International Journal of Distance Education and E-Learning

MANAGING COGNITIVE LOAD IN A BLENDED LEARNING ENVIRONMENT TO IMPROVE STUDENTS’ CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS: AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY

2026-04-29T14:55:08+05:00

Critical thinking is recognized as one of the core skills of 21st century. It fosters knowledge construction and enhances students’ performance and learning outcomes by encouraging them to question assumptions and draw meaningful conclusions. In order to process information mental effort is required. This mental effort is known as cognitive load. learning is affected without effective cognitive load management. Although technology is integral part of blended learning, there are challenges in balancing cognitive load with technology use to foster critical thinking without causing cognitive overload. The current study examines how students' critical thinking abilities are improved in a blended learning environment through cognitive load management. This study employed a true experimental research design. All educational institutions in District Abbottabad, Hazara Division, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, constituted the population of this study. From a sample of 32 students, 17 were randomly assigned to the control group, while 15 were assigned to the experimental group. To accurately measure the effect, only the experimental group received a treatment comprising of worked examples, completion tasks, scaffolding and instant feedback, whereas the control group did not. Two valid and reliable instruments, adapted from NASA-TLX and WGCTA were used to assess cognitive load and critical thinking skills. Data analysis included paired sample t-tests, Mann-Whitney U-tests, Welch's t-tests, Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test, independent samples t-tests as well as descriptive statistics. The critical thinking skills were found to improve more in an experimental group (p < 0.05) as compared to control group. It was concluded that in the absence of effective cognitive load management, learning is hindered. This study recommends that cognitive load management is crucial in a blended learning environment to facilitate the cultivation of critical thought among learners.

Keywords: Cognitive load Management, Blended Learning, Critical Thinking, Scaffolding.

THE IMPACT OF WORK STATUS, ADVANTAGEOUSNESS, ENGAGEMENT AND BURNOUT ON THE PERCEIVED ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF OPEN DISTANCE ELECTRONIC LEARNING STUDENTS

2026-04-13T13:54:10+05:00

This research aimed to answer three questions arising from a mega open-distance e-learning institution in South Africa. First, is there a significant difference between the levels of engagement and burnout with studies and the perceived academic performance of working and full-time students? Second, is there a significant difference between historically disadvantaged and historically advantaged students and their engagement and burnout with studies and perceived academic performance? Third, to what extent do study engagement and study burnout predict perceptions of academic performance, controlling for work status? Online and validated questionnaires were used to collect data from 423 respondents. Using a quantitative approach, including t-tests and hierarchical multiple regression, the findings revealed that while working students reported higher levels of study burnout, the gap was small. However, they maintained a positive self-perception of their academic performance. In contrast, full-time students were more engaged in their studies and gave themselves higher performance ratings. Additionally, when work status was controlled, study engagement—rather than study burnout—significantly predicts perceived academic performance. The higher perception of academic performance and greater engagement reported by historically disadvantaged students are noteworthy. By reporting the results, ODeL educators will gain a deeper understanding of students' study habits across diverse backgrounds and the potential impact of study engagement and burnout on academic achievement. It may also assist institutions in (re)structuring their teaching and learning policies. Given the variables and case examined, there is ample scope for further research.

Keywords: work status, study engagement, study burnout, perceived academic performance, open distance electronic learning

EFFECT OF YOUTUBE AS A CONTENT MANAGEMENT ON ENGLISH READING PROFICIENCY AT ELEMENTARY LEVEL

2026-04-29T14:12:32+05:00

This study was conducted to explore the effect of teaching through YouTube on English Reading Proficiency (comprehension) at the elementary level in the rural areas of Swat, Pakistan. This research revealed that reading proficiency (comprehension) could be developed if the students are taught by using YouTube as a medium and a Content Management System for teaching English Textbooks at the elementary level. The True Experimental research design was adopted for the two sections of the same grade in a public school. 60 students were randomly selected (30 participants in each group) through the Random Sampling Technique from 107 students in both sections. After the pilot testing, minor recommended changes were made. A pre-test and a post-test were administered in 60 working days, comprising 06 lessons from the English Textbook of class 8^th. The data was analyzed using a t-test results showed that teaching through YouTube had comparatively better results in terms of score and performance on the increase of reading proficiency (comprehension) among elementary-level students. The outcomes of the research are worthwhile for teachers, curriculum designers, syllabi designers, pedagogues, and policymakers. In addition, YouTube is suggested as a Content Management System for teaching different aspects related to reading proficiency (comprehension).

