This paper defined hypermedia in education as the simultaneous use of different sorts of media used for instructional purposes. Ten reasons were given for why hypermedia is useful for the educational system.
Cited reasons included such information as the fact that it has been associated with improving students writing, reading, and thinking skills. Following these reasons, the paper went on to cite several examples of how hypermedia is being used to instruct not only students but also teachers receiving inservice training. The final subject examined in the paper centered around the changes that might be expected in society as a result of the continued and increasing use of hypermedia as an instructional method. Changes were discussed not only in terms of how they will or can effect general society but also how they can or will affect the smaller "society" that comprises the collective of the educational system itself.
What is hypermedia? Why should it be used in education? How is it currently being used in education--especially in early childhood education? And, what are the possible consequences of its educational uses on the socio-cultural fabric of our society? This paper examines theory and research aimed at answering these questions.
Hypermedia: Definition And Reasons For Its Use In Education
Charp (1993) defines hypermedia, as used in the educational setting, as the use of two or more media for instructional purposes, e.g. the simultaneous use of photos, graphs, sound animation, and video. According to Peck and Dorricott (1994) there are ten crucial reasons why hypermedia should be used in the education system. These reasons are:
(1) Hypermedia such as videodisc technologies and computers can used to individualize instruction thereby compensating for the fact that students learn and develop at different rates and increasing levels of student learning.
(2) Society is increasingly in need of t...