Using cognitive flexibility hypertext to develop sexual harassment cases

The use of cognitive flexibility theory as a theoretical framework for designing hypertext has been found to be beneficial for learning in ill-structured domains. However, little is known of what role the learning task plays in the effectiveness of this approach. The present study examined the relationship between task, navigation, and learning transfer when utilizing a cognitive flexibility hypertext about sexual harassment with 34 graduate management students. Due to the nature of the topic, the effects of the task on student attitudes were also studied. The conclusions of the study were that there were no significant differences for the navigational choices or transfer scores, but there did appear to be a relationship between task and changing students' attitudes towards the topic.