JUST BECAUSE WE CAN PROVIDE LEARNER CONTROL, does it mean that we should? The amount of control a learner should be given in an instructional program is an ongoing debate, particularly in the area of Web-based instruction. The World Wide Web is by nature an “exploratory” medium, so learners may anticipate the same flexibility in a Web-based course.

The idea of complete learner control is attractive. When marketing a Web-based course, it sounds good to tell the learner that they can control content, sequencing, and pace. However, designers must evaluate whether control will help the learner achieve desired learning outcomes.

Hannafin and Hooper (1993) describe lesson control as existing along a continuum, from complete control by the learner to complete control by the program. When given complete control, learners may not always make the best instructional choices (Clark & Mayer, 2003; Hannafin & Hooper, 1993). If learners have a poor understanding of what they know and how they learn, they tend to make flawed decisions in a course where a high level of learner control is employed. In some cases, learners may not even know where to begin. Some lesson control may be necessary to ensure that learners get the most out of a Web-based course.

The characteristics of the learner and the nature of the skills or knowledge being taught affect how much learner control should be allowed (Hannafin & Hooper, 1993). Two primary factors influence a learner’s ability to make good instructional choices: metacognitive skills, and prior knowledge. Designers must evaluate the metacognitive skills and the level of prior knowledge possessed by the learner(s) to determine whether or not a high degree of learner control is appropriate.

Metacognitive skills can be defined as the learner’s understanding of how s/he learns. When a person has strong metacognitive skills, s/he knows the best methods to employ to learn new subject matter. Learners with well-developed metacognitive skills tend to make appropriate choices when learner control is allowed. 
One aspect of metacognitive skill that is particularly relevant for Web-based courses is calibration accuracy, which measures the gap between one’s estimate of his/her knowledge and actual knowledge (Clark & Mayer, 2003). Calibration accuracy refers to the learner’s ability to accurately assess his/her current knowledge level in a particular domain. If calibration accuracy is high, the learner is more likely to make sound instructional decisions when presented with an array of choices. If calibration accuracy is low, the learner is more likely to choose a learning path inconsistent with their learning style or level of prior knowledge. 

As metacognitive skills increase, more learner control can be allowed. If metacognitive skills are weak, then a greater degree of program control should be employed to ensure that intended learning objectives are met. 

Another factor that significantly affects the learner’s ability to make good choices is prior knowledge. The importance of prior knowledge is seen when learning is viewed not simply as the acquisition of new knowledge, but the integration of that knowledge into the framework that exists in the learner’s mind. 

If a learner has significant prior knowledge of the content, learner control is appropriate. In such cases, the learner can assess available options and make selections that will be easily integrated into the framework of knowledge that they currently possess. However, when learners are novices or lacking in prior knowledge, lesson control is appropriate. When prior knowledge is low, the learner may make poor instructional choices when given a high level of control over a course. Program control is appropriate to ensure that novice learners achieve a baseline level of content knowledge.

The prior knowledge and metacognitive skills of learners vary widely, and too often designers give learners the “benefit of the doubt” when it comes to learner control. The designer must carefully evaluate the intended audience and decide whether learners can be set free with course content, or if they need additional guidance.  

Hannafin, M.J., & Hooper, S.R. (1993). Learning Principles. In Fleming, M., & Levie, W.H. (Eds.), Instructional message design: Principles from the behavioral and cognitive sciences (pp. 191-231). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Educational Technology Publications. 
Clark, R., and Mayer, R.E., (2003), e-Learning and the Science of Instruction. San Francisco, CA. Pfeiffer. 
Erin Lawler-King, Instructional Designer/Graduate Student
Lawler-King, E. (2004). Learner control: Is it for everyone? In B. Hoffman (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Educational Technology.