, one can link asynchronous data sources directly to compose and display non-sequential information that may include text, audio and visual information. There is no continuous flow of text, as in a textbook or novel. Rather, the information is broken into small units that the author or user associates in a variety of ways. Using the bicycle example, the learner can connect the word “bicycle” with a photo of a girl riding a bicycle in a field and a video clip of a Hong Kong boy carrying a duck to market on the back of a bicycle.

The intent of hypermedia is to enable the user to move about within a particular set of information without necessarily using a predetermined structure or sequence. The chunks of information are analogous to notes on a collection of cards. Each card contains a bit of information. Subsequent cards or sets of cards (often refers to as stacks) may contain extensions of the information from the initial card or other relevant or related information. Hypermedia programs are usually set up so that each computer screen display is equivalent to what is displayed on one of the cards.

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Browsing. Users browse, or navigate through the information by choosing routes that are of interest. You can explore features in detail as it suits your personal learning style.

Linking. Users can create their own special connections, or links, within the information.