Example material has to be selective, and it proves difficult to superimpose visually different perspectives on the same matter. The latter can already be achieved, although in an very limited way, by the use of transparants. In this way highly analyzed material can be presented in a new, adaptive synthesis. It tries to combine the freedom of browsing a document on proper incentives with the advantages of traditional steered and constrained computer-assisted learning environments to achieve preset educational goals. We claim that the proposed environment is better suited for learning how to read historical sources than traditional textbooks or classic computer-assisted instruction are.
Comprehension involves the construction of meaning based upon the prior knowledge of the learner.
Reality is more in the mind of the knower, the knower constructs a reality, or at least interprets it, based upon his or her apperceptions. Revisiting the same material at different times in different contexts for different purposes and from different conceptual perspectives is essential for advanced knowledge acquisition. It is clear from this that we have a strong perception-rooted conception of historical method. The student acquires a perceptual attitude towards source documents, enforcing his capabilities to detect historically relevant issues to be exploited further in a methodological way. The combination of crosslinked hypertext and lecture tracing mechanisms significantly facilitates this envisaged learning process.