Hypertext assignment

I am thinking about additional assignements for my class, besides the blog that they will keep daily about their readings.
I don't want them to just read about digital writing, I want them to experience it in different ways. So I remembered a hypertext I created for my Digital Arts class offered in Fine Arts. In that class, I was just beginning to take interest in new media so in that class, I had this brillant idea of translating Snow White into a hypertext environment. But at the time I wasn't aware of Storyspace (a software that created hypertexts). So I created the sentences, words, in other words lexia in Photoshop and position these accordingly so it would look like a hypertext. I can show this as an example in class, do a quick crash course on how to use Storyspace, and give them short stories to translate into a hypertext. This would be a cool assignment where they will have to think about the problems they encounter. In the end, we can all see what the groups came up with and comments on them.

Potential problems:

• licencing, funding
  
• computers to install this program
• learning curve of the software
  

I e-mailed Eastgate Systems to inquire about the licencing for both Storyspace and Patchwork Girl (which I will include in my reading list). For ten licences Storyspace is $550, for Patchwork Girl is it apprx $80. I decided to e-mail my director and ask them if they can buy Patchwork Girl. I highly doubt the department will support the purchase of Storyspace.

We'll see what happens...