The perplexing role of learner control in e‐learning: will learning and transfer benefit or suffer?

Abstract

The appeal of e-learning is not surprising given its many proposed advantages (e.g. flexibility, responsiveness to trainees' individual needs, potential cost-effectiveness). However, as pointed out by Ruël et al., academic research in support of the proposed advantages of electronic human resource management systems is scarce. Although this is generally the case for technologically mediated training, the extant research on e-learning actually questions many of its proposed advantages. In this conceptual piece we (1) establish the link between e-learning and learner control, (2) summarize the advantages and disadvantages of learner-controlled e-learning, (3) briefly present the results of a recent study conducted in our research lab that addresses the disadvantages of learner-controlled e-learning for the training of complex material, and (4) discuss research-based recommendations for the application of learner-controlled e-learning in organizational settings.

Frequent deadlines: Evaluating the effect of learner control on healthcare executives' performance in online learning

“…A consistent negative predictor of learning was poorly distributed practice, when students crammed by completing many assignments within a short time frame. We support Granger & Levine's (2010) argument that adult learners often fail to effectively regulate their own learning and argue that instructor-set deadlines help to overcome such regulation failures.…”

The Effectiveness of E‐Learning Systems: A Review of the Empirical Literature on Learner Control

“…The impact of learner control on e‐learning effectiveness has been a research issue for some time (Kraiger & Jerden, ; Williams, ), and learner control has been cited as a major determinant of learning outcomes and satisfaction with e‐learning courses (Clark & Mayer, ; Piccoli, Ahmad, & Ives, ). However, empirical work has so far been unable to establish a clear positive link between learner control and the outcomes of self‐controlled e‐learning courses, suggesting that not all learners are equally capable of making instructional decisions (Granger & Levine, ; Kraiger & Jerden, ). Besides engendering feelings of isolation during the learning process, learner control has been related to increased frustration and anxiety (Chou & Liu, ; Scheiter & Gerjets, ) as well as disorientation and distraction that result from the abundance of information in online learning environments (Anderson, ).…”

Controlling the slides: Does clicking help adults learn?

“…Given prior research showing that users are often more satisfied with interactive media (e.g., Teo et al, 2003) but also that cognitive overload can interfere with learning in a multimedia environment (e.g., Moreno & Valdez, 2005;Neiderhauser et al, 2000), these additional measures seemed warranted in order to provide more specific information on why certain slideshow paces might be more or less effective than other paces. If extraneous cognitive load is placed on a user, this load can hamper working memory and consequently one's learning process (e.g., Granger & Levine, 2010).…”