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Assessment of Cognitive Style Preference through Click-Stream Analysis of Educational Hypermedia User Choice and Browsing: A Conceptual Model

Abstract Research in adaptive hypermedia educational systems has increased with the growth of the Internet. Currently, all adaptive hypermedia educational systems collect information about cognitive style through completion of a questionnaire based on a psychometric test. This direct measure may be intrusive and annoying to a student and makes an adaptive system aligned to cognitive style unavailable for students that have not completed the questionnaire. It is posited that non-intrusive methods for determining the cognitive style of hypermedia system users are needed to maximize the usability, functionality, and goals of adaptive hypermedia systems. This paper offers a new approach for the autonomous computer-based assessment of preferred cognitive style that can support studies in user modeling and human-computer interface domains. It further posits a conceptual model that attempts to determine the preferred cognitive style of an online educational hypermedia user through click-stream analysis of their web-based hypermedia choices and browsing patterns. Keywords Adaptive hypermedia. Cognitive style. Neural networks. Click-stream analysis.

Introduction Research in the use of hypermedia in learning has increased with the expansion of the Internet. Long posited as a promising medium for an educational system 1, questions to whether hypermedia learning environments can be designed to be effective and efficient for different kinds of learning objectives are still unanswered 2. Hypermedia environments, characterized as the inclusion of hypertext with additional multimedia artifacts, have three problems when used to support learning: user distraction due to the large amount of information in the hyperspace, spatial disorientation due to the user not knowing where they are in the hyperspace, and cognitive overload when a user is confronted with high memory demands 2. The first two problems deal with the information retrieval process and the third problem is related to human information acquisition. To overcome the problems associated with hypermedia environments, adaptive hypermedia technologies have been proposed to provide adaptive course content aligned with a user’s knowledge level and need. Adaptability is accomplished by building a “user model of the goals, preferences, and knowledge of the individual user 3.” The model is then used to adapt the hypermedia environment (e.g., page content and links) to the needs of the associated user 4. Most adaptive educational hypermedia systems research has focused on adapting to a particular set of user features including goals/task, knowledge, background, and hyperspace experience 5. To optimally adapt educational material to the student, the cognitive style or learning style of the student must also be considered 6. Research has shown that by matching instructional presentation style with a student’s cognitive style, significant effects in terms of learning effectiveness are achieved 7.

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Price, A. (2006, June), Assessment Of Cognitive Style Preference Through Click Stream Analysis Of Educational Hypermedia User Choice And Browsing Patterns: A Conceptual Model Paper presented at 2006 Annual Conference & Exposition, Chicago, Illinois. 10.18260/1-2--430