The use of learning styles in adaptive hypermedia

Computer-based learning has become a common phenomenon in the modern age. Many distance-learning systems distribute educational resources on the Internet and indeed entire study programmes are now widely available online. Such a large amount of content and information can be intimidating to learners...

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Main Author: Brown, Elizabeth
Format: Thesis (University of Nottingham only)
Language:English
Published: 2007
Subjects:
Online Access:https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/10577/
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author Brown, Elizabeth
author_facet Brown, Elizabeth
author_sort Brown, Elizabeth
building Nottingham Research Data Repository
collection Online Access
description Computer-based learning has become a common phenomenon in the modern age. Many distance-learning systems distribute educational resources on the Internet and indeed entire study programmes are now widely available online. Such a large amount of content and information can be intimidating to learners, who may exhibit different individual characteristics, such as variation in goals, interests, motivation and/or learning preferences. This suggests that a uniform approach taken by learning environments to deliver materials and resources to students is not appropriate and that personalisation of such materials/resources should address users' differences to provide a customised learning experience, thus enhancing its effectiveness, lowering drop-out rates and maintaining high student motivation. This thesis addresses the latter issue of learning preferences, specifically investigating learning styles as an adaptation mechanism for personalised computer-based learning. A number of previous studies indicated the positive effect that this kind of adaptation provides, but under closer examination these were not conducted in a scientifically rigorous manner and thus their findings are somewhat limited. This research utilises a quantitative and highly objective approach to investigate visual/verbal and sequential/global learning styles in different user groups. Three user trials were carried out to discover whether there were any benefits to using these learning styles for studying in an adapted environment. Overall, no statistically significant benefits were found and these findings now shed doubt as to whether learning styles are indeed an effective mechanism for personalised learning.
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spelling nottingham-105772025-02-28T11:08:49Z https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/10577/ The use of learning styles in adaptive hypermedia Brown, Elizabeth Computer-based learning has become a common phenomenon in the modern age. Many distance-learning systems distribute educational resources on the Internet and indeed entire study programmes are now widely available online. Such a large amount of content and information can be intimidating to learners, who may exhibit different individual characteristics, such as variation in goals, interests, motivation and/or learning preferences. This suggests that a uniform approach taken by learning environments to deliver materials and resources to students is not appropriate and that personalisation of such materials/resources should address users' differences to provide a customised learning experience, thus enhancing its effectiveness, lowering drop-out rates and maintaining high student motivation. This thesis addresses the latter issue of learning preferences, specifically investigating learning styles as an adaptation mechanism for personalised computer-based learning. A number of previous studies indicated the positive effect that this kind of adaptation provides, but under closer examination these were not conducted in a scientifically rigorous manner and thus their findings are somewhat limited. This research utilises a quantitative and highly objective approach to investigate visual/verbal and sequential/global learning styles in different user groups. Three user trials were carried out to discover whether there were any benefits to using these learning styles for studying in an adapted environment. Overall, no statistically significant benefits were found and these findings now shed doubt as to whether learning styles are indeed an effective mechanism for personalised learning. 2007 Thesis (University of Nottingham only) NonPeerReviewed application/pdf en arr https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/10577/1/ejb-thesis-for-ethesis-archive.pdf Brown, Elizabeth (2007) The use of learning styles in adaptive hypermedia. PhD thesis, University of Nottingham. Learning styles cognitive styles adaptive hypermedia learning education personalisation evaluation.
spellingShingle Learning styles
cognitive styles
adaptive hypermedia
learning
education
personalisation
evaluation.
Brown, Elizabeth
The use of learning styles in adaptive hypermedia
title The use of learning styles in adaptive hypermedia
title_full The use of learning styles in adaptive hypermedia
title_fullStr The use of learning styles in adaptive hypermedia
title_full_unstemmed The use of learning styles in adaptive hypermedia
title_short The use of learning styles in adaptive hypermedia
title_sort use of learning styles in adaptive hypermedia
topic Learning styles
cognitive styles
adaptive hypermedia
learning
education
personalisation
evaluation.
url https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/10577/