Faculty authoring of course-specific software for disadvantaged nursing students using LinkWay: a case study

This article adds to the literature on the use of hypermedia systems for software development in nursing education by describing design and authoring considerations in the construction of course-specific remediating software. In 1991, under the guidance of an instructional designer, faculty members developed LinkWay folders on aspects of the endocrine system for remedial use by students in Project Get Ahead in Nursing at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville. Existing content outlines were modified according to design criteria, including representing information graphically, making the software translation interactive, embedding visual prompts and cues, and conforming to a specific design protocol. The use of LinkWay in facilitating the implementation of both procedural of both procedural and screen protocol is discussed, and several screen templates are presented, including menus, multiple choice, short answer, multiple choice browsing, and end-of-section evaluation. Current project status and conclusions for remediation using a hypermedia approach are discussed.