English · Year 8

Active learning ideas

Hypertext and Non-Linear Reading

Active learning works because hypertext and non-linear reading are dynamic processes that cannot be fully understood through passive discussion alone. When students physically navigate, mark, or compare digital texts, they experience firsthand how structure shapes attention and comprehension.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9E8LY03
• AC9E8LY04

• 20–45 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Inquiry Circle
• 40 min · Small Groups

Inquiry Circle: The Clickbait Challenge

In small groups, students find three examples of 'clickbait' headlines. They must analyze the language used to manipulate curiosity and then 'rewrite' the headlines to be more factual and less manipulative, presenting their 'before and after' to the class.

How does the presence of hyperlinks affect the reader's focus and comprehension?

Facilitation Tip

During The Clickbait Challenge, circulate with sticky notes so students can physically mark hyperlinks they almost clicked but reconsidered.

What to look for

Present students with two versions of an online news article: one with minimal hyperlinks and one with extensive links and sidebars. Ask: 'How did the number and placement of hyperlinks change how you read this article? Which version made it easier or harder to understand the main point, and why?'

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Self-Awareness

Activity 02

• Simulation Game
• 45 min · Pairs

Simulation Game: The Navigation Map

Students are given a research task on a complex website. Using a 'screen-recording' or a simple log, they must map every hyperlink they clicked and every 'distraction' they encountered, later comparing their 'reading paths' in pairs to see how non-linear reading differs.

In what ways does a non-linear narrative structure empower or confuse the reader?

Facilitation Tip

In The Navigation Map simulation, ask students to explain their route aloud as they trace it, revealing their decision-making process.

What to look for

Provide students with a screenshot of a social media feed or a webpage known for clickbait headlines. Ask them to identify two examples of clickbait and write one sentence explaining why each headline might encourage a click, and one sentence evaluating its honesty.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Social Awareness
• Decision-Making

Activity 03

• Think-Pair-Share
• 20 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: Book vs. Screen

Students reflect on the last thing they read in a book versus the last thing they read on a screen. They discuss in pairs which one was easier to focus on and why, then share with the class to identify the unique challenges of digital reading.

How do digital texts use 'clickbait' to manipulate the reader's curiosity?

Facilitation Tip

For Book vs. Screen, assign roles so one student reads aloud while the other follows on screen, highlighting the contrast in engagement.

What to look for

Ask students to draw a simple diagram of a webpage they visit regularly (e.g., YouTube, a gaming site). They should label at least three elements that guide their reading or navigation (e.g., thumbnails, suggested videos, side menus) and briefly explain how each element influences their reading habits.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

A few notes on teaching this unit

Experienced teachers approach this topic by treating digital texts as objects to be analyzed, not just content to be consumed. Avoid assuming students recognize their own distracted habits; instead, make the invisible visible through mapping and marking. Research suggests that students benefit from repeated exposure to the same text in different formats to internalize how structure alters meaning.

Successful learning looks like students recognizing how digital structures disrupt or enhance focus, articulating the trade-offs between linear and non-linear reading, and applying this awareness to their own online habits.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Collaborative Investigation: The Clickbait Challenge, watch for students who assume all hyperlinks are equally useful or trustworthy.

  During Collaborative Investigation: The Clickbait Challenge, have students categorize links by purpose (informational, promotional, distracting) and identify which types most disrupt their focus.

• During Simulation: The Navigation Map, watch for students who believe hyperlinks always lead to relevant or reliable information.

  During Simulation: The Navigation Map, ask students to trace a link they initially skipped but later found valuable, then discuss why their path was unpredictable.

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Methods used in this brief

• Inquiry Circle
• Simulation Game
• Think-Pair-Share