Giving a student control over their learning has theoretical and intuitive appeal, but its effects are neither powerful nor consistent in the empirical literature base. This meta-analysis updated previous meta-analytic research by Niemiec, Sikorski, and Walberg by studying the overall effectiveness of providing learner control within educational…

Learner-centred education (LCE) has been a recurrent theme in many national education policies in the global South, and has had wide donor support through aid programmes and smaller projects and localised innovations. However, the history of the implementation of LCE in different contexts is riddled with stories of failures grand and small. In…

Describes a classification scheme for multimedia interaction based on the degree of control and type of cognitive engagement in three different learning environments. Three levels of interaction are discussed, and implications for learner control and practice when designing interactive multimedia-based instruction are considered. (Contains 37…

This paper argues that it is not the technology itself, but instead a learner-centered approach to the use of computers, that will provide the greatest opportunities for students. Three examples from New Zealand primary classrooms are described that illustrate how a learner-centered environment may be structured. (Contains 27 references.) (LRW)

Reviews articles in this issue that deal with theories of constructivism from the point of view of an instructional designer. Highlights include technology and constructivism; generative learning environments; learning processes; assessment; learning strategies; knowledge domains; learner control; and suggestions for both constructivists and…

In learning environments which provide little structure (e.g., hypermedia systems) students have an especially strong need to regulate and control their own learning. However, a review of the literature indicates that merely providing learners with flexible learning environments does not necessarily mean that they will effectively explore and…

Reviews the evolution of instructional systems design and computer-based learning environments, focusing on the effects of technological advances. Classification of learning environments is discussed in the context of the dimensions of scope (macrolevel or microlevel), user activity (generative or mathemagenic), educational activity (goal-directed…

Self-regulation has long been seen as a desirable but difficult to achieve instructional aim. This is particularly true of online learning, where users have limited instructional support and where attrition rates tend to be greater than in face-to-face teaching. This paper examines the nature of self-regulation, identifying affective and cognitive…

Examines assumptions inherent in open-ended learning; describes features of open-ended learning environments; and discusses implications for research, development, and implementation of open-ended learning systems. Highlights include context and experience; learner control; higher-order cognitive skills; understanding versus knowing; orienting…

Describes a study that investigated the effects of learner control and of advisement in a hypertext learning environment with second-grade students who had different levels of prior knowledge about the content. Topics discussed include computer-assisted instruction; learner control; and recommendations for instructional design in a hypertext…

A classification scheme for multimedia interaction is described based on the degree of control and type of cognitive engagement experienced by learners in prescriptive, democratic, and cybernetic independent learning environments. Reactive, proactive, and mutual levels of interaction and their associated functions and transactions are discussed.…

This paper explores issues that designers of learning environments should consider, omitting issues about knowledge learned and the social settings in which learning occurs that are addressed elsewhere. The perspective taken on design is to think of each decision in terms of its costs and benefits, an approach that may allow designers to minimize…

Following an abstract and introduction, this document reviews five research projects on the learning experiences of workers. The first two concern the environment required for successful learning in the workplace, and the last three address implementation of e-learning programs. (The findings from the first two studies revealed 24 conditions that…