Using Hypermedia Computer-Aided Instruction

Many application programs on computer systems require their users to have extensive knowledge in many different disciplines in order to take advantage of the power of the systems. Even if some users can handle the complexity of the computer system to some extent, they may not use the system in a consistent fashion.We have developed a sophisticated medical image system called the "DISCOVER" (a Distributed Interactive Scientific COmputing and Visualization EnviRonment) system. The system has many medical image analysis and image generation functions that are complicated enough to cause the problems described above.In this paper, we propose a computer aided instruction (CAI) tool called HINTS (Hypermedia Information NeTwork System) using hypermedia technologies to help the physicians to use the DISCOVER system for clinical applications and provide a way to standardize the examination protocols of the computerized 2D and 3D medical image. We introduce an idea of "hyper-control," which is the combination of hypermedia, end user programming, and the script file (in the Unix environment or the batch file in the MS-DOS environment), in the HINTS system to facilitate the help and the training for the users of the DISCOVER system. The basic idea is to use a hypermedia document to control other computer hardware or software systems. The same idea is applicable to any other computer systems to shorten the training time, provide the users with suitable on-line hints and help information, and most importantly ensure the users to use the computer system consistently and do quality work.We discuss the architecture of the HINTS and describe how HINTS can help the physicians to use the DISCOVER system.