ABSTRACT
Can high school students gain a deep conceptual understanding of conceptually challenging topics such as the circulatory system by using hypermedia environments? Recent cognitive research has shown that providing students with flexible access and a high degree of student control in non-linear, random access hypermedia environments rarely leads to deep conceptual understanding of complex systems (e.g., Azevedo, Cromley, & Seibert, in press). Learning in a hypermedia environment requires a learner to regulate his or her learning; that is, to make decisions about what to learn, how to learn it, how much time to spend on it, how to access other instructional materials, and to determine whether he or she understands the material. Specifically, students need to analyze the learning situation, set meaningful learning goals, determine which strategies to use, assess whether the strategies are effective in meeting the learning goal, evaluate their emerging understanding of the topic, and determine whether the learning strategy is effective for a given learning goal. They need to monitor their understanding and modify their plans, goals, strategies, and effort in relation to contextual conditions (e.g., cognitive, motivational, and task conditions). Further, depending on the learning task, they need to reflect on the learning episode.
