progressive disclosure

Van Dam uses the term "progressive disclosure" to describe how he learned to present complex systems to a novice audience very gradually. I think it has another meaning for aware hypertext readers and writers: use links, pages, multiple screens, outlines... use all these tools to hide information that may be too much. Establish levels of consciousness, plateaus of presentation depth.

Teachers know to do this to keep students just at the edge of their 'comfort zone'... deep enough in the unfamiliar to keep them observing and learning, but not so deep that they get lost and tune out, unable to connect what they see to their own experience.