Abstract
AbstractSite maps provide learners with a bird's eye view of a hypertext's content. The site map principle proposes that learners can benefit from appropriately structured site maps. Site maps can reduce cognitive load and orient learners in a hypertext. While their ability to augment learning for advanced learners in a domain has not been demonstrated (perhaps due to lack of study), there is evidence that they can be effective learning tools for domain newcomers. Laboratory work has also shown that other user variables such as learning goals mediate the process of learning with site maps. How these variables interact with each other or with specific map traits to affect learning is a question requiring further research. Nonetheless, it is recommended that developers and researchers consider characteristics of the intended users when designing site maps for educational hypertext.What Is the Site Map Principle?Site maps offer a bird's eye view of a hypermedia site, allowing users to get a sense of the site's content and structure. They can appear in different forms and levels of detail. In its simplest form, a site map may appear as a traditional table of contents that provides a “manifest” of a site's topics. A site map may be much more detailed, however, as it may provide a graphical representation of the site's documents and even the network of links connecting them. In this way, a site map may appear as a graphical web.