KESEDERHANAAN VISUAL PADA MEDIA PEMBELAJARAN: ANALISIS TEORI BEBAN KOGNITIF UNTUK MENINGKATKAN FOKUS DAN PEMAHAMAN SISWA PAI
Keywords:
Visual Simplicity, Cognitive Load Theory, Instructional Media, Islamic Education, Learning FocusAbstract
The use of digital media in Islamic Religious Education (PAI) often falls into the trap of visually excessive design, which has the potential to fragment students' concentration. This article aims to examine the application of visual simplicity through the lens of Cognitive Load Theory to address issues of distraction and cognitive fatigue in students. This study employs a library research method with a qualitative approach. Data analysis draws from reputable journal literature using an interactive model encompassing data condensation, data presentation, and conclusion drawing. The findings indicate that visually dense media interfaces tend to increase extraneous cognitive load on students' working memory. Conversely, the reduction of irrelevant decorative elements suggests a potential decrease in such load, allowing working memory capacity to be more optimally allocated for core material processing (germane load). In conclusion, simplified media design is not merely an aesthetic choice, but a pedagogical strategy with the potential to enhance students' attention, sustain focus, and facilitate meaningful learning. Practically, this article contributes by offering a cognitive principle-based media design framework as a guide for PAI teachers in developing instructional media that is more mentally efficient and conducive to the internalization of moral values.
References
Anmarkrud, O., Andresen, A., & Braten, I. (2019). Cognitive Load and Working Memory in Multimedia Learning: Conceptual and Measurement Issues. Educational Psychologist, 54(2), 61–83. https://doi.org/10.1080/00461520.2018.1554484
Castro-Alonso, J. C., de Koning, B. B., Fiorella, L., & Paas, F. (2021). Five Strategies for Optimizing Instructional Materials: Instructor- and Learner-Managed Cognitive Load. Educational Psychology Review, 33(4), 1379–1407. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-021-09606-9
Castro-Alonso, J. C., Wong, R. M., Adesope, O. O., & Paas, F. (2021). Effectiveness of Multimedia Pedagogical Agents Predicted by Diverse Theories: A Meta-Analysis. Educational Psychology Review, 33(3), 989–1015. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-020-09587-1
Chen, S., Wu, X., & Li, Y. (2022). Exploring the Relationships between Distractibility and Website Layout of Virtual Classroom Design with Visual Saliency. International Journal of Human–Computer Interaction, 38(14), 1291–1306. https://doi.org/10.1080/10447318.2021.1994212
Demir, İ. (2025). Reason, Understanding and Cognition in Religious Education in The Context of The Educational Value of Cognitive Processes. YAZIT Kültür Bilimleri Dergisi, 5(2), 552–575. https://doi.org/10.59902/yazit.1762758
Falcon, S., Admiraal, W., & Leon, J. (2023). Teachers’ engaging messages and the relationship with students’ performance and teachers’ enthusiasm. Learning and Instruction, 86, 101750. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2023.101750
Flanigan, A. E., & Titsworth, S. (2020). The impact of digital distraction on lecture note taking and student learning. Instructional Science, 48(5), 495–524. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11251-020-09517-2
Ginting, F. R. B., & Harfiani, R. (2025). Pengaruh Penggunaan Media Pembelajaran Non-Digital “Jadul” terhadap Konsentrasi Siswa saat Belajar Mata Pelajaran PAI. Hikmah : Jurnal Studi Pendidikan Agama Islam, 2(3), 18–30. https://doi.org/10.61132/hikmah.v2i3.1254
Hasanah, U., Sukari, S., & Sugiyat, S. (2024). Penerapan Media Pembelajaran Fiqih Berbasis Audio Visual Dalam Meningkatkan Motivasi Belajar Siswa Kelas VII A Mts Negeri 2 Wonogiri Tahun Ajaran 2022/2023. Al’ulum Jurnal Pendidikan Islam, 92–99. https://doi.org/10.54090/alulum.442
Li, H., Xing, W., Lyu, B., Zhu, W., Liu, Z., & Li, H. (2025). An Automated Aesthetic Assessment Framework of Mathematical Story Images Validated by Click Counts. L@S - Proc. ACM Conf. Learn. @ Scale, 202–206. https://doi.org/10.1145/3698205.3733923
M. Chuluq Maushuli, Revalina Nur Hafidah, Muhammad Randy Wahyu Romadhon, & M. Yunus Abu Bakar. (2025). Implementasi Pembelajaran Berdiferensiasi Dalam Kurikulum Merdeka Pada Mata Pelajaran Pendidikan Agama Islam. Pendas : Jurnal Ilmiah Pendidikan Dasar, 10(04), 213–231. https://doi.org/10.23969/jp.v10i04.38523
Maghfiroh, R., Bakar, M. Y. A., Nabila, S., & Indrajita, D. T. (2025). Membangun SDM Melek Teknologi dan Berintegritas dalam Bingkai Filsafat Pendidikan Islam di Era Digital. JOURNAL SAINS STUDENT RESEARCH, 4(1), 164–178. https://doi.org/10.61722/jssr.v4i1.7640
Mayer, R. E. (2021). Multimedia learning (the 3rd edition). Cambridge University.
Mayer, R. E., & Fiorella, L. (Ed.). (2021). The Cambridge Handbook of Multimedia Learning (3 ed.). Cambridge University Press. Cambridge Core. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108894333
Miles, M. B., Huberman, A. M., & Saldana, J. (2019). Qualitative Data Analysis: A Methods Sourcebook. SAGE Publications.
Moh Mahfud, Nur Kholis, & M Yunus Abu Bakar. (2023). Canva Application For Fiqh Learning Subjects In Grade V At Sdi Matsaratul Huda Panempan Pamekasan. PRIMARY: Jurnal Pendidikan Guru Sekolah Dasar, 12(4). http://dx.doi.org/10.33578/jpfkip.v12i4.10040
Mutlu-Bayraktar, D., Cosgun, V., & Altan, T. (2019). Cognitive load in multimedia learning environments: A systematic review. Computers & Education, 141, 103618. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2019.103618
Nagarajan, K., & Muniisvaran, K. (2025). Teaching Thirukkural to form 2 students through the Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning. Journal of Valartamