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Electronic texts are an essential component of any e‐learning environment. This paper extends previous research on navigation and learning with electronic texts by examining the effects of a novel approach to navigation: allowing the learner to create their own navigation aids. We present two experimental studies investigating the effects of creating versus using A‐Z indexes and graphical maps on knowledge development and feelings of ownership for learning. Findings revealed that using a graphical map for navigation has advantages for knowledge development and for feelings of ownership, whereas creating a graphical map offers no significant benefits over plain hypertext; there were no benefits to using or creating A‐Z indexes over plain hypertext. It was also found in comparisons of using vs. creating graphical maps that high feelings of ownership were correlated with higher quality knowledge development. These findings have three major implications for designers of e‐learning environments: including graphical map navigation aids should be considered; designers should not assume that allowing learners to create their own navigation aids will improve learning; feelings of ownership for learning should be encouraged in learners.

This chapter focuses on networks comprised of explicit data sources and information and non-human machines as actors. As non-human actors, we include intelligent agents, robotics, and other forms of interactive artificial intelligence. All six facets of knowledge networks are explored. Given these networks’ peculiar nature, three facets have particular importance, including geography, topology, and relationships. The authors provide profiles of seven networks, including semantic and citation networks, webpage networks, communications and computer networks, and energy grids.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the use of LexiURL as a Web intelligence tool for collecting and analysing links to digital libraries, focusing specifically on the National electronic Library for Health (NeLH).

The Web intelligence techniques in this study are a combination of link analysis (web structure mining), web server log file analysis (web usage mining), and text analysis (web content mining), utilizing the power of commercial search engines and drawing upon the information science fields of bibliometrics and webometrics. LexiURL is a computer program designed to calculate summary statistics for lists of links or URLs. Its output is a series of standard reports, for example listing and counting all of the different domain names in the data.

Link data, when analysed together with user transaction log files (i.e. Web referring domains) can provide insights into who is using a digital library and when, and who could be using the digital library if they are “surfing” a particular part of the Web; in this case any site that is linked to or colinked with the NeLH. This study found that the NeLH was embedded in a multifaceted Web context, including many governmental, educational, commercial and organisational sites, with the most interesting being sites from the.edu domain, representing American Universities. Not many links directed to the NeLH were followed on September 25, 2005 (the date of the log file analysis and link extraction analysis), which means that users who access the digital library have been arriving at the site via only a few select links, bookmarks and search engine searches, or non‐electronic sources.

A number of studies concerning digital library users have been carried out using log file analysis as a research tool. Log files focus on real‐time user transactions; while LexiURL can be used to extract links and colinks associated with a digital library's growing Web network. This Web network is not recognized often enough, and can be a useful indication of where potential users are surfing, even if they have not yet specifically visited the NeLH site.

The purpose of this study is to build on previous research in hypermedia by including an investigation of the relationships between navigation tools, path patterns and mental representations with traditional measures of navigation outcomes. We examined the effects of four different spatial layouts on three facets of hypermedia use, performance, path patterns and mental representation, during an information search task. Typically, such measures are evaluated independently. We have sought to reveal what types of information in a navigation tool might mediate links between these three aspects of hypermedia use. The performance measures indicated that providing certain types of spatial information does not enhance speed, accuracy or economy but does enhance recall of page titles. Reference is then made to an earlier analysis on the dataset of path patterns using Multidimensional Scaling (MDS) which indicated that users’ paths reflected the most prominent type of information provided in the navigation tool. The MDS configurations were then compared to the results of a distance‐like ratings task using correlation and regression methods. Only users given explicit spatial cues in the navigation tool exhibited ratings that reflected the paths they had actually taken. Although spatial information may not impact surface performance measures such as speed and economy, spatial information does play a role in influencing where users go and the development of their mental representations of the material in a hyper document.

The purpose of this paper is to present some guidelines on how different means of information presentation can be used when conveying spatial information non-visually. The aim is to further the understanding of the qualities navigation aids for visually impaired individuals should possess.

A background in non-visual spatial perception is provided, and existing commercial and non-commercial navigation aids are examined from a user interaction perspective, based on how individuals with a visual impairment perceive and understand space.

The discussions on non-visual spatial perception and navigation aids lead to some user interaction design suggestions.

This paper examines navigation aids from the perspective of non-visual spatial perception. The presented design suggestions can serve as basic guidelines for the design of such solutions.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the context of cognitive load and the role of in-app controls that serve as visual aids to promote business process understanding and the use of accounting information system (AIS) for small business users.

In total, 164 participants from small- and medium-sized enterprises were invited to participate in an experiment with between-subjects 2×2 factorial design. Researchers provided two sets of manipulations in the form of in-app control aids, namely Navigation and Guidance. Groups of individuals either received both navigation and guidance, only navigation or only guidance, or no treatment at all. These four different groups were then tested by a range of tasks to measure user understanding on small business domain knowledge and accounting business process provided by the system.

The findings indicate that although several early indications were visually observed wherein Navigation and Guidance may help reduce individual cognitive load and hence provide potential value for a better understanding of business process, the statistical analysis has not yet been able to substantiate the differences. Despite visually supporting the hypotheses, neither Navigation nor Guidance proved significant on accuracy (scores), efficiency (time) and individual cognitive difficulties. It appears that a systematic training on the accounting process is arguably imperative in order to reduce the extraneous cognitive load due to a relative gap of accounting logic and users’ knowledge of their business process. Ultimately, it would promote the germane knowledge where the integration of user’s own business process and accounting process can manifest effectively.

Aligned with the findings of the research and its correlation with learning, apparently the learning process is not merely determined not only by the application control features being embedded, but also by the domain knowledge of individuals who interact with the system. Training related to the discussion of the accounting process should be conducted more intensively to minimize the gap between the knowledge upon the problems on individual business process and the mechanism of the accounting process.

This research takes a new approach in examining user acceptance toward an AIS by comparing task performance with and without the assistive devices, to assess how these visual aids may overcome the cognitive load of the individual.

In this quarterly review of government publications, the judgments expressed are those of the reviewer, Dr. Frederic J. O'Hara, professor of library science, Graduate Library School, Long Island University, Greenvale, New York 11548. Unless otherwise indicated, all items are depository items and may be purchased from the Super‐intendent of Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402. Dr. O'Hara does not handle the distribution of any documents.

VirtuNav is a haptic-, audio-enabled virtual reality simulator that facilitates persons with visual impairment to explore a 3D computer model of a real-life indoor location, such as a room or building. The purpose of this paper is to aid in pre-planning and spatial awareness, for a user to become more familiar with the environment prior to experiencing it in reality.

The system offers two unique interfaces: a free-roam interface where the user can navigate, and an edit mode where the administrator can manage test users, maps and retrieve test data.

System testing reveals that spatial awareness and memory mapping improve with user iterations within VirtuNav.

VirtuNav is a research tool for investigation of user familiarity developed after repeated exposure to the simulator, to determine the extent to which haptic and/or sound cues improve a visually impaired user’s ability to navigate a room or building with or without occlusion.

The application may prove useful for greater real world engagement: to build confidence in real world experiences, enabling persons with sight impairment to more comfortably and readily explore and interact with environments formerly unfamiliar or unattainable to them.

VirtuNav is developed as a practical application offering several unique features including map design, semi-automatic 3D map reconstruction and object classification from 2D map data. Visual and haptic rendering of real-time 3D map navigation are provided as well as automated administrative functions for shortest path determination, actual path comparison, and performance indicator assessment: exploration time taken and collision data.