Effects of self-regulation prompts in hypermedia learning on learning performance and self-efficacy

Learning with prompts activates self-regulation processes often resulting in increased learning performance. As experiences of self-regulation and learning success are sources of self-efficacy, the study investigated whether prompts affect learning performance over two learning sessions and examines whether prompts affect learners' self-efficacy perceptions within and across these sessions. N = 52 students learned twice for 30 min in a hypermedia either receiving prompts or learning without. In each session, self-efficacy was assessed before, during, and after learning while performance was measured at the end. Prompted learners outperformed learners without prompts only in the first performance test regarding transfer. Additionally, they reported higher overall self-efficacy. While self-efficacy perceptions did not differ between groups in the first learning session, self-efficacy perceptions in the second learning session were higher amongst prompted learners. Results indicate that learning with prompts may foster self-efficacy across learning sessions. Navigation behavior did not differ between groups. Underlying mechanisms and longer-term effects of prompts need to be further researched.