Evaluating Hypermedia-Based Learning

Each time a new technology is applied to teaching and learning, questions about fundamental principles and methods arise. Television and computers, for example, have raised issues related to learning theory, curricula (content, sequence) and methods (delivery, evaluation). Educational technologists are forever reconciling the tensions between learning theory and the practical applications of technology to instruction [1]. The current interest in hypermedia as an educational technology once again raises these issues. The purpose of this paper is to propose a multi-faceted approach to evaluating hypermedia-based learning with particular emphasis on the learning process. This approach is aimed at projects that assume that learning is a constructive process that includeds hands-on activities as well as traditional expository methods. The methods discussed apply to a variety of hypermedia systems and are meant to help designers and instructors assess the effectiveness of hypermedia-based learning.