How cognitive styles affect the e-learning process

In the last decades AHLSs have increasingly focused on human factors to develop didactic methods able to personalize learning contents to students' needs and prior knowledge. In agreement with this perspective, the present research aimed at assessing the relationship between cognitive styles and learning process in a SCORM setting. 119 undergraduate students were divided into two groups, e-learners and traditional learners. All participants completed both the Cognitive Style Questionnaire and the Intrinsic Motivation Scale in order to evenly distribute the sample. The e-learners received then the teaching materials adapted to their preferred cognitive style, whereas the traditional learners received the same but non-adapted materials. The research findings indicated the key role of the adaptation of learning contents to cognitive style in a e-learning setting even though participants' intrinsic motivation resulted low.