USING HYPERTEXT FOR COMPUTER-BASED LEARNING

One of the many potentially useful applications for hypertext to emerge in recent years is in the area of computer-aided learning. This paper describes the results of an experiment in which undergraduate students used a hypertext about database systems as part of their coursework. The hypertext was offered as a source of learning information in addition to recommended textbooks and lectures. Students were surveyed on when, and how, they used the hypertext, for what specific purposes and what types of searching they preferred. The results and analysis of this survey of actual hypertext usage is presented. Our conclusions confirm earlier published results that current hypertext products have obvious shortcomings and that hypertext in general cannot replace conventional teaching but should be regarded as being complementary to it.