Cognitive Overload in the Hypertext Reading Environment

Abstract

The amount of immediately accessible reading resources is almost limitless in the WWW. Therefore, students depend on different digital devices to read rich and diverse types of hypertexts. This phenomenal shift from paper-based to digital reading has made students read more hypertexts than ever before. Still, little is known about the effects of hypertexts' intricate complexities on readers' comprehension and the new reading challenges hypertexts might pose to readers. Therefore, this review aims to examine the cognitive overload challenge in the hypertext environment. A significant amount of previous research in hypertext reading has raised concerns about the cognitive overload challenge in the hypertext environment. This review examines the problem of cognitively overload with regard to research published in the field.