HTML source text. Instead of a single application file that includes text and graphics such as in HyperCard, HTML requires separate files for both text and graphics. For this investigation it was decided that, like individual cards in a HyperCard stack, each content screen would be constructed in a series of individual text files that would then be linked together. When the user clicked on the link, it would change color to indicated that this link was visited. This displays some of the limitations of HTML as an authoring language because the author must manage each link without the help of the application.
Connectivity is a major problem for network-based instruction.
Traditional authoring was designed for specific delivery platforms. In the Internet, the actual machine that the software will be delivered on is unknown, which can cause different display problems for the instructional designer. One result of this study noted is which platform the HTML is developed on and whether it does make a difference. However, a more pressing problem is the lack of easy and affordable access to the Internet. Slow connect times, incompatible browsers, or a lack of suitable hardware can cause problems for students and reduce the impact of the network-based courseware.