Investigating the impact of learning from hypermedia
Abstract
Distance education via the internet is now one of the most viable options for delivery of information to people in
different places and because of this the concept of hypermedia is gaining in popularity. In the healthcare field it is
crucial to reach people and update their knowledge in their area of expertise due to the direct impact this has on
quality care. However, it is not enough to simply have the information available on the internet without supporting
the learning process. The information must be presented in such a way that it can be easily updated as new
information becomes available and be designed in such a way that the course objectives are met, with
demonstrable improvement in knowledge. How people learn becomes then a crucial issue for delivering this
information successfully to the target audience. Hypermedia is a methodology that allows for learner control,
different ways of navigating and searching, and multiple perspectives and is best suited for learners with good
metacognitive strategies. How is it then possible to support all learners metacognitively in a hypermedia learning
environment? This review paper focuses on the following: a) learning from hypermedia environments, b) the
design of hypermedia programs, and c) he metacognitive issues that arise in using hypermedia for education. The
review concludes by proposing a study to investigate how a computer-based metacognition training regimen
impacts learning from a hypermedia course and how metacognitive strategies are being utilized. The hypermedia
course is on Type 2 Diabetes and Children/Adolescents, an issue that is gaining more attention as obesity in
children and adolescents is rising.