LEARNER CONTROL IS AN ATTRACTIVE COMPONENT OF WEB-BASED INSTRUCTION due to the World Wide Web's wealth of information and its anytime, anywhere accessibility. To effectively incorporate learner control in web-based instruction, instructional designers must carefully consider the ongoing debate over learner control as well as the many factors that influence learner control.

As computers entered the scene of instruction, so did the debate over learner control.

How much control should instruction allow learners?

Should instruction be completely instructor-controlled, completely learner-controlled, or should their be some balance of the two?

When should learners be given control? When should learners not be given control?
These questions continue to occupy the minds of instructional designers and no one answer or theory has provided a comprehensive know-how of learner control.

Several characteristics of the web support the three basic forms of learner control. These basic forms are control of sequence, control of learning activities and contents, and control of pacing.

Control of Sequence

Control of sequence refers to a learner's ability to control the order in which he/she would like to receive instruction. The learner may also skip and revisit topics. In essence, control of sequence engages the learner in nonlinear instruction.

Features of the web that may be used to foster control of sequence include:

• Links, both hypertext and images, which allow users to branch off and explore different content.
• Navigational tools such as the forward button, back button, and history menu (i.e. the "GO" pull-down menu in Netscape Navigator). These offer users the opportunity to return to previously visited content.
• Bookmarks, which allow users to store the location of web pages and later revisit those specific pages.

Control of Content and Learning Activities

This form of control provides learners with the opportunity to choose the content they wish to explore. Within a specific content, learners are also given the option to access activities, such as viewing examples, practicing problems, and taking tests.

Since the web is basically a large resource of information, learners can be granted extensive control over the learning activities and content. One method for incorporating this form of control is to provide learners with a list of resources they may access on the web.

Control of Pacing

In traditional, instructor-controlled instruction, learners must adapt their pace to that of the instructor. On the other hand, learner control of pacing allows learners to adapt instructional pace to their comfort level. Control of pacing not only allows learners to cover content and activities slower or faster, but also allows them to "take a break" from instruction and return at a later date or time.
The anywhere, anytime access of the web, makes web-based instruction conducive to control of pacing. Learners are not restricted to receiving instruction in the classroom setting at the specific times determined by the instructor. Rather, learners of web-based instruction can access instruction whenever and wherever they are.

Tina Metoyer ，Department of Educational Technology ，Graduate Student, San Diego State University