Teaching with Hypertext

Background
Teaching as we know today is determined by text (book). Delivered in a classroom for a countable number of students in physical world, classroom proceedings consist of one or more of the following: Lecture, listening, notes giving, notes taking, discussion etc. One or two hours of lecture is a flow of information from the scholar to students. Once in the classroom, the teacher is confined to use only those resources (such a notes, textbook, transparencies) that he has brought in. In total text based classroom teaching is a bounded teaching. In textbook based teaching world, textbooks and reference materials were by definition scarce and rarely available in plenty. Apart for usual access to his college library, a student rarely had any alternative access to books or references. On the other hand faculty with possession of books and references represented a kind of unique resource. There existed a potential difference in the knowledge levels of learners and lecture. Classroom delivery assumed a great importance and attending class became the only available access to knowledge. Hence classroom remained a great attraction for students and live lecture stood great source of understanding
Enter Hypertext
In hypertext world, however access to knowledge resources has expanded and can reach any where on the globe(hypertext). Secondly student has access to multiple resources available in multiple format via multiple channels. In addition to this, even customised learning resources are available in plenty. In other words, college library and class room delivery have lost their position as prime source of knowledge repository or transfer. Making classroom teaching interesting is a herculean task. Traditional chalk and talk lecture looks pale in comparison with what is available and accessible to students elsewhere
The changed challenge for faculty
In hypertext technology enabled world, the criteria for success is not what you as a faculty bring with you to classroom but how well you are connected to outer world during your lecture. In other words, how well you combine those (outside) resources available to your students synthetically and produce an irresistible content delivery that makes or holds classroom as still preferred location of learning.