Research on multimedia learning has produced a vast body of findings which, however, are not yet being integrated into a comprehensive framework of reference. For a considerable time, cognitive centered approaches have dominated the literature. Although motivational variables are now being taken into account, there is still a large gap in regard to an adequate representation of motivation in multimedia learning. This is an important concern given the various challenges and obstacles, such as navigational problems, distractions, and cognitive overload, that learners have to face due to the very nature of hypermedia. A promising area of theory that can help concerning this matter is represented by volition, an old concept in the study of human motivation and action (James, 1902), which has been reestablished within recent developments in psychology, such as the "theory of action control" (Kuhl, 1984). In this article, a volitional framework to supplement the mostly cognitively-based research on multimedia learning is introduced to serve as a basis for critically reviewing and reinterpreting current research findings. In particular, the volitional framework is applied to common phenomena in multimedia such as "lost in hyperspace," "cognitive overload," and "seductive details" together with other obstacles to persistence and learning. In addition, several future directions in research on both theory and practical strategies based on the application of volitional strategies in multimedia learning are provided.