Hypertext authors and researchers have worked with the concept of paths for some time (see, e.g., Trigg, 1988; Zellweger, 1989), but recent developments in web authoring languages have dramatically simplified implementation of this feature. As has been stated, a path describes a specific traversal of nodes within a network of documents. In a sense, a path is like the “history” function on your browser that allows you to move backward and forward node by node through previously visited sites.

What distinguishes a path from a browser history is that the former can be specified before the user begins a traversal and it can provide links to sites that have no connections built in by the original author(s). These are particularly important features from an instructional perspective. The capacity to define a path traversal allows an instructor to impose an organizational framework based both on the particular network of nodes selected and on a specific sequence in which they will be visited. The capacity to insert links ensures that an instructor will not be limited to those links that others have defined. Not only does this afford a greater degree of integration of content-related sites, it also provides a means to include new material as content on the web grows.

If you are interested in exploring the concept of a path a bit more directly, consider rereading this article in its path-based version. You may also be interested in learning about the Walden's Path Project at Texas A&M University, the purpose of which is to provide teachers with a path authoring tool to develop instructional materials utilizing web resources.