· It is an extension of the term hypertext, a nonlinear medium of information which includes graphics, audio, video, plain text and hyperlinks. This contrasts with the broader term multimedia, which may include non-interactive linear presentations as well as hypermedia. It is also related to the field of electronic literature. The term was first used in a 1965 article by Ted Nelson.
· A database format similar to hypertext in which text, sound, or video images related to that on a display can be accessed directly from the display.
Advantages of Hypermedia · Hypermedia can be more effective than traditional schooling by keep students' attention easier, students become more involved in their learning process, and information is accessed more quickly.
· Hypermedia is assumed to foster interest and motivation. It may “hold” the students attention by letting them feel more in control of their learning. Since motivation is a concern, hypermedia may motivate students to participate more in learning, rather than being “fed” information from a more traditional source. Involving students in the decision of their learning process should increase their interest in the content and foster their motivation to learn. (Scheiter & Gerjets, 2007).
· It hasthe ability to quickly follow links and look up related material. A researcher can quickly trace references both backward and forward, a task which is time consuming with printed material. The student can browse material and find new information as a subject area is explored. Students can control how they navigate through the information. Students are also given opportunities to find additional information and links of concepts, while sharing information. Information encountered can trigger new ideas, and associations can be followed in a convenient matter (McAleese 1989).
· Teachers can use hypermedia to meet the learning styles of all students. According to Merrill (1980), hypermedia environments enable instruction that is adapted to the learners’ preferences and cognitive needs, for instance, to their prior knowledge level.
· With hypermedia, students can create their own adventure. If students themselves create or manipulate data in hypermedia (i.e., control the creation and linking of nodes or cards in hyperstacks), they should have better conceptual maps of the information. (Means, Blando, Olson, Middleton, & Mororcco, 1993)
| Disadvantages of Hypermedia · Some disadvantages are usability problems such as disorientation, distraction, and cognitive overload.
· Disorientation occurs when users do not know where they are in the network, where they want to go next or how to get there (Conklin 1987; Dias et al. 1999; Edwards and Hardman 1989; Foss 1989).
· Distraction occurs when Students get lost from their purpose or assignment. Information presented in a non-linear format may be presented in a more complex form. Problems of distraction occur “when users notice too many relevant topics to explore in parallel or too many interesting things that distract attention away from the main task” (Foss 1989, p.4).
· Information overload or cognitive overload, coined by Alvin Toffler, refers to the difficulty a person can have understanding an issue and making decisions that can be caused by the presence of too much information.
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