Browsing by Subject "Hypertext systems"
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Item A comparative study of two electronic textbook interface design metaphors relative to learner self-efficacy, attitudes, and learning orientation(Texas Tech University, 2002-12) Unfred, David WayneSociety is in the midst of an information revolution powered by increasingly rapid advances in digital technologies that are augmented by virtual instantaneous global dissemination. Traditional modes of cognition and learning, that are bound to language more than visual form, are being redefined in a digital multimedia culture. Textbooks are an important component of most educational designs. With respect to electronic textbooks, fundamental issues remained to be resolved. These issues include identification of factors that motivate a learner to use (and learn from) a textbook in electronic form. Studies focusing on digital environments, such as Web-based and computer-based instruction, have demonstrated learner disorientation and an increased cognitive load placed on the learner. Similar demands are placed on learners interfacing with an electronic textbook, which can be delivered in both Web-mediated and computer-mediated forms. Textbooks are an important component of most educational designs. Although the use electronic textbooks as substitutes for traditional expository printed textbooks are still a relatively novel phenomenon, issues remain to be resolved. A major goal is the elucidation of factors that motivate the learner to both use and learn from a "textbook" in digital form. This comparative study examined the significance of specific affect and conative constructs relative to learner performance in two design metaphors for electronic textbooks: Internet Browser and 3-D Book representation. Another focus of this study was to provide insight into electronic textbook designs that promote increased learner satisfaction. Learner orientation and self-efficacy beliefs have been selected as constructs that affect learner attitudes and performance, as well as learner preference in a variety of digitally mediated environments. This study also sought to extend the applicability of the Learning Orientation Model which has been developed to identify the influences of affective, conative, and social factors on learning, to an electronic textbook environment, as well as seek out a possible interaction between the Learning Orientation Model and the affect constructs measured in this study. Significant effects were found for interface designs, learning orientation and gender with respect to attitude measures, self-efficacy beliefs, and post-treatment achievement. Learner attitudes based on positively-stated and negatively-stated items focused on feelings toward the electronic textbook as well as eliciting opinions on the functionality of the electronic textbook. In this study attitudes that expressed opinions regarding the functionality of the electronic textbook were significant. The Transforming-Performing (T-P) learning orientation group demonstrated a more favorable opinion for the applicability and utility of the Internet Browser interface design over the 3-D Book interface. Conversely, the Conforming-Resistant (C-R) group demonstrated preference for the 3-D Book interface design over the Internet Browser. The T-P group also indicated a more positive attitude toward the functionality of the Internet Browser interface for an electronic textbook. The self-efficacy subscale reflecting the participant confidence for manipulating downloads and multimedia files in an electronic textbook indicated that gender was a significant factor. Significance vv as found between treatments, i.e., the Internet browser and 3-D Book interface designs with respect to post-treatment achievement, although no significant difference was observed with en-route task completion or performance. In this study, participants using the 3-D Book interface had a significantly higher proportion of correct responses than those using the Internet Browser interface design for the electronic textbook.Item A methodology for design of the intranet as a hyperdocument application(Texas Tech University, 1998-08) Lee, Seung C.The overall research question arising from the problem described is how to organize and represent hyperdocuments to be put on an Intranet implemented as a hyperdocument application? This question leads to several other questions. First, how to identify user information needs? Second, how to organize information into global and local structures? Third, how to present the global and local information structures to users?Item Development of a goal-driven analysis for requirements definition in hypertext information systems supporting complex-problem solving(Texas Tech University, 1999-05) Albers, Michael JoelWhen engaged in open-ended problem solving, the user must evaluate information from multiple sources. Unfortunately, people find it difficult to effectively search for and integrate multiple sources of information, requiring the system to provide the information in a manner which relates to the context of the problem. Also, rather than needing information in pre-defined ways, the viewing order and specific information requires changes with each problem. As a result, the methods used in conventional task analysis, which focus on defining the individual steps of a well-defined sequence, fail to provide good requirements for systems intended for supporting open-ended problem solving. Rather than focusing on individual steps, this dissertation develops a goal-driven analysis methodology based on defining and relating user's goals and information needs. Unlike a task-based analysis, the goal-driven analysis methodology revolves around uncovering the user's goals, the information needed to achieve those goals, and the contextual relationships between information elements. The analysis strives to uncover the major potential problem-solving paths and the information required to support following those paths, to provide the problem solver with varied routes to solving a specific problem. The unique feature of goal-driven analysis is that, throughout the methodology, it focuses on maintaining a connection between the user's goals, information needs, and problem context. This dissertation integrates the technical communication, cognitive psychology, and situation awareness literature, and