Understanding Hypermedia

Hyper media is nothing but multimedia, but this time packaged as an educational computer software  where information is presented and student activities are integrated in a virtual learning environment.Most  educational IT applications are hypermedia and include:

• Tutorial software packages
• Knowledge webpages
• Simulation instructional games
• Learning project management, and other

Characteristics of hypermedia applications

There are two important features that are outstanding---among other features--- that characterize the hypermedia software:

• Learner control. This means the learner makes his own decision on the path, flow or event of instruction.
• Learner wide range of navigation routes. For the most part learner control the sequence and pace of his path depending on his ability and motivation.

Variety of media

 Hypermedia still does not replace life's experience and learning from nature and life. This is the saying that information and communication technology cannot replace the teacher altogether. Note that even technologists admit that the computer has an IQ of zero and depend on what man can input or make of it. GIGO or garbage-in, garbage out is the very first principle that should be remembered about the computer.

In the use of hypermedia the following instructional event will prove useful to the teacher:

• Get the learners' attention
• Recall prior learning
• Inform learners of lesson objectives
• Introduce the software and its distinctive features
• Guide learning. eliciting performance
• provide learning feedback
• assess performance
• Enhance retention and learning  transfer

Reflection

Hypermedia provides personalized learning activities as it helps those slow and poor learners. It gives activities suited to your learning objectives and needs. It presents variety of media that will really cater those fast and slow learners. Whereas in a traditional teaching methods, the teacher would take extra time, attention and effort to help the students who are slow in understanding the lessons. With that it gives teacher a hard time to develop new strategies and objectives for both fast and slow learners. So, it is really beneficial for the teacher to use hypermedia. It is also then possible for a teacher to let his students search, explore and discover in a traditional classroom. But with that, you need to provide the student an event to apply the learning, resources and materials as well as much time since the teacher has to take into consideration each one especially the slow learners.