Pros and Cons of HTML

K. Stewart (MUSPIN 10/5/95)

I recommend that faculty and staff use HTML in developing course handouts and information packages. HTML currently has the major limitation that it cannot present mathematical equations and technical material involving the commonly used Greek and mathematical symbols, such as an integral sign or a square root. This is expected to change in the next few months with the adoption of the next HTML standard.

Dave Ragett - HTML 3.0 format (math and figures)

HTML for Developing Materials

The interrelationships of topics and the relative importance of different material must be clear in the author's mind before the HTML document can be composed. Granted, this is conforming to the philosophy of "linear thought" and some argue these days on the advantages of "nonlinear thought". The author is of a generation that is still comfortable with "linearity" and finds the mental effort to "make lists" to be valuable, but she is keeping her mind open.

HTML for Presenting Materials

HTML is adequate for presentations. It allows the user to handle both text and graphics files in a cross-platform manner. This can eliminate the need for developing different sets of materials depending on whether the Unix Workstation or Macintosh or IBM/PC computer is being used.

Depending on the age of the learner, the use of the Internet may need to be controlled. At the university level, the general belief is that students should have complete freedom to explore the Internet. At the high school (and middle school and elementary school) there is a need to restrict student access, especially due to the presence of "quesitonable" network sites which can contain material inappropriate for younger people.

The adventuresome university student tends to find the Web an inviting environment for exploration. The course materials must then be designed to lure these students back to focus on the course. The less confident students who are new to Internet use find that using the Web Browser to access course documents related to recent lectures can provide a comfortable environment from which further exploration is possible.

HTML for Sharing Materials

The remainder of this talk presents highlights of materials that are already available via the Wide World World. It is important to continue this tradition of "sharing" materials to enhance education and facilitate the development of continually evolving course materials covering the continually evolving topics of our times in this "Information Age".

Web browsers such as NCSA Mosaic or Netscape can be effective as stand-alone presentation systems and the developed presentation materials can be uploaded to a network connection and shared with all interested parties. A set of introductory notes on using the Web Browsers for this purpose was developed by Dr. Don Anderson and presented this past summer at the 1995 Supercomputer Teacher Enhancement Program (STEP) http://www-step.ucsd.edu/s95/index.html;
https://stewart.sdsu.edu/step.html Upd 12May2023