Abstract

PUJOL, Lydia. The Search For Information In Hypermedia: The Effect of Learning Styles and The Use Of Metacognitve Strategies. Investigación y Postgrado [online]. 2008, vol.23, n.3, pp.45-67. ISSN 2244-7474.

The objective of this causal-comparative research is to determine the effects of learning styles, how frequently metacognitive strategies (FUEM) are used and their interaction in the search for exact information in 101 university students. It is based on the cognitive approach and the information processing theory. The research used the Honey-Alonso Questionnaire on CHAEA Learning Styles (Alonso, Gallego and Honey, 1997) and the Metacognitive Strategies Inventory (O’neil and Abedy, 1996). Information search was measured by 2 indicators: quality of the informational material and the time spent on the search. An ANOVA of 4x2 was used. The search evidenced that learning styles have an effect on the time spent for searching and that a high FUEM improves the quality of the material retrieved, as well as an interaction between theoretical style and high FUEM. The results are a contribution to the identification of personal characteristics that influence the search for information in hypermedia and the design of educational experiences that use compatible TIC with the users characteristics.

Keywords : Information Search; Hypermedia; Learning Styles; Metacognitive Styles; University Students.