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

1. DOES HYPERTEXT PROMOTE SELF-EFFICACY? A STUDY OF HYPERTEXT IN SYLLABUS DESIGN by Jeri Stickney Phillips DAVID KLEIN, Ph.D., Faculty Mentor and Chair DENNIS 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 Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy Capella University December 2009 1

2. Predication This dissertation is predicated upon the power of self-perception of capability. “They are able who think they are able.” Virgil 2

3. THE STUDY This study investigated whether embedding hypertext into a syllabus would raise self-efficacy. 3

4. Literature Flowchart to Develop the Study Student Attrition in Online Courses Need to Increase Student Persistence Self-Efficacy Raises Persistence Need to Raise Self-Efficacy Mastery Experience Raises Self-Efficacy Syllabus is First Impression of Course A Syllabus could be a Mastery Experience Need Accountability of Syllabus Content Design a Syllabus Activity A Syllabus is Also Information Dense Density Consumes Cognitive Resources Hypertext May Assist Cognition 4

5. 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? 5

6. 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

7. 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

8. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS STUDY 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 8

9. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS ADDITIONAL DATA 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 9

10. 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. 10

11. 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. 11

12. 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. 12

13. WHAT I LEARNED AS AN INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGNER • 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. 13

14. 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? 14

15. THE MAJOR PLAYERS I Vygotsky Piaget Sweller Gerjets Naumann Bandura Pajares Zimmerman Parks Raymark 15

16. THE JOURNEY I 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. 16