Web-Based Learning and Online Courses

¶ … Web-based learning and online courses become increasingly common, educators are seeking the most effective methods of delivering text materials digitally to students. Students usually prefer reading hard copies of weighty tomes, but in "Developing Text for Web-based Instruction," Davis points out the possibilities of hypertext and related technological tools. Digital texts allow instructors to embed notes and questions in the core material, permit cross-referencing for more robust learning experiences, and may even enhance some learners' comprehension. Advancements in technology, both hardware and software, have made the online reading experience more fruitful than it ever has been in the past. The future offers enormous potential for educators to create and disseminate course materials digitally.

Davis notes that students approach online reading differently than they approach hard copy reading. Because of the different styles of reading digital texts, instructors need to create reader-friendly graphics and ample insertion of hyperlinks. The structure, or architecture, of an instructional site can in many ways be more conducive to learning than a hard copy course reader because the student can navigate through various materials with greater ease. Hyperlinked tables of contents and indexes are tremendous time-savers as well as navigational aides. The non-linear presentation of digital texts appeals to learners adept at spatial relations, or those who appreciate metaphors. Hypertext allows learners to create and understand conceptual links between current course material and new or prior knowledge.