explores the socio/cognitive aspects of information design as they relate to complex problem solving. It begins by arguing that effective information presentation requires a match between the user's mental model, the real-world context, and the factors which contribute to situation awareness. The dissertation then derives a four-step methodology: ethnography, interviews, scenario development, and group discussion, to develop a goal/information diagram which captures a graphical representation of the user's goals and information needs. The goal/information diagram then becomes the foundation for the analyst to use when developing system requirements. The dissertation also provides an extended example of how to perform a goal-driven analysis.Item Hypermedia instructional design methodology(Texas Tech University, 2001-05) Kuruvalli, BharathThis thesis discusses the need for a simple hypermedia instructional design methodology. The main objective of this methodology is to aid educators in creating a well-structured hypermedia application. This methodology focuses on the decomposition of the knowledge base as well as the navigational and interface aspects of the hypermedia application. The decomposition of the knowledge base is done using object oriented text decomposition techniques. Guidelines for the design of the navigation and interface of the application are defined as part of the design methodology. The navigational structure of the hypermedia application developed is validated using nodal metrics. The software tool that automates the methodology is intended to help educators in creating simple and efficient hypermedia applications.Item The nature of cognitive tool use in a hypermedia learning environment(2004) Bera, Stephan John; Svinicki, Marilla D., 1946-; Liu, Min, Ed. D.Item A study of communications between subject matter experts and individual students in electronic mail contexts(2001-05) Jones, James Gregory; Harris, JudiThis study examines the nature of exchanges between subject matter experts and individual students when using electronic mail for educational discourse on specific curriculum-related topics. Teams were selected from those that communicated using the Electronic Emissary between February 1993 and December 1999. A team is defined as a group of people who exchanged at least ten messages about a curriculum-related topic, and is comprised of a subject matter expert, a teacher, a student, and an on-line facilitator. A collaborative process based on qualitative analysis of message functions/speech acts was conducted on exchanged electronic mail. Frequency of occurrence of each type of exchange was calculated, and patterns of exchanges by participants, according to their participant roles and over time, were charted. After message function/speech acts were determined, informant-centered, semi-structured interviews of all team members who could be contacted were conducted. This added participants’ perspectives of the process of Emissary-facilitated interchange to the previously identified patterns of flow and functions, thus creating a richer understanding of one-to-one telementoring. Themes that emerged included the effects participants’ schedules can have on their communication habits, how different age groups have different priorities and schedules, how technical circumstances influences communications, and how participants’ roles shifted during discourse. The younger students were more available for open-ended discourse and had the time to sustain the communications. These sustained exchanges evolved into substantial mentoring relationships. The project-based matches remained question-and-answer dialogs and the participants were less satisfied with their experiences. The willingness of participants to shift roles had a major impact on the quality of discourse. When one or more of the primary roles were absent, the match, while still successful, suffered in some form. As the Internet and other telecommunications media become more accessible and affordable in the home, exchanges involving students using electronic mail to communicate with subject matter experts will become more commonplace. It is important to understand this individualized exchange dynamic. These results could be used to enhance communication and learning opportunities by classroom teachers and home schooling parents who want to provide subject matter experts as mentors for individual students.Item The effects of cognitive tempo and training in a hypermedia learning environment on navigation patterns, learning achievement, and self-efficacy(Texas Tech University, 1997-05) Yu, KeshengThe major purposes of this study were to determine the main cognitive tempo (reflection vs. impulsivity) effect on the approach to hypermedia instruction, learning achievement, and self-efficacy in a hypermedia learning environment. The present study also investigated the main training (training vs. no training) effect on navigation pattems, learning achievement, and self-efficacy in a hypermedia learning environment. In addition, the interaction effects of cognitive tempo (reflection vs. impulsivity) and training (training vs. no training) on navigation patterns, leaming achievement, and self-efficacy were investigated in a hypermedia learning environment to determine which type of learners benefit more from training treatment. One hundred and eleven college students from a state university in northwest Texas voluntarily participated in this experiment. This quasi-experimental study involved a 2 X 2 factorial design. Results found no significance on navigation patterns measured by number of resource nodes visited, time spent at resource nodes, and nonlinearity of navigation sequence between students with different cognitive styles. However, relatively reflective students visited more resource nodes and stayed longer on resource nodes than the relatively impulsive students. No significant results were found on student learning achievement. It was shown that the relatively impulsive students performed as well as the relatively reflective students. The results found that the relatively reflective students had a significantly higher self-efficacy score than relatively impulsive students. No significant results were obtained for the training effect. Students with different cognitive styles did not significantly benefit from different treatments (training vs. no training).