Effects of Cueing and Self-Explanation on Chemistry Video Learning Across Tasks with Different Cognitive Demands

Abstract

Video-based instruction can support students’ understanding of abstract chemical concepts, but its effectiveness depends largely on the use of appropriate instructional strategies. This study examined the effects of cueing and self-explanation on chemistry video learning in terms of learning performance, intrinsic motivation, cognitive load, and visual attention. To examine whether these effects differed across chemistry learning tasks with different cognitive demands, two experiments were conducted. Experiment 1 employed a concept-knowing task, whereas Experiment 2 employed a knowledge-application task. A total of 60 grade 10 students were randomly assigned to one of the two experiments. Each experiment used a 3 (no cue, color-based cue, or contour-based cue) × 2 (with or without self-explanation) between-subjects factorial design. Fixation duration and fixation count were used to assess visual attention. Subjective workload was assessed using a self-report questionnaire, with pupil diameter providing additional evidence related to cognitive effort. The findings showed that cueing significantly affected learning performance, visual attention (fixation duration and fixation count), and pupil diameter, but no significant differences were found between the two cueing types. Self-explanation significantly improved learning performance, intrinsic motivation, and visual attention. The effects of cueing and self-explanation did not differ significantly between the two learning tasks. These findings suggest that chemistry educators can integrate cueing and self-explanation into video-based instruction to support both conceptual understanding and knowledge application.