Maps are a special form of visual communication, a representation of the three-dimensional world in a coded two-dimensional form. They are found in one form or another in every culture. They have served many purposes. The map is a form of code, a geometry to feed the visual imagination. (Kahn & Lenk, 2001)
The development of complex websites is continually evolving. The organisation of information and the way it is presented and indexed is an important stage in the initial design - the audience, the receiver of information needs to find his way around the site by means of a table of contents, an index, a diagram or map. Image maps are often used in the form of a navigational tool in a website. The purpose of this paper is to explore the technical aspects and educational values of image maps in a computer based learning environment.
image maps, client-side, server-side, concept maps, multimedia, technology, interactivity, learning
Image mapping on the web is a fairly recent technology and there is little literature and writing to be found on the subject. This paper reviews the technical aspects of creating image maps, the advantages and disadvantages between client-side and server-side maps, and the educational values when they are used within computer based training. The author claims that image maps could make a positive contribution to learning in computer based education. This will be investigated via the technological and pedagogical issues arising through the paper.
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