There seems to be something distinctly adult about using hypertext. Children are, of course, physically capable of creating a link between two pages, but the idea of thinking through just what they want to connect between seems to demand a rather complex degree of abstract thinking. On the other hand, this is precisely the sort of activity that can be a true learning experience. Reading hypertext demands a rather high degree of reader involvement. The reader must choose when and where to click, and what is, and what isn't, important to his or her needs. This skill can be learned via extensive reading experience, but perhaps experience with creating those links is the best way to acquire it. When we ask our pupils to decide what sort of connections they wish to make, and to choose precisely where those connections should be situated, we are essentially requiring them to become active readers who interact with the text, and self-aware writers who understand the flow of the text they have written. It may be difficult, but it is definitely something that can be worthwhile.

Go to: Wait a second! Hypertext in the School of Education?, or
Go to: Trying to make some sense out of all this, or
Go to: An introduction to the extroduction, or
Go to: Web Essays - The evolution of a (personal?) medium