Note-taking while learning hypermedia: Cognitive and motivational considerations

The non-linear format of hypermedia requires the use of self-regulated learning (SRL) processes, including making decisions about which representation to access. The design of hypermedia environments can make these decisions difficult, and may result in extraneous cognitive load. Note-taking, a SRL strategy may offload extraneous cognitive load while learning with hypermedia. This study examined factors related to undergraduate students’ note-taking while learning with hypermedia. Think-aloud, self-report, pretest, and posttest data were collected from 53 undergraduates while they learned about a challenging science topic for 30 min with hypermedia. Results indicated that participants’ prior domain knowledge, as measured by the pretest, did not significantly predict the content of their notes. However, motivation, as measured by a self-report questionnaire, had a significant relationship with the content of the participants’ notes. Specifically, intrinsic motivation had a significant negative relationship while extrinsic motivation had a significant positive relationship with the content of notes. Additionally, there was a significant interaction between the content of the participants’ notes and their use of self-regulatory processes while learning with hypermedia.