Hypertext for training ====================== 500 year-old The basic formula for most classroom activities comes from approach Thomas Aquinas, who stood at the front and lectured ============ -- because Thomas was the only one in the room who had books. And five centuries later, this model is still in use. But, instead of 30 aspiring scholars acquiring knowledge from rapt concentration, most teaching is closer to: 旼컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴커 � Event Students listening Students daydreaming � � Recess bell 30 0 � � Discussion 12 18 � � Explanations 5 25 � � Lecture 3 27 � � Question answered 1 29 � � Business meeting 0 30 � 읕컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴켸 Why this diminished capacity to learn from others? Unlike, Why people are their information-starved contemporaries of 500 years ago, less teachable today's students are over-fed and burdened by a the ============== never-ending assault of information -- and with little training to separate the wheat from the chaff. Limit the People want you to "show me the answer and let me integrate it information myself." Solutions are often more desired than knowledge. =========== Hypertext, because of its expedience, very easily transfers knowledge to people who are information over-loaded. Basic concept The fundamental principle in organizing hypertext systems ============= is to make access to any desired information intuitively obvious and obtainable within less than a dozen keystrokes. The relationships between information units must be very clear so that the users naturally acquire the structure of the system of information (which is knowledge). Benefits Advantages of this approach are: ======== 旼컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴커 � - desired (clean) information with the fat removed � � - hypertext that is easy and obvious to use � � - users successful in solving information needs � � - a system of knowledge acquired through use � � - reduced need for and expenses of training � 읕컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴켸 Low interest Typically, with classroom knowledge for college students: in knowledge ============ 5% are interested in the knowledge itself 20% are interested in the grade instead of the knowledge 75% are interested in anything but the knowledge These ratios are no different with most military and industrial training programs. So, what can hypertext do to reduce training costs? What to do? Hypertext converts users who have passive attitudes toward =========== information into active browsers of systems of knowledge. In one sense, hypertext "menuizes" everything to constantly prompt (or prod) users at every point into making active choices that lead to information. For that reason, regardless of initial attitudes toward learning, hypertext formats entice users into acquiring knowledge. That makes hypertext a most effective substitute for portions of most training. References: --------------------------------------------- Hypertext, use in advertising Hypertext, craftsmanship and Hypertext, reasons for reading