Hypertext is well-suited for educational applications where open learning and knowledge exploration is desired. In such applications, principles of good hypertext interface design should be employed to avoid navigational problems so as to maximize learning. Interface design, however, may also directly enhance acquisition of a particular knowledge…

This paper shows how to use design patterns for building educational multimedia applications. The first section summarizes design issues related to organizing the information, the organization of the interface, and implementation. Navigating through information is covered in the second section, including problems, motivations, and solutions, and…

A new Courseware Development Environment (CoDE) is currently being developed for Hyperwave World Wide Web servers. CoDE provides instructional designers with an easy-to-use yet powerful environment to develop online training; students have the ability to access this training using a standard Web browser. Functionality of the Hyperwave server is…

New information technology is rapidly becoming part of the localized education process, while offering the tools and the infrastructure for the establishment of a distance education process. At Rhodes University (South Africa), an Interactive Remote Tutorial System (IRTS) was built to support distance education. IRTS will be used as an…

Users of content-based software programs, including hypertexts and instructional multimedia, rely on the navigation functions provided by the designers of those program. Typical navigation schemes use abstract symbols (arrows) to label basic navigational functions like moving forward or backward through screen displays. In a previous study, the…

In 1997, Gettysburg College (Pennsylvania) deployed the CNAV (College Navigation) Web tool to allow the students' and the entire college community the ability to better navigate through its college's curricular, co-curricular, and extracurricular offerings. CNAV is unique because, rather than treating the Web as a series of static pages, it treats…

Within an electronic education market, an electronic education mall is defined as a virtual service center to support various transaction processes by providing a technological platform with appropriate value-added services and interfaces for suppliers and customers. In this context, an education broker service is of central importance, because…

This paper describes a solution to the user identification and tracking problem within an educational World Wide Web environment. The paper begins with an overview of the Teaching Support System project at the University of Girona (Spain); the main objective of the project is to create an integrated set of tools for teachers to use to create and…

This research investigates the ways people learn from multimedia and how navigational patterns can be incorporated into the design structure. The paper begins with a discussion of present navigational research and then presents the results from the initial empirical work, including a pilot study of primary and secondary children using multimedia…

This paper describes an authoring tool, Visual Constructor, that is being developed to help users without technical knowledge to create and organize World Wide Web-based course contents. The following goals of Visual Constructor are highlighted: (1) it does not require any knowledge of evolving Web technology; (2) the user interface is easy to…

This paper outlines CLEW (collaborative learning environment for the Web). The project combines MUD (Multi-User Dimension), workflow, VRML (Virtual Reality Modeling Language) and educational concepts like constructivism in a learning environment where students actively participate in the learning process. The MUD shapes the environment structure.…

Computer applications that facilitate the use of the World Wide Web (WWW) within elementary and secondary education must provide support for educators to locate materials quickly and easily; they must minimize the amount of time spent waiting for files to traverse the network; and they must deal sensitively with censorship. The MicroWeb Toolkit is…

This paper introduces a multimedia-based educational system on logistics developed at the University of Magdeburg (Germany), reports on development and implementation of the prototype, and discusses ideas for redesign. The system was tested, used, and evaluated at the university and within a European network of 24 universities, colleges, and…

This paper discusses the use of WebQuest, a World Wide Web-based multi-user game, in promoting learning motivation and navigation skills in K-9 students. WebQuest demonstrates ways to integrate games, Internet communication facilities, Web-based courseware, and database techniques together in order to assist learning. The following guidelines for…

This paper describes a University of Girona (Spain) project in which an interdisciplinary group has created an integrated platform for teachers to use to create and publish dynamic and interactive teaching materials that make use of new information technologies. Project objectives are summarized and an overview is provided of the functions of the…