Using Dynamic Hypertext to Create Multi-Purpose Textbooks

In textbooks the different topics are introduced in an order which is (supposedly) the best way for learning the subject at hand. Once the student masters the subject, most textbooks are not well suited for use as reference material, because related topics are not located near each other. This paper presents a framework for self-modifying hyperdocuments. A textbook, delivered as on-line hypertext, transforms itself into a reference book during the learning process. This is accomplished by modifying the link structure and the node contents each time a hypertext link is followed. This framework is illustrated by means of the courseware for an on-line course on “Hypermedia structures and systems”, developed at the Eindhoven University of Technology, and currently offered at six different universities in the Netherlands and Belgium, by means of World Wide Web technology.