Hypertext for Learning

Bush [1], Engelbart [2], and Nelson [3] were among the first to propose systems that augment the human intellect by managing information stored in what is now called hypertext. These early proponents had a strong sense that the connections in hypertext were linked ideas, that associations could be easily and arbitrarily forged, and that information could be personalized, freely annotated, freely viewed, and readily accessed. They proposed systems that offer a direct manipulation approach to information management and rely heavily on the user’s increased use of visual cues, spatial reasoning, and associative thought. The revolutionary content of their ideas was, and continues to be, the extent to which these systems engage the user as an active participant in interactions with information.