This is a minority research initiation (MRI) planning grant. The research will investigate three issues in the usability of hypertext related to skill level. The approach to be taken will address the learning issue by long durations to assess performance during browsing activities as a function of skill development. Improvement in hypertext usage via new control mechanisms will be studied by embedding an expert-tutor/advisor within the hypertext system to monitor student progress. The proper amount of control will be studied as a function of user skill and subgroups (high-control seekers versus low-control seekers). The final aspect is to study how different users navigate a hypertext document. Specifically, are there identifiable paths or strategies taken for users with different strategies, styles, skills or motivations.
