This thesis investigates the usability of an 800 page textbook compared with a hypertext version containing the same information. Hypertext is an interesting new medium in that it is seen as possessing advantages as both delivery technology that influence cost and access to information and design technology influencing student achievement. Unfortunately the proclamations of its advocates have usually exceeded empirical findings. Also, rapid advances in both hardware and software are necessitating the frequent re-evaluation of contemporary hypertext. In addition to an up-to-date evaluation of the relative performance of book and hypertext supporting set tasks, the research reported in this thesis also sought to specifically analyse the potential role individual differences could play within media evaluation. To do this the cognitive styles and spatial ability of 57 postgraduate student volunteers, from two computer related diplomas, were measured. Half the subjects were then randomly assigned to a Book group and half to a Hypertext group. Each group was then allocated the same amount of time to complete two separate tasks: 1) short answer questions analysing the basic information retrieval potential of each medium, and one week later 2) four open-ended short essay questions. Surprisingly, subjects assigned to the Book group performed significantly better than those assigned to the Hypertext group for Task 1. The mean academic performance of subjects (the mean mark obtained over the 8 modules of their diploma) predicted most variance in Task 1 performance for both groups. However, with Task 2, the cognitively more demanding exercise, none of the measured individual differences could significantly predict the scores of subjects. Another surprising finding, given that all subjects were studying computing, was that the amount of prior computing experience was found to approach significance for those subjects assigned to Hypertext for Task 1. Given the ease with which this particular individual difference could be manipulated it was decided to run a second experiment employing -subjects with more experience of the Hypertext system used. The results from this second cohort showed no significant differences in score for either task between Book or Hypertext. However, as the more qualitative data from a questionnaire showed, there are a large number of different factors and issues that contribute to the ultimate acceptability of one medium compared with the other. The thesis concludes by recommending a number of possible avenues for future research looking at the role hypertext has to play in the construction of hyperlibraries and Virtual Learning Environments.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:392982 |
| Date | January 2001 |
| Creators | Wilkinson, Simon |
| Contributors | Crerar, Alison |
| Publisher | Edinburgh Napier University |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/Output/7358 |
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