In authoring hypertext, the designer comes across several issues that can have an impact on whether or not the instruction will attain its goal of providing an environment suitable for learning. It has been my experience that not all hypertext is facilitory to learning. In fact, in many websites I have had the uncomfortable feelings of being disoriented, where I have no idea where I am in relation to anything else; under serious cognitive overload such that I am so overwhelmed with the vast amounts of information and trying to keep track of where I am; and finally, I have become easily distracted, temporarily forgetting my learning objective as I get carried away along various links. As a result, my learning time was definitely increased, and often I completely gave up. So, it is my attempt to give designers an idea of what the research has said about hypertext, and some tips on better hypertext design.
 

Topic	A Brief Description
Structure of the Hypertext	Hypertext can be organized in a linear, hierarchical, nonlinear fashion or a combination of these.
The Interaction Between the Learner's Prior Knowledge and the Hypertext	Learn how the learner's prior knowledge and experience can effect how the learner navigates the hypertext.
Navigational Aids and Strategies	The hypertext designer can enlist these aids and strategies in order to facilitate learning.
References and Links	A list of journal articles and books I used to research this topic. Plus, some interesting and informational websites I've encountered.