Week 2- Hypermedia & Multimedia: Summary

This chapter introduces Hypermedia as a modern and powerful mode of communication and discusses its potential as a learning medium. The initial sections define Hypermedia as a confluence of Hypertext and Multimedia. Hypertext is the mapping of topics to their detailed contents via URLs, a ubiquitous feature of web pages that we continuously encounter on the internet. It has practically invented browsing, a new way of referencing and accessing information. Multimedia is the technical term for information content that has features to stimulate multiple sensory organs like audio/video clippings, photographs or graphics illustrations. A combination of Hypertext and Multimedia creates Hypermedia, a unique way of organizing and delivering information. It has been popular in recent years due to the advent of technology, which has enabled computers to process Multimedia data at high speed making it easier to create content.

The next few sections describe how Hypermedia could be used in school curriculums to benefit learning. Students could take ownership of the learning process and can author Hypermedia content to illustrate their understanding of a specific subject. They can collaborate in small groups, organize their research and assign tasks to create illustrations and thereby promoting learning from a passive to an active process. In addition to grasping the core topic, the task of ‘designing knowledge’ also trains the students in team-building, project management and presentation skills, which are vital in the

real-world.

The article eventually discusses a few practical challenges associated with introducing Hypermedia in classroom. Apart from the fact that it is expensive, it is also quite time intensive. Students need to train themselves with Hypermedia tools, collaborate on projects and spend considerable time organizing their research content. However, the use of Hypermedia in education empowers the learners, motivates them and hones their skills in analysis and creative thinking. As a result, the author concludes with conviction that it is a key element of education for future.