A Development Tool for E-learning Applications

Task information support on the Web is not always an easy and straightforward process. Much of the information is inaccurate, biased, out-of-date, or just not thorough enough. The Internet has emerged as an active resource for the average student. It has also provided a universal, yet independent, platform for educators for over a decade now. Conversely, many useful and exciting educational tools have evolved from the Internet’s promising example. Hypertext and hypermedia offer students a visual and hands on experience that class lecture and the traditional textbook may not be able to offer. In this paper we discuss the effectiveness of context-based hypertext and hypermedia to enhance student learning in computer science courses. Computer science students (group 1 – freshman and sophomores, group 2 – juniors and seniors) that used hypertext and hypermedia in the prerequisite course, programming CSI, had higher performance in academic activities (test and/or quizzes) than those who had the option to use hypertext and hypermedia in the advance course, Software Engineering.