Motivation and Importance of Research on Learning in Unsupervised Environments

Three trends in education provide the imperative to understand and optimize learning in unsupervised environments:

•	Homework has become an increasingly important part of formal education, and more homework is assigned as children mature.
•	Classroom teachers are using computer-based resources more frequently, and students are often engaged in unsupervised individual learning via technology, even while at school.
•	Internet-based study is increasing, especially among adults who want or need to continue learning throughout their working years, and most Internet-based learning is unsupervised individual learning.