Learner Control Principle

Overview

Considered an advanced principle in the Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning, the Learner Control principle empowers learners to set their own pace, sequence, and select information. Scheiter notes that learner control is differentiated from interactivity, which more often refers to having the ability to start and stop a video or sound clip; rather, learner control is implemented in “network-like, nonlinear” (p.488) environments that include verbal and pictorial representations. Learner controlled instructional environments are also referred to as hypermedia. Learners in such environments will complete a task, perform a self-assessment, and then select another task based on their assessment of their performance of this task; however, per Kostons, after completing a task, students often do not have accurate recollection of their performance, which sometimes results in an inflated sense of understanding. In turn, this can lead students to next select within the learning environment a task that assumes greater understanding of the material than truly exists for the learner.

Learner controlled instruction is often expected to be effective for learning because the student’s personalized experience and senses of autonomy and control could enhance intrinsic motivation. While learner controlled instruction can be effective, it is typically only so when the learner has the ability to monitor and regulate, due to the higher cognitive load demanded by learner control. Learners unable to do so may benefit less from learner controlled environments

Evidence

When using Skinner’s teaching machine, learners would respond to a question or problem presented by the machine and after receiving feedback immediately, the student would have the opportunity to either move forward in the lesson or continue working toward the correct answer. An early and innovative instructional tool, Skinner’s teaching machine is an example of a linear learning environment and may well have paved the way for more adaptive learning models.

Kostons et al. conducted a study of secondary-level students to determine whether effective and ineffective learners differed in their abilities to select tasks and perform accurate self-assessments. Participants completed a pre-test before entering into a learner controlled instruction (LCI) environment two weeks later. While in the LCI, participants selected tasks with varying levels of complexity and instructional support, and they were asked to think out loud while completing the tasks. Using results of a post-test, participants were identified as effective or ineffective learners. Their activity performance scores in the LCI were compared with self-assessment scores to determine how accurate the learners were in the self-assessment. The narratives recorded while participants thought out loud offered additional context in the review of self-assessment. Contrary to prior research that did not support learner controlled instruction for novice learners, this study showed significant learning gains within the effective group in self-assessment as compared to ineffective learners.. Kostons et al. suggest that prior studies may have tested content that was beyond the learners’ ability. They also found that that their results could lead to developing trainings in self-assessment and task selection to improve upon future LCIs.

Lo et al. conducted a study on the effectiveness of learner controlled instruction in the form of an augmented reality program as part of a museum exhibition. This study examined participants’ levels of flow, learning outcomes and processes, as well as how the participants used the AR tool, with a goal of determining how learner controlled tools could improve or enhance learning in the context of a museum. Participants used the AR tool at differing levels of control and results showed a positive correlation with engagement and learning, with those using the tool at the highest level of learner control reporting a higher state of flow and motivation.

Design Implications

An effective learner controlled instructional environment offers students choice in selecting the content to learn, completing a task, and selecting the next task based on their perception of their performance and understanding of the prior task. However, Scheiter suggests that, first and foremost, learner controlled situations may not be appropriate for all types of learning and there may be better ways to achieve increased learning and motivation, depending on the circumstances.

The following examples support the learner control principle:

Web Anatomy

Figure 1

https://webanatomy.umn.edu/ | Retrieved 12/10/2022

• The University of Minnesota created a barebones but effective tool to introduce learners to human anatomy. Learners can select a particular topic and choose whether to complete short, medium, or long quiz-like game to identify a specific part of human anatomy. E.g., players are asked to label the parts of the brain by selecting from the options in a dropdown menu.
• Some areas drill down into more detailed aspects of the topic.
• Some areas offer the option to enter the text of a label, rather than selecting from a drop down menu, allowing users to take the challenge to the next level. Students do not have to follow any particular order within or among the topics, offering nonlinear control in the activity.
• Once a learner submits their answers, they receive immediate feedback and positive reinforcement for correct answers.

Study.com

Figure 2

https://study.com/academy/lesson/the-dramatic-arts-definition-types.html | Retrieved 12/01/2022

• This practice and study guide offers learners the opportunity to study specific modules.
• Learners can determine for themselves (self-assess) if they can skip a section.
• Learners can choose to watch videos, read text, or utilize digital flashcards, or a combination of any and all of these options.
• Learners can complete multiple quizzes to measure their knowledge of the given subject. .

NYU iLearn Video

Figure 3

• In this training video, users learn about various procurement processes and policies.
• Users can skip content areas to learn only those that are needed. They can also pause and rewind.
• Though this video does demonstrate learner control, as users can opt into reviewing specific content and assess their competency before selecting new content to review, it does lack use of other principles that would help the user find motivation in completing the modules, such as voice and personalization.

The following example does not sufficiently demonstrate the learner control principle:

Free Anatomy Quiz

Figure 4

https://www.free-anatomy-quiz.com/ | Retrieved 12/14/2022

• This website provides countless anatomy quizzes for learners to assess their knowledge.
• Learners can select the content areas they wish to be quizzed on. When they enter into a quiz, they can scroll down to see all the questions they will be asked before beginning the quiz, itself.
• If a learner answers a question correctly, they may advance to the next question. If they do not answer correctly, they are given the correct answer before being able to move on.
• While this may be a useful tool, the quizzes are not categorized in any level of difficulty, rendering this to be more of a linear structure.

Challenges

While the learner control principle may be appealing in certain contexts, Scheiter notes that there is little empirical evidence to support the principle. Further, giving the learner a level of control in a nonlinear environment runs the risk of burdening cognitive load and reducing metacognitive activity. As with other principles that can foster generative learning, the learner control principle is more likely to be effective for learners with high prior knowledge and with additional instructional support to help them gain familiarity with a learning environment and to support self-regulation.

The major benefit of utilizing the learner control principle is that learners can reduce extraneous cognitive load by skipping sections that contain content they already know. However, this requires that the student’s belief of their own understanding is accurate, and not every student is able to properly assess this. Learners can harness self-regulation ability through learner control methods, but that is not a guarantee and requires the student to set their own goals

References

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