The Influence of Cognitive Load on Learning from Hypertext

Advances in technology have enabled the development of hypertext-based instructional materials. These computerized information presentation systems are becoming increasingly popular as schools and businesses develop the technology infrastructure to support their use; however, before hypertext-based...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published inJournal of educational computing research Vol. 23; no. 3; pp. 237 - 255
Main Authors Niederhauser, Dale S., Reynolds, Ralph E., Salmen, Donna J., Skolmoski, Phil
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01.01.2000
Subjects
Cognitive Flexibility
Cognitive Load
Criterion Referenced Tests
Higher Education
Hypermedia
Instructional Materials
Links (Indexing)
Navigation (Information Systems)
Regression (Statistics)
Theoretical Analysis
Undergraduate Students
Online AccessGet full text

Cover

More Information
Summary:Advances in technology have enabled the development of hypertext-based instructional materials. These computerized information presentation systems are becoming increasingly popular as schools and businesses develop the technology infrastructure to support their use; however, before hypertext-based instruction completely takes over the classroom and the boardroom, a number of questions about the utility of this presentation medium must be answered. The present study is an examination of the effects of the cognitive load associated with using hypertext linking capabilities to “criss-cross the conceptual landscape” on student learning. Results indicate that extensive use of hyperlinks to compare and contrast concepts when reading hypertext may inhibit learning. Cognitive load theory is discussed as a possible explanation for these findings.
Bibliography:ObjectType-Article-2
SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
ObjectType-Feature-1
content type line 23
ISSN:0735-6331
1541-4140
DOI:10.2190/81BG-RPDJ-9FA0-Q7PA