Keywords: Teaching Through YouTube; Elementary Teacher Education (ETE); English Reading proficiency (Phonics, Phonemic Awareness, Vocabulary, Fluency and Comprehension)

FUTURE-READY FACULTY: EMBRACING GENERATIVE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (GENAI) IN HIGHER EDUCATION

2026-04-29T22:44:02+05:00

Artificial intelligence (AI) in higher education (HE) is becoming a prominent area for researchers to explore. Perceived benefits of generative AI in HE includes adaptive learning, personalized pathways, quality content, student engagement, customized and prompt feedback, and intelligent tutoring systems. These benefits can be achieved if educators apply generative AI in their teaching in the right way; therefore, it is critical to explore the readiness of faculty to use AI. This study aims to explore the extent to which faculty members are ready to use AI in their teaching. Furthermore, identifying the factors affecting AI-readiness and behavioral-intention of faculty at open and distance learning institutions (ODL) is also a focus of this study. Using a quantitative research method, the study has collected data from ODL institution in Pakistan. Variables, including AI anxiety, confidence in teaching AI, AI relevance, AI for social good, attitude of using AI and perceived usefulness and AI-readiness of ODL faculty have been examined to measure their behavioral intentions towards using AI in their pedagogy. The online survey was sent to 200 faculty members of ODL from which 180 correctly filled questionnaires were received. Findings indicate that confidence in teaching AI, AI for social good, and relevance are the predictor of AI-Readiness whereas AI-Readiness is a good predictor of behavioral intention of ODL faculty members. This paper contributes to AI literature in higher education by emphasizing the AI benefits specifically in ODL through its faculty. The findings are helpful for higher education institutions (HEIs) to know the factors contributing towards readiness of ODL faculty to integrate AI in higher education, so that policies to adopt AI in education can be formulated. The findings are also important for apex bodies in higher education to identify the areas to be focused on for an effective use of AI.

Key Words: AI, Generative AI, Behavioral Intention, Adaptive Learning, Readiness to use AI, Attitude to use AI, Open and Distance Learning (ODL)

EFFECT OF GAME BASED FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT ON THE COGNITIVE ABILITY OF THE STUDENTS IN GOVT. NON-FORMAL PRIMARY SCHOOLS

2026-06-15T11:50:06+05:00

Game-based formative assessment is an effective strategy to raise student cognitive ability in non-formal basic education programs. Research highlighted game-based formative assessment’s impact on student cognitive development. The purpose of the study to find the effect of GBFA on Cognitive ability of learners of non-formal education which is always reported low. This study is based on positivist paradigm followed by true experimental design having GBFA as independent variable and dependent was cognitive ability. The study consisted of 390 basic literacy schools in Khushab. Pre-test and Post-test was employed to find out their cognitive ability. The assessment tool consists of a 40-item MCQ instrument that originates from the science textbook to determine the cognitive ability on learning focusing on Bloom’s Taxonomy’s cognitive domain with 1^st three subdomains. Objectives of the study were measured through data collection procedure, t-tests and paired sample t-tests was used to analyze pre and after intervention results. The research findings revealed that students participating in game-based formative assessment acquire superior cognitive abilities. The study shows the necessity of adopting interactive teaching tools with government backing to improve student active involvement and learning results in non-formal classrooms. Educators along with policy makers may utilize the study findings to apply game-based formative assessment effectively which maximizes learning benefits in non-formal educational contexts.

Keywords: Game-based formative assessment, academic performance, non-formal education, cognitive ability, motivation, engagement.