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Faculty Committee: |
Dr. Carrie Heeter (heeter@msu.edu) Dr. Don Weinshank (weinshan@cps.msu.edu) Dr. Bill Punch (punch@cps.msu.edu)
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Abstract: |
The Knowledge Encoding and Retrieval Tool (KERT) project is an attempt to resolve many of the deficiencies found in hypermedia systems. KERT is composed of an underlying hypermedia structure coupled with a comprehensive set of navigational and learning tools to more fully realize the power of hypermedia for thinking and learning. It is both a multimedia developers tool and an end-user environment. A KERT knowledge web contains a large collection of "documents," each of which integrates multimedia content elements (text, sound, graphics, digital video, and interactive elements). Reduced navigational disorientation and guided discovery learning are achieved by providing the user with a series of paths through the knowledge web. A path is a linear series of documents that represent a focused, contextual tour through part of the nonlinear web of documents. "Contextual glue", in the form of comments and questions, is attached to each document in a path to clarify how the document fits into the context of the path, to provide a smooth flow of information between documents, and to provide a means of testing the users comprehension. A document can be contained in multiple paths, hence a user can view the same document in multiple perspectives. Associational hyperlinks within the documents provide users with opportunities to explore their own interests that may be tangential to a path. A log of experiences is automatically constructed as the user navigates through the hyperweb. The log can be used to review or return to any document that has been viewed. The user can construct their own paths using the log of experiences and their own contextual glue. These paths can then be distributed to and explored by others.
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Final Paper: |
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