DOES HYPERTEXT PROMOTE SELF-EFFICACY?

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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 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
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Predication
This dissertation is predicated upon the power of
self-perception of capability.
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
Student Attrition in Online Courses
Need to Increase Student Persistence
Need to Raise Self-Efficacy
Self-Efficacy Raises Persistence
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
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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

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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

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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
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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
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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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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.

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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.
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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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THE MAJOR PLAYERS
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Vygotsky Piaget Sweller Gerjets Naumann Bandura Pa
jares 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.
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