Abstract
This article deals with the writing of hypertext during regular school lessons. We suppose that hypertext-environments can be used as “cognitive tools” to promote the comprehension of semantic relationships within a subject and the reflection about knowledge structures. From research on learning by writing traditional text (Bereiter & Scardamalia 1987), it can be expected that the constitutive features of “hypertext” must be comprehensible for leaner. In this study, we focus in particular on the question: Which metaphors are helpful to introduce the main idea of “hypertext” as a cognitive tool? In an explorative field study, we examined two parallel classes constructing hypertexts during their regular school lessons. The teachers in both classes used completely different metaphors to introduce the concept of hypertext. The metaphor chosen influenced both the structures of the completed hypertext-documents and the discussion about the subject matter. The space-metaphor seems to be especially appropriate to introduce the concept of hypertext to the learner in such a way that a creative interaction between the structure of the hypertext and the semantic structure of the subject could result. Three tests were administered to measure the degree to which knowledge about semantic relations and structures was acquired. The class that had discussed hypertext with spatial metaphors showed significantly better results than the parallel class.
Résumé
L’article concerne l’écriture d’hypertextes au cours de leçons à l’école. Les auteurs pensent que les environnements-hypertextes peuvent être utilisés comme “outils cognitifs” pour développer la compréhension des relations sémantiques relatives à un champ d’enseignement et la réflexion sur les structures de connaissances. A partir de la recherche sur l’apprentissage par l’écriture de textes traditionnels (Bereiter & Scardamalia, 1987), on peut faire l’hypothèse que les caractéristiques constitutives des hypertextes doivent être compréhensibles par les apprenants. Dans leur étude, les auteurs se focalisent en particulier sur la question suivante: quelles métaphores sont utiles pour introduire l’idée centrale d’hypertexte comme un outil cognitif? Dans une étude exploratoire de terrain, les auteurs examinent deux classes parallèles construisant des hypertextes pendant leurs séances scolaires habituelles. Dans chaque classe les enseignant utilisent des métaphores complètement différentes pour introduire le concept d’hypertexte. La métaphore choisie influence à la fois les structures des documents hypertextes réalisés et la discussion à propos de la discipline scolaire. La métaphore spatiale semble être particulièrement appropriée pour présenter le concept d’hypertexte à l’apprenant de façon à provoquer une interaction créative entre la structure de l’hypertexte et la structure sémantique du domaine étudié. Trois test ont été administrés pour mesurer le degré d’acquisition des connaissances concernant les relations sémantiques et les structures. La classe qui a discuté l’hypertexte avec des métaphores spatiales a obtenu des résultats significativement supérieurs à ceux de la classe parallèle.
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Bromme, R., Stahl, E. Spatial metaphors and writing hypertexts: Study within schools. Eur J Psychol Educ 14, 267–281 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03172969
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03172969