The development of Personal Learning Environments (PLEs) is in the scope of research groups and educators aiming to propose suitable mechanisms for the organization of self-controlled and self-directed learning, providing students with tools and services for access to content and human intelligence inside and outside the educational institutions.…

Describes a study of eighth-grade middle school students that was conducted to determine whether varying the amount of learner control and interactivity through the use of different navigation tools (linear, menu, and search engine) would influence the achievement and attitude of learners of different academic abilities. (Author/LRW)