The structure of the web -- or rather its lack thereof -- may well be its single most important problem from an instructional perspective. In a textbook, one expects both a clear “local” voice and a consistent organizational framework. While it might be reasonable to hold the same expectations for a single webpage or site, much of the power of the web arises from its capacity to provide access to many authors with many different perspectives. Under these circumstances an expectation of a consistent organizational structure or voice is almost certain to be disappointed. If students are using web-based materials in their learning, there is a danger that unless careful consideration is given to instructional design, the forest will be lost among the trees since the conventions and conveniences of the traditional textbook no longer apply.

Some (particularly literary theorists such as George Landow, 1992 [online document], 1994) have suggested that this very characteristic liberates readers from traditional linear structures and thus brings text to a new level of potential. But as I have noted elsewhere, others have pointed out that users are sometimes paralyzed by possibilities and end up wandering about, trying to figure out where they are and where they want to be.