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DOES HYPERTEXT PROMOTE SELF-EFFICACY?A STUDY OF HYPERTEXT IN SYLLABUS DESIGN

by

Jeri Stickney Phillips

DAVID KLEIN, Ph.D., Faculty Mentor and ChairDENNIS MILLS, Ph.D., Committee Member

CHERYL DURAN, Ph.D., Committee Member

Barbara Butts Williams, Ph.D., Dean, School of Education

A Dissertation Presented in Partial FulfillmentOf the Requirements for the Degree

Doctor of Philosophy

Capella UniversityDecember 2009 1

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Predication

This dissertation is predicated upon the power of self-perception of capability.

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“They are able who think they are able.”Virgil

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THE STUDY

This study investigated whether embedding hypertext into a syllabus

would raise self-efficacy.

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Literature Flowchart to Develop the Study

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Student Attrition in

Online Courses

Need to Increase Student

Persistence

Mastery Experience Raises Self-

Efficacy

Design a Syllabus Activity

A Syllabus is Also

Information Dense

Syllabus is First

Impression of Course

Density Consumes Cognitive Resources

A Syllabus could be a Mastery

Experience

Hypertext May Assist Cognition

Need Accountability

of Syllabus Content

Need to Raise Self-Efficacy

Self-Efficacy Raises

Persistence

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RESEARCH QUESTION

Main Question

How will self-efficacy for students in secondary school change when hypertext is embedded into online syllabi?

Sub-Question 1

How will self-efficacy differ in younger grades as compared with older grades for secondary students?

Sub-Question 2

How will self-efficacy differ for males as compared with females for secondary students?

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METHODOLOGY

Pretest-Posttest Method

High School Students - Grades 9-12

Treatment

•Hypertext Syllabus – 119 Participants

•Non-Hypertext Syllabus – 111 Participants

Measures

•Participant Information Form

•Self-Efficacy Instrument

•Syllabus Activity – Not part of the study proposal

Research Website 6

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STUDY RESULTS

Primary Findings:

•Self-Efficacy increased in both treatments

•Self-Efficacy was higher in the hypertext treatment

•Grade Level and Gender did not differ in self-efficacy in either treatment.

Secondary Findings

•Syllabus Activity independently affected both treatments.

•Syllabus Activity performance was higher in the hypertext treatment

•Syllabus Activity was related to Grade Capable and Enjoyment 7

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DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS STUDY

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Self-Efficacy by

Treatment

2 x 2 Repeated Measures ANOVA, Evidence

Was Found

Self-Efficacy by Grade

Level

2 x 2 x 2 Repeated Measures ANOVA,

No Evidence Was Found

Self-Efficacy by

Gender

2 x 2 x 2 Repeated Measures

ANOVA, No Evidence

Was Found

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DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS ADDITIONAL DATA

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Syllabus Activity by

Grade Capable

One-Way ANOVA, Evidence

Was Found

Syllabus Activity by Treatment

One-Way ANOVA, Evidence

Was Found

Syllabus Activity by Enjoyment

One-Way ANOVA, Evidence

Was Found

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UNEXPECTED RESULTS

Hypertext may directly and indirectly model information processing.

Both of the online syllabi may have affected self-efficacy.

Female self-efficacy was equal to male self-efficacy in both treatments.

Self-efficacy for younger and older grades did not differ.

The syllabus activity had an independent effect on both treatments.

The syllabus activity had a relationship to Grade Capable and Enjoyment.

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ANOTHER UNEXPECTED RESULT

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IMPLICATIONS FOR INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN

Online learning documents should be developed to raise student self-efficacy.

Hypertext should be used to connect concepts and elaborate upon information in online learning documents for efficient knowledge acquisition.

A syllabus needs to be included in all online and on-ground courses, and should be research based.

A syllabus activity should compel learners to read salient information in a syllabus.

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LIMITATIONS/FUTURE RESEARCH

The study design did not investigate whether or how:

The hypertext or non-hypertext syllabus affected self-efficacy.•Layout, sections, content

Hypertext reduced cognitive load and disorientation.•Reading skills, elaboration, clarification, signaling

Hypertext modeled information processing theory.•Directly or indirectly

The precise effects of the syllabus activity.•Deductive reasoning, reading skills, learner challenges, need for knowledge, accountability, piqued curiosity, mastery experience, persuasion, modeling, psychological state

An authentic online course would affect results.13

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WHAT I LEARNED AS AN INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGNER

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Promoting self-efficacy is essential to success.

Online learning documents are social in nature.

Hypertext may increase self-efficacy, and reduce cognitive load and disorientation if embedded in learning documents using research recommendations.

A syllabus is a first impression in online courses and may raise self-efficacy.

Methods, like a syllabus activity, that hold learners accountable are valuable if purposely developed.

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FUTURE INTERESTS

Will increasing self-efficacy also increase performance for students with and without learning disabilities in online learning environments?

What are the best methods to raise self-efficacy for students with learning disabilities in online learning environments?

What are the best methods of using hypertext to promote information processing for students with learning disabilities?

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I

THE MAJOR PLAYERS

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Vygotsky

Piaget

Sweller

Gerjets

Naumann

Bandura

Pajares

Zimmerman

Parks

Raymark

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THE JOURNEY

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My dissertation journey has left me with the knowledge that I have the power to do anything I perceive I can do. This power is awesome to me. As I traveled over the bumps and wrong turns and experienced the triumphs, I find I have developed a deep calm within me. Completing the dissertation was not the achievement. The achievement is the knowledge in my soul that I have the power upon which my dissertation is predicated.