Open research questions in Visual and Cognitive Learning Processes
551 gap statements mined from Visual and Cognitive Learning Processes papers in our 7.9M-paper local library, which holds 3,845 papers on the topic — drawn mostly from each paper's own stated research gap, future-work, challenge and limitation notes, and its abstract. The ones listed below are a selection still marked open; each names the study that raised it, with a DOI link where the paper has one.
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What the literature leaves open
The lack of understanding of how to detect interruptions in online learning. The need to determine the frequency of interruptions in a digital learning experience. The need to examine the effect of the pandemic on students' metacognitive ability to maintain engagement with digital learning experiences.
Further research is needed to explore the potential of AI-driven consumer behaviour prediction eye-tracking technology in online learning environments. The study suggests that integrating convolutional neural networks and advanced deep learning techniques is pivotal in developing AI detection models across various domains.
The need for more accessible and scalable eye-tracking solutions for remote learning environments. The lack of understanding of how AI-driven consumer behaviour prediction eye-tracking technology can improve the learning experience. The importance of assessing cognitive demands in PowerPoint presentations to improve the effectiveness of knowledge dissemination and the learning process.
It highlights the need to balance the benefits of multimedia learning with the potential drawbacks of increased cognitive load. The study also notes the importance of considering individual differences in learners' abilities and prior knowledge.
The More, the Better? Exploring the Effects of Modal and Codal Redundancy on Learning and Cognitive Load: An Experimental Study · 2024 · DOILittle is known about the potential effects of social learning conditions and split attention on problem-solving learning. The benefits of individual and group learning are not well understood in terms of task element interactivity and physical separation of information sources.
Effects of Split-Attention and Task Complexity on Individual and Collaborative Learning · 2024 · DOIFuture research should investigate the effects of different instructional practices on learning and integration in dual-language education programs. Future research should examine the effects of reading-while-listening and graphics on learning and integration in different languages and contexts.
Building Knowledge across Language Systems: The Role of Audio and Visual Supports in Bilingual Learning through Self-Derivation · 2024 · DOIFuture research should investigate how to better integrate comments into the learning process. Future research should explore the effectiveness of different design features in supporting user learning.
Future research will focus on enhancing context-aware adaptation—such as dynamic content scaling based on learner demographics—and integrating Explainable AI (XAI) to further demystify the generative process.
Different notetaking devices and activities may lead to different embodied, distributed systems of learning (Pea, 1993); further investigation is needed to probe these these aspects can provide suggestions for practice within and beyond the context of asynchronous online learning.
Taking notes with different writing devices influences learning processes but not performance: an EEG study comparing ink pens, digital pens, and keyboards · 2026 · DOICognitive load theory (CLT) has been widely validated in core academic subject learning, yet its application to music education remains scarce, and the moderating role of its core construct—element interactivity—in explanation‐based music learning is unexamined.
The 'screen inferiority effect' remains despite improved display resolutions. The effects of scrolling and paging on reading comprehension are not well understood.
Effects of Scrolling and Paging on the Digital Reading Comprehension of Senior High School Students in Dolores National High School · 2026 · DOIFuture research is needed to investigate further adaptive and AI-based animated environments, perhaps achieving even more refined cognitive load, motivation, and individualized support.
Many students have difficulties with constructing proofs. A difficulty can result from a limited understanding of the statement to be proven. The validity of self-reports is often criticized.
Task Comprehension Strategies in Proof Construction – Methodological and Educational Issues · 2026 · DOIResearch on task comprehension in the context of proving is limited. There are different approaches to capture the quality of strategy use, but most of these strategies are identified either by observing experts or come from advice literature.
Task Comprehension Strategies in Proof Construction – Methodological and Educational Issues · 2026 · DOIIn light of the limited application of CLT principles identified in this study, we recommend that professional training sessions and workshops be conducted to enhance educators’ understanding and implementation of these principles. Specifically, institutions should raise teachers’ awareness of the challenges associated with integrating text and images in PowerPoint presentations through regularly held seminars.
Cognitive Load Theory Application in PowerPoint Presentations: An Evaluation Framework from Teachers’ and Learners’ Perspectives · 2026 · DOIInvestigate the effect of different instructional methods on learner engagement. Examine the relationship between interruption rates and learning outcomes. Develop more accurate methods for detecting interruptions. Explore the impact of COVID-19 on learning outcomes in different contexts.
The study was conducted in the US in a predominantly English-speaking area. The sample size was limited to 56 children in Study 1 and 67 children in Study 2. The study only examined the effects of reading-while-listening and graphics on learning and integration.
Building Knowledge across Language Systems: The Role of Audio and Visual Supports in Bilingual Learning through Self-Derivation · 2024 · DOIStudents have difficulties learning algebraic relations and basic concepts of algebra. The existing instructional approaches may not be effective in reducing cognitive load and enhancing algebraic problem-solving skills.
Evaluating the Impact of the WEI4S Instructional Approach on Middle School Students’ Algebraic Problem-Solving Skills · 2024 · DOIThe study had a small sample size of 14 participants. The study was conducted remotely via Zoom, which may have limited the depth of data collected.
