The Effects of Visible Link-Types on Learning in the Hypertext Environment: An Empirical Study

Abstract

This chapter examines the effects of a proposed approach to promoting the use of hypertext for learning. Hypertext researchers and designers have noticed the analogy of hypertext structures to semantic networks. Two homogeneous groups were involved in the investigation. The two groups used different versions of a hypertext learning system. One version with visible link-types, the other without. The authors compare both the learning outcomes and learning processes of the two groups. The results indicate that labelling links explicitly with the semantic relations has a positive influence on learning outcomes. The improvement score is the difference between subject’s pre- and post-test scores on the hypertext questionnaire. The mean improvement scores were 5.6 for Group A and 3.8 for Group B. The difference between the mean improvement scores for the two groups was 1.8. By applying the Mann-Whitney test to the individual improvement scores for the two groups, the result showed that the difference was significant.