Conclusion
The primary goal of this study was to explore the relationship between a user’s engagement with tablet computers and user’s cognitive load, using theories and methodologies from communications studies and cognitive psychology. This goal was attained and the study demonstrates the value of employing an interdisciplinary approach to the study of new media.
There is evidence of the validity of Botha’s (1992) claim that the cognitive structure of the individual is intimately linked to the forms or systems of communication used. The research showed that tablet computers and their applications offer a learning experience that appears to be inherently highly interactive and thereby introducing challenges to the cognitive load of children as users. More research is needed to determine whether this finding is generalizable to adults, and a broader range of applications and tablet computers could be investigated to see whether or not subject matter affects the interactivity of information elements in the applications. However, this offers a start in the development of a broader theory on cognitive load and touch devices. An extension of Botha’s claim arising from this study is that cognitive abilities/structures may be linked to the forms of communications used, but so is the
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reverse: the forms of communications are also defined and linked to our cognitive abilities to interact effectively. This offers an example of the co-constitutive nature of media and use.
The use of an eye tracker in data collection was instrumental to the success of this study—many of the results would not have been derived without its use. We hope to encourage other researchers to include this method as part of the data particularly as it allowed for the assessment of vision.
Designers of educational applications should consider these findings in the development of new applications for children. In particular, they could take into account the deleterious cognitive effect of the complex applications on children with lower EF, applications that are typically marketed as being able to engage children who have difficulty learning in “traditional” scenarios. This means that designers could conduct better app testing and invite test participants not just based on age or grade levels, but also include participants with a range of executive functioning skills to offer a better outcome for all users.