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normally nonsalient phenomena, such as alveoli, blood, capillaries, cellular res-
piration, red blood cells, and vascular system, that are important for the ultimate
function of the system to support cellular respiration. This research demonstrated
the positive effects of a conceptual representation for individuals but did not explore
any potential benefits of using hypermedia in a collaborative learning context. As
Azevedo and colleagues have repeatedly demonstrated, hypermedia poses chal-
lenges for students' self- and co-regulated learning (Azevedo, Cromley, & Seibert,
2004a; Azevedo, Moos, Greene, Winters, & Cromley, 2008; Azevedo, Winters, &
Moos, 2004b).
Self-regulated and Co-regulated Learning
In hypermedia, students are given access to a range of nonlinear information.
Such nonlinear organization provides not only new possibilities for teaching about
the structure of domain knowledge but also challenges for self-regulated learning
(SRL). SRL involves deploying and adapting cognitive tactics as well as making
decisions about how to use metacognitive and motivational strategies (Weinstein &
Mayer, 1986; Winne, 2001). Students need to set meaningful learning goals and
engage in planning, monitoring, and evaluating their understanding and effort in
relation to the task context (Winne, 2001; Azevedo et al., 2004a). Unfortunately
students have difficulty in regulating their learning process (Azevedo et al., 2004a;
Jacobson &Archidodou, 2000; Shapiro &Niederhauser, 2004). Research has shown
that a significant difference between proficient learners and low-achieving learn-
ers as well as between experts and novices is their use of self-regulation strategies
(Glaser, 1976; Schmitt & Newby, 1986). Often, learners do not know whether they
are on the right track, what strategies to use, and when and how to use the strategies
(Perkins, 1993). They may make poor decisions about what to study and in what
order (i.e., selecting links) because they do not have sufficient prior knowledge
or appropriate metacognitive ability (Cho, 1995). Recent research has suggested
that learners have difficulty with self-regulation in hypermedia environments, but
little research has explored the relation between hypermedia structure and self or
co-regulated learning.
Collaborative learning environments can provide opportunities to deal with some
of the SRL challenges by allowing regulatory activities to be distributed across par-
ticipants. Like SRL, co-regulation concerns students' co-engagement in planning,
monitoring, and evaluating strategies (the three major phases of self-regulation). Co-
regulated learning emerges in the process of knowledge co-construction (Hickey &
McCaslin, 2001). In the planning process, students set goals for their learning activ-
ity and keep attention focused on specific learning tasks. This process may affect the
effectiveness of selected strategies to monitor learning progress toward the planned
goals and evaluating their progress of learning (Pintrich & Zusho, 2002). In a class-
room study of collaborative learning using hypermedia, Azevedo et al. (2004b)
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