摘要:

Since its conception, hypertext has attracted the attention of educators and psychologists alike. Although a great deal is known about learning from text, little is understood about the process of learning from hypertext or what benefit it offers over traditional text. This study is an attempt to (a) determine whether theories of learning from text may be extended to learning from hypertext, and (b) learn more about the general effectiveness of hypertext on learning. Seventy-two college undergraduates participated in a study of hypertext-based learning. Each participant was assigned to work with one of three hypertext systems. All systems contained the same documents. Two of these contained the same electronic links (pathways) between documents and the third system condition served as a control. It was presented as a digitized book (linear text) rather than as a linked system. Participants' navigation behavior was logged electronically as they worked. Posttests included an essay, a series of short-answer questions, and a concept mapping task. Analyses revealed that learning from hypertext bears many similarities to learning from text, as the predictions made by Kintsch's (1988) construction integration model were borne out. System structure systematically altered what was learned from hypertext, just as characteristics of text alter text-based learning. System structure was also relevant to the way in which learners approached the material, as navigation behavior was affected. The less structured system seems to have promoted more active processing and a deeper level of learning. In addition, hypertext was revealed to have only limited educational benefit for users in this study. Although no benefit of either hypertext system was observed over the linear system on the essay or short-answer questions, it was revealed that the presence of system links affects internal representations: Participants who were exposed to the hypertext systems produced concept maps that largely reflected their system links. Results are examined with reference to cognitive theory and the implication for system design is discussed.

ISSN:0737-0024    

DOI:10.1207/s15327051hci1301_1

出版商:Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.    

年代:1998

数据来源: Taylor

摘要:

The HCI community has become increasingly interested in analyzing the organizational context of systems design (e.g., Curtis, Krasner, & Iscoe, 1988). Previous work has focused on product development organizations in identifying organizational constraints on the work of system designers (Grudin, 1991b). This case study focuses on the working practices of internal system developers as they both developed a new IT system for the organization and managed the concomitant process of change. Here the organizational context (in terms of shared beliefs, politics and inter- and intragroup relations) is seen as informing both the manner in which the project was conducted and, to some extent, the customization of the product. The role of internal system developers as organizational change agents is highlighted, with emphasis on their image management and political strategies in effecting change.

ISSN:0737-0024    

DOI:10.1207/s15327051hci1301_2

出版商:Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.    

年代:1998

数据来源: Taylor

摘要:

The idea of aiding as cognitive support is to offer the user the knowledge he or she is missing. Recently, we developed a design method for aiding that is based on explicit requirements of the human problem solver. This proved to be able to supplement a lack of human knowledge in a statistical analysis task. In this article we extend the aiding concept to time-pressured tasks and we investigate whether aiding can supplement lack of knowledge and capacity under tasks with high mental loading, such as dealing with irregularities in process control. We developed a simulator of the workplace of a railway traffic controller with an aiding function for dealing with irregularities (e.g., a switch getting out of order). Application of the design method proved to be possible for this task. We then conducted an experiment to study effects of the aiding on task performance, mental effort, and learning under low and high task load conditions. Users of the simulator dealt better and faster with irregularities when the computer provided aiding. The higher the task load was, the larger this beneficial effect was. For theory about human-computer interaction, this research points to possible positive effects of aiding on performance and learning as a consequence of reducing cognitive demands.

ISSN:0737-0024    

DOI:10.1207/s15327051hci1301_3

出版商:Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.    

年代:1998

数据来源: Taylor