The main aim of this study was to understand whether minimizing EL can enhance IVL from DGBVL activities and contribute to the mixed results in the literature.
Instructional formats and digital game-based vocabulary learning activities: The role of extraneous cognitive load · 2026 · DOIThe researcher suggests the following: 1- Applying instructional design based on cognitive load to other educational stages, such as middle and high school. 2- Studying the impact of instructional design on Higher-order thinking skills, such as problem-solving, synthesis, and analysis. 3- Comparing the effectiveness of instructional design in different curricula, such as science and Arabic language.
LEARNING -EDUCATIONAL DESIGN BASED ON THE COGNITIVE BURDEN STRATEGY AND ITS EFFECT IN PRIMARY SCHOOL PUPILS ACHIEVEMENT TOWARDS MATHEMATICS · 2026 · DOIBased on the results and conclusions, the studyer offers the following recommendations: 1- Encourage teachers to adopt instructional-learning designs that reduce cognitive load when teaching mathematics. 2- The necessity of organizing educational content and dividing it into small, progressive units to facilitate learning. 3- Enhancing the use of solved examples and interactive activities in the educational process.
LEARNING -EDUCATIONAL DESIGN BASED ON THE COGNITIVE BURDEN STRATEGY AND ITS EFFECT IN PRIMARY SCHOOL PUPILS ACHIEVEMENT TOWARDS MATHEMATICS · 2026 · DOILess research has been conducted on worked examples’ effectiveness in ill-structured learning domains, - Most CLT research has been conducted in well-structured learning domains, - The study had a limited number of participants (85 university students), - The study focused on a specific topic…
Enhancing Teaching Strategies through Cognitive Load Theory: Process vs. Product Worked Examples · 2024 · DOIInvestigating the effectiveness of worked examples in other ill-structured learning domains, - Comparing the effectiveness of ProcessWEs and ProductWEs in different learning domains, - Examining the impact of worked examples on teacher professional…
Enhancing Teaching Strategies through Cognitive Load Theory: Process vs. Product Worked Examples · 2024 · DOIThe study only examined Ecuadorian high school learners, - The study only used a specific mathematics topic, - The sample size was limited to 192…
Effects of Split-Attention and Task Complexity on Individual and Collaborative Learning · 2024 · DOI
Most-cited papers in Visual and Cognitive Learning Processes
- Why Minimal Guidance During Instruction Does Not Work: An Analysis of the Failure of Constructivist, Discovery, Problem-Based, Experiential, and Inquiry-Based Teaching · Educational Psychologist · 2006 · 4,392 citations
- Cognitive Architecture and Instructional Design · Educational Psychology Review · 1998 · 4,360 citations
- Interactive-engagement versus traditional methods: A six-thousand-student survey of mechanics test data for introductory physics courses · American Journal of Physics · 1998 · 3,369 citations
- Nine Ways to Reduce Cognitive Load in Multimedia Learning · Educational Psychologist · 2003 · 2,786 citations
- Cognitive load theory, learning difficulty, and instructional design · Learning and Instruction · 1994 · 2,603 citations
- Attentional requirements of learning: Evidence from performance measures · Cognitive Psychology · 1987 · 2,229 citations
- Cognitive Load Theory and Instructional Design: Recent Developments · Educational Psychologist · 2003 · 2,133 citations
- Cognitive Architecture and Instructional Design: 20 Years Later · Educational Psychology Review · 2019 · 1,930 citations
- Cognitive Load Theory and the Format of Instruction · Cognition and Instruction · 1991 · 1,912 citations
- Cognitive Load Measurement as a Means to Advance Cognitive Load Theory · Educational Psychologist · 2003 · 1,824 citations
Most recent work
- Understanding the cognitive cost of multimedia learning: effects of visual load and language proficiency · Cognitive Research Principles and Implications · 2026
- Comparison of cognitive workload between very short answer questions and multiple-choice questions: an eye-tracking experiment · Medical Education Online · 2026
- Meta-cognitive insights into cognitive offloading: mechanisms, interventions, and educational implications · Humanities and Social Sciences Communications · 2026
- Statistical learning performance is impacted by a previous learning experience: A predictive eye-movement study · Cognition · 2026
- The effect of metacognitive prompts using generative AI on cognitive load, task performance, and self-efficacy in online self-regulated learning · Educational Psychology · 2026
- From heartbeats to actions: Multimodal learning analytics of cognitive and behavior engagement in real classrooms · Learning and Instruction · 2026
- Enhance or hinder? Exploring the role of AI-powered notetaking in Video-based STEM learning · Contemporary Educational Psychology · 2026
- How can students’ engagement with instructional videos on generalizing with algebraic expressions be scaffolded? Design research for specifying the content-specific focus of scaffolds · The Journal of Mathematical Behavior · 2026
- A reading model of English as a foreign language accommodated by programming-oriented computational thinking: An interdisciplinary approach · Thinking Skills and Creativity · 2026
- Mitigating Cognitive Overload in Nursing Education: An Integrative Review · Nurse Educator · 2026
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