Course Assignments Using Hypertext

AbstractThe Intermedia system developed by Iris at Brown University has supported the teaching of four separate English courses and provided important experience with designing out-of-class assignments for use with such hypertext systems. To derive the greatest educational advantage from hypertext, course assignments should exploit its intrinsic emphases upon making connections between blocks of text, modifying distinctions between reader and writer, student and teacher, and encouraging collaborative learning. The following article examines both introductory and more advanced assignments and provides examples of how students responded to such exercises.