Research

- Academia -

Research Topics

My Master's and PhD research explored the interactions between learners' cognitive biases, heuristics, individual differences, and learning experience designs on different types of memory and learning. Basically, what's the deal with digital learning experiences and how can we make them better?

Learning Experience Design

Static versus interactive e-learning platforms, usability and success metrics, longitudinal performance tracking, synchronous versus asynchronous learning, multimedia design best practices

Notetaking

Notetaking strategies and outcomes, effects of note-taking versus note-having, notetaking modality (digital, handwritten, drawn, etc.), notetaking software and assistant technology

Language

Monolingual versus bilingual effects on brain and cognition, language and cultural influences on cognition

Text Comprehension

Reading strategies and text comprehension, automated text analysis methods

Information Architecture

Mental model formation, categorization, propositional network modeling, semantic network formation

Cognitive Biases

Heuristics, metacognition (judgments, accuracy), metacognition as a training tool, overconfidence effects, cue overload effects

Individual Differences & Accessibility

Diversity, equity, & inclusivity, accessibility, learners' background knowledge, cultural influences, individual value systems

Scholarship

My research is qualitative and quantitative, applied, and targets user experience issues in digital learning environments. The tags denote the primary research topics of each production.

Dissertation

The effects of interpolated lectures, self-testing, and notetaking on learning from a science video lecture.

LX Design
Notetaking
Information Architecture
Cognitive Biases
Individual Differences
Accessibility

Master's Thesis

Notetaking modality and student learning: Computer, paper-pencil, or listening?

LX Design
Notetaking
Cognitive Biases
Accessibility

Presentations

*denotes junior researcher project with my mentorship

  • Jennings, E. (November, 2022). (Keynote Speaker) From brain science to boss battles: An experimental psychologist's journey into games user experience research. University of Illinois Annual Playful by Design Symposium, Champaign, IL.

    Language
    Cognitive Biases
    Accessibility
    Individual Differences
  • Pittman, J., Taraban, R., & Jennings, E. (April, 2020). Noting the effectiveness of notetaking: Testing immediate and delayed recall. Southwestern Psychological Association, Albuquerque, NM.

    LX Design
    Notetaking
    Language
    Cognitive Biases
  • *Cancemi, A., & Jennings, E. (May, 2018). Notetaking method, encoding effects, and proactive interference. Psychology Undergraduate Research Conference, Los Angeles, CA.

    LX Design
    Notetaking
    Text Comprehension
    Individual Differences
  • *Metwally, A., & Jennings, E. (May, 2018). A comparison between interpolated and post-lecture testing on type of information retained after a delay. Psychology Undergraduate Research Conference, Los Angeles, CA.

    LX Design
    Individual Differences
  • *Cancemi, A., & Jennings, E. (March, 2018). Does laptop notetaking reduce proactive interference during lecture? Texas Tech University Undergraduate Research Conference, Lubbock, TX.

    LX Design
    Notetaking
    Language
  • *Swift, T., & Jennings, E. (March, 2018). Some like it r(t)ough: The relationship between perceived content difficulty, mental effort, and interest in a neuroscience lecture. Texas Tech University Undergraduate Research Conference, Lubbock, TX.

    LX Design
    Information Architecture
    Cognitive Biases
    Accessibility
    Individual Differences
  • *Birdsong, B. B., & Jennings, E. (March, 2018). Absolutely interested: Individual differences in subjective content familiarity and interest predict absolute accuracy when learning from a science video lecture. Texas Tech University Undergraduate Research Conference, Lubbock, TX.

    LX Design
    Cognitive Biases
    Information Architecture
    Individual Differences
  • *Metwally, A., & Jennings, E. (March, 2018). The ‘senioritis’ effect: Completed course credits predict mind-wandering during lecture. Texas Tech University Undergraduate Research Conference, Lubbock, TX.

    LX Design
    Cognitive Biases
    Individual Differences
  • Jennings, E., Taraban, R., Paniukov, D., Schumacher, J., *Dominguez, S., & *Parker, T. (April, 2015). When teachers lecture, what do students recall with and without notes? Southwestern Psychological Association, Wichita, KS.

    LX Design
    Notetaking
    Information Architecture
  • Jennings, E., Schumacher, J. R., & Taraban, R. (November, 2016). Studying lecture notes increases overconfidence as measured by JOLs and recall scores. Psychonomic Society, Boston, MA.

    LX Design
    Notetaking
    Cognitive Biases
  • Jennings, E., & Serra, M. J. (February, 2015). Is there a real reason to ban laptops in classrooms? Advanced Teaching and Learning Conference, Lubbock, TX.

    LX Design
    Cognitive Biases
    Accessibility
    Individual Differences
  • Jennings, E., & Taraban, R. (November, 2014). Recall-based notetaking aided by transcription fluency. Psychonomic Society, Long Beach, CA.

    LX Design
    Notetaking
    Information Architecture
    Language
    Cognitive Biases
    Individual Differences
  • Jennings, E., & Taraban, R. (May, 2014). Note-taking in the modern college classroom: Computer, paper and pencil, or listening? Midwestern Psychological Association (MPA), Chicago, IL.

    LX Design
    Notetaking
    Cognitive Biases
    Individual Differences
  • Jennings, E., & Taraban, R. (April, 2014). Note-taking benefits college students. Southwestern Psychological Association (SWPA), San Antonio, TX.

    LX Design
    Notetaking
    Cognitive Biases
    Text Comprehension
  • Paniukov, D., Taraban, R., Schumacher, J., & Jennings, E. (March, 2014). Text segmentation and the testing effect. Graduate Student Research Poster Competition, Texas Tech University.

    Language
    Information Architecture
    Text Comprehension
  • Marshall, P. P., Chang, J., Zeng, X., Jennings, E., & Donato, F. (May, 2013). The commonality of religious and aesthetic experiences. Midwestern Psychological Association, Chicago, IL.

    Cognitive Biases
    Individual Differences
  • Jennings, E., & Taraban, R. (October, 2013). Benefits of notetaking vs listening. College Academic Support Program Conference (CASP), Amarillo, TX.

    LX Design
    Notetaking
    Information Architecture
    Language
    Cognitive Biases
    Accessibility
    Individual Differences
  • Taraban, R., & Jennings, E. (October, 2013). Learning from expository text. College Academic Support Program Conference (CASP), Amarillo, TX.

    Language
    Cognitive Biases
    Information Architecture
    Text Comprehension
  • Jennings, E., & Taraban, R. (April, 2013). Absence of testing effect in text recall: It pays to study. Southwestern Psychological Association (SWPA) Conference, Fort Worth, TX.

    Language
    Cognitive Biases
    Text Comprehension
  • Jennings, E., & Taraban, R. (March, 2013). Notetaking method in the college classroom: Computer, paper and pencil, or listening? Graduate Student Research Poster Competition, Lubbock, TX.

    LX Design
    Notetaking
    Information Architecture
    Cognitive Biases
    Individual Differences
  • Jennings, E., & Taraban, R. (November, 2012). Absence of a testing effect in immediate and delayed recall. Psychonomic Society, Minneapolis, MN.

    Language
    Information Architecture
    Text Comprehension
  • Jennings, E., & Taraban, R. (April, 2012). Text coherence and the testing effect. Southwestern Psychological Association (SWPA), Oklahoma City, OK.

    Language
    Information Architecture
    Text Comprehension
  • Jennings, E., & Taraban, R. (March, 2012). Effects of coherence and multiple tests on expository text recall. Graduate Student Research Poster Competition, Lubbock, TX.

    Language
    Information Architecture
    Text Comprehension