The aim of this study was to examine the effects of structure and navigation aids on students' learning from hypertexts. Participants were 48 undergraduate students. Group 1 (N = 24) read 2 hypertexts (one network, one hierarchical) with high navigation support (a graphical overview, a coherent links list, and use of different colours for visited…

The studies in the literature show that all learners may not benefit from hypermedia learning systems in the same way as a result of their individual differences. Learners with different individual characteristic may display different navigational pattern and they may encounter different problems in the hypermedia learning system. The aim of the…

Many researchers have proposed a causal link between low domain knowledge and disorientation in hypertext. Our objective was to challenge this hypothesis, examining other variables that might have an influence, such as design, reading instructions, or working memory capacity. We analysed navigation patterns and comprehension scores in a sample of…

This study investigates how graphical and content list type overviews with and without navigation restrictions affect the cognitive load experienced by a learner searching for information in a hypertext. The study used a 2x2 between factor design with the factors navigability (restricted vs. non-restricted) and overview format (graphical vs.…

We applied a user interface (UI) design approach based on a constructivist perspective for web-based learning that conceptualizes interactions between learners and websites as conversations. Hyperlinks on the UI of a distributed interactive learning environment were treated as invitations for interaction to encourage learners' active exploration.…

This article describes how with the growth of online learning, reading hypertext materials requires both online reading and navigational strategies. This article was conducted as part of a pilot study on qualitative data collection into reading of Science and Technology hypertexts that focuses on reading and navigational strategies of five…

This paper presents the findings of a research project on older workers transitioning into work as vocational educators through online undergraduate university study. The study involved interpretive phenomenological analysis of the experiences of 10 older learners. Their experience of online learning was found to be shaped by diverse influences…

This study investigated interactive effects of navigation and offline comprehension skill on digital reading performance. As indicators of navigation, relevant page selection and irrelevant page selection were considered. In 533 Spanish high school students aged 11-17 positive effects of offline comprehension skill and relevant page selection on…

Hypertexts include new structural features, such as navigable graphical overviews, that dramatically change the way students interact with texts. Nevertheless, at school students traditionally practice literacy skills appropriate for reading and comprehending printed texts. We explored the possibility that those skills might not be the same as the…

The interactional feature of hypermedia that allows high-level student-control is considered as one of the most important advantages that hypermedia provides for learning and teaching. However, high-level student control in hypermedia might not always lead to high-level learning performance. The learner is likely to experience navigation problems…

The present study targeted the online reading strategies of upper-elementary and middle school students with and without learning disabilities in the U.S. and in Taiwan. Several aspects of the comprehension process were studied, including: (1) Internet navigation strategies and behaviours, (2) sensitivity to the organisational structure of…

Whether fading support for problems affects accuracy of hypertext navigation and problem performance is investigated in this study. In a student-centered e-learning environment conceptual support is added to help domain novices get an overview of the problem domain, while strategic support is provided to help domain novices get insight into the…

This paper provides a brief description of Hyper-G, the first second-generation hypermedia system. The first section identifies problems with first generation hypermedia systems. The following sections discuss the new concepts that are implemented in Hyper-G, including user accounts and billing, structuring of data, caching and replication, native…

Purpose: Social navigation is an emerging trend for navigation in hypermedia. With social navigation, users can be guided through large volumes of learning content by cues which integrate the browsing history of past users. Earlier papers have shown that social navigation is suitable for navigation not only in classic hypermedia but also in…

This study examines the cognitive costs of navigation aids in a hypermedia learning task. In a 2(navigable vs. non-navigable) x 2(map vs. content list) experimental design cognitive requirements were measured by users' eye movement data. Additionally, data from users' navigation operations, knowledge acquisition, and subjective evaluation of the…