A Model of Hypertextual Structure and Organization

Abstract

Nowadays, many educational services are offered through computers, and the fast spread of hypertexts impose a careful reflection to all experts, both on its structure and its organization design to reach an effective adaptation to the customer target and to the context of use. The problematic gains its greatest importance in the specific case of introduction and use of hypertextual support in the primary school, where structure, navigability, friendliness and coherence represent open key issues (Panto, 1999). Unfortunately, a standard of reference does not exist currently; it would predispose modalities of navigation, define rules and conventions on the quality of the information provided, or outline the relationship previewed in every node (Norman, 1994). Therefore, it is difficult to translate the educational plan into an effective and functional unit without a tutorial guidance. The objective of this contribution concerns the location of a “reasoned” hypertextual structure and organization in a systemic view of all the features, in order to identify a careful instructional model design.