As a teacher, I have seen and used HyperStudio, but minimally. It and Kid Pix were the only multimedia software available on our campus Macintosh computers when I first began teaching 11 years ago. At that time, I taught myself how to use the program by going through the tutorial included with the software. I made some HyperStudio stacks of my own, but felt clumsy trying to navigate through the menu options. When Microsoft Powerpoint came loaded on the new PC’s purchased by our school district, I found it to be much more instinctive, and learned it quickly – with no tutorial. Though HyperStudio still came loaded on our computers, I, and most of the teachers I work with, ignored it.

Given the opportunity to review this new version of HyperStudio, I thought I should give it another chance. When I asked a teacher on our campus who I know to be a great proponent of the program what its advantages are over Powerpoint, she said that HyperStudio gave the students more opportunities for creativity and interactivity. After taking a “refresher course” on the program through its tutorial, I can see her point. However, as you will read, I continue to have reservations about the practicality of using it in the classroom.

There are five pages in the User’s Guide listing the new features in HyperStudio 4, which include: 

• A Drag-and-drop feature
• An upgraded Media Library that can be placed directly on the card you are working on by using the new drag-and-drop feature.
• Printable and resizable storyboards
• “Stacks to go” that allow those without HyperStudio to view a stack.
• QuickTime Transitions

In HyperStudio, one creates “stacks.” Each stack is made of cards. For those of you who use Powerpoint, you could liken the “stacks” to slide shows, and the “cards” to the individual slides. A stack is a presentation that can include: text, graphics, sound, movies, and animation. The stacks are “interactive” in the sense that the person viewing the stack does not necessarily move through it in a linear manner. Whereas Powerpoint presentations are usually formatted to be viewed as slide presentations by an audience, HyperStudio stacks are created so that the viewer is in control of the stack. Buttons are placed on each card to give the viewer choices about where to go in the stack, much like the hyperlinks on a website. Text with scrollbars can be added to the cards to allow the viewer to read portions of text at a time. Graphics can be included that will animate, or play movies or sounds, at the click of a mouse. In addition, the viewer can use tools to draw on a stack as he or she is viewing it. Another fun feature is the ability to create your own animation.

While I freely admit that HyperStudio does encourage much more creativity and interaction from both creators and viewers, I cannot deny that this comes with a hefty price for a teacher – time. Teachers, as you know, have very little of this. Creating their own stacks, particularly if they have very little familiarity with this program, takes more thought and consultation of the “Help” menu than Microsoft Powerpoint. And, teaching students, particularly elementary students, the intricacies of this program, may steal away from the curriculum they are attempting to enhance. HyperStudio however, does make this software “educator-friendly” in the sense that it includes sample stacks for each subject area and grade level group, including special education. These sample stacks also include lesson plans for teachers.

Having more time, and less preconditioning than adults, children may find this program easier to adapt to than I did. My experience in teaching has shown me that students enjoy creating presentations, and are very open to learning new software applications. There is much potential in this program to be tapped if you, as a parent or teacher, can find the time to integrate it successfully.

Your best option for purchasing HyperStudio 4 is to visit the Web site, or call 1-800-545-7677 for the name of a local reseller. Upgrades to earlier versions can also be purchased this way. I did not find it at Best Buy or Amazon.com. You can also e-mail Knowledge Adventure. The student version of this program retails for $69.95.

HyperStudio can be used on both Windows and Macintosh operating systems. For Windows, the minimum requirements are: Pentium 100, 32 MB RAM, 2000, 98, 95, or NT4.0, and a Sound Blaster-compatible sound card. For Macintosh, the minimum requirements are: PPC 601, 8 MB free RAM, OS 8.1. For both, you will also need: QuickTime 3.0, 50 MB free hard disk space, 4x CD-ROM, and 256 colors.