For instance, working with groups and engaging in discussions, searching for information on the internet, or listening to a lecture is likely to result in different levels of cognitive engagement because of different levels of autonomy. Listening to a lecture is arguably the least cognitively engaging since under such circumstances there is little to no student autonomy. On the other hand, when students independently search for information on the internet—that is, when students engage in selfinitiated information-seeking behaviors—the level of autonomy should be relatively high and thus lead to more cognitive engagement. Working in groups and engaging in discussions could result in either high or low feelings of autonomy, depending on the group dynamics. For example, if there are domineering peers in the group, a student may feel less autonomous and engages less cognitively as opposed to a group that works well together. In short, we suggest that the level of autonomy is inherently related to an activity or task and largely determines the degree to which students engage cognitively with that activity or task