Microsoft Word is a useful program for creating learning materials. However, there are some things to be aware of when creating hyperlinks in a Word document.
1. When making a link in Word always choose the "Insert" > "Insert Hyperlink" options from the top ribbon. Confirm that the underlying hyperlink address is correct and that it is being identified as an "existing file or webpage" by the program. (see image below)
2. When making a link for the first time in Word make sure you have selected them to open in a new window as the default.
Select the link and right-click, select the "Target Frame" button, from the drop-down menu choose "new window" as the target for links, and check the box beside "set as default for all hyperlinks."
3. When converting a Word doc to PDF make sure you are choosing the "save as" or "convert to PDF" option. This should maintain the integrity of the hyperlinks in the newly created PDF.