Abstract:

As one of the core technologies of Internet, the hypermedia technology is playing a more and more important role in peoples’ daily lives, including their online learning. The cognitive style of field dependence/independence is an important variable which has a strong influence on hypermedia learning. However, According to the Kolb’s learning model, the person is required to employ each of the four key learning abilities: concrete experience, abstract conceptualization, reflective observation, and active experimentation. The difference in learners’ cognitive styles only related to their abilities what about “concrete experience” or “abstract conceptualization”. And the tolerance of ambiguity was proved to relate to learners’ abilities what about “reflective observation” or “active experimentation”. These four key learning abilities together have an impact on peoples’ learning. Thus, the tolerance of ambiguity may be another important variable has influence on hypermedia learning. In addition, it is likely to moderate the relationship between cognitive styles and hypermedia learning achievement. The present study aimed to examine the impacts of levels tolerance of ambiguity on hypermedia learning achievement and the moderating effect of tolerance of ambiguity between cognitive styles of field dependence/independence and hypermedia learning achievement. A total of 285 college students were asked to measure their tolerance of ambiguity with a Ambiguity Tolerance Scale, cognitive styles of field dependence/independence with a Cognitive Style Figure Test. Then they were asked to study through a hypermedia system about the human body blood circulation which we made it ourselves. Then, their hypermedia learning achievement was measured with a knowledge test. The multiple hierarchical regression analysis were employed to examine the moderating effect of tolerance of ambiguity. The results were as follows: (1) Cognitive styles of field dependence/independence related to learners’ tolerance of ambiguity when some variables were controlled. Field independence learners tend to have a lower tolerance of ambiguity. (2) Tolerance of ambiguity significant predicted learners’ hypermedia learning achievement while the impacts of cognitive styles were controlled. (3) Tolerance of ambiguity moderated the relationship between cognitive styles and hypermedia learning achievement. For low and medium tolerance of ambiguity learners, cognitive styles significant predicted their hypermedia learning achievement. While for high tolerance of ambiguity learners, cognitive styles can’t predict their hypermedia learning achievement. The present study extends our understanding of the hypermedia learning on individual differences and introduces the tolerance of ambiguity to the hypermedia learning filed, and upsets the status quo what the value of hypermedia learning was evaluated only according to learners’ cognitive styles of field dependence/independence. In conclusion, the study shows the moderating effect of tolerance of ambiguity between field dependence/independence and hypermedia learning achievement. These results highlight the important role that learners’ tolerance of ambiguity play in their hypermedia learning, and argue that the field dependence learners can also adapt hypermedia learning while have a high level of tolerance of ambiguity. Furthermore, the relationship between tolerance of ambiguity and field dependence/independence is still controversial in previous studies. The present study discusses this problem from the view point of theory and practice.