1. Simplify navigation. Szabo (1998) defines navigation as "the process of acquiring information from a rich multimedia data base that has no obvious organizational pattern" (p. 6). Guay (as cited in Fahy 1999, 191-192) advises that navigation should be intuitive, clear, flowing. "Poorly thought out hypertext is a navigational nightmare of tangled mazes, infinite loops, cul-de-sacs, and dead links. So don’t start linking without thinking." Similarly Dede (1996, 13) argues that "without skilled facilitation, many learners who access current knowledge webs will flounder in a morass of unstructured data."
   
   
2. Create effective menus. Well-designed menus help learners develop an accurate mental model of the structure being searched. To design more effective menus, Szabo (1996, 55) advises: (a) avoid using conflicting or confusing orienting devices, as disorientation interferes with the learning task; (b) develop organizational systems that are highly visual, interactive, and intuitive; (c) use embedded menus as a search aid, but make sure these menus actually meet learning needs and do not create disorientation; and (d) keep menus shallow but meaningful; use icons supplemented by text.
   
   
3. Include indexes, table of contents, and search capabilities. Fahy (1999, 188) advises that navigation, for instructional purposes, can be aided substantially if the following functions and capabilities are designed into WebPages:
   
   index - of contents of the site;
   glossary - of terms, vocabulary, etc., with pronunciation;
   related links page - to enable further study, but to avoid unnecessary browsing;
   searching - using an efficient engine;
   online help - to ensure no user is left without assistance;
   bookmarking - to simplify return to specific parts of the site; and
   notebook - to allow recording of notes, including cut-and-paste from on-line materials.
   
   
4. Clearly identify content with appropriate headings and titles. The title of the site should reflect its purpose and audience.
   
   
5. Place most important information on the top-left. Important information should go to the top-left. The lower-left is the least noticed area of the page/screen (Rockley 1997 as cited in Fahy 1999, 145).

© 1999 by Peter J. Patsula