This experimental study explored the optimal use of hypertext for instruction by investigating the following questions: What are the effects of cognitive load of learning on learning outcomes and efficiency? Are there interactive effects between cognitive load and aptitude on students' learning outcomes and enjoyment of instructional method? / Seventy-nine ninth-grade students from a north Florida urban research school participated in this research. Six students participated in one-to-one evaluation of the materials, and 73 participated in the experiment. / The independent variables were cognitive load of learning and learning aptitude. Cognitive load was manipulated with learning guidance and access constraint to create two treatment groups--Hierarchical hypertext and prototype hypertext. Learning aptitude was chosen to be prior achievement in science, the subject area of the instructional treatment. Subjects' science scores on the Comprehensive Tests of Basic Skills were used as prior achievement data. / The dependent variables were general, intentional, and incidental learning outcomes, learning efficiency, and enjoyment of instructional method. Learning outcomes were measured with a multiple choice posttest, and enjoyment was measured with a questionnaire with an eight-point scale. / The experiment was a posttest-only, equivalent-groups design. Subjects of the same sex were pair-matched based on prior achievement and randomly assigned to the treatment groups. After subjects finished the hypertext instruction, they took the posttest and then answered the questionnaire. The results were analyzed with interval estimation. / Except results on enjoyment, most results are not statistically significant at the.05 alpha level. But the pattern of most results is consistent with theoretical predictions. Hierarchical hypertext was more effective for all categories of learning outcomes than prototype hypertext, but the advantage decreased with increasing prior achievement. Also hierarchical hypertext was more efficient for low aptitude students, but was less efficient for high aptitude students. Low aptitude students preferred hierarchical hypertext, and high aptitude students preferred prototype hypertext. Implications of learning path data collected for educational research are also discussed. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 50-03, Section: A, page: 0670. / Major Professor: Marcy Perkins Driscoll. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1989.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_77975 |
| Contributors | Tsai, Chia-jer., Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text |
| Format | 132 p. |
| Rights | On campus use only. |
| Relation | Dissertation Abstracts International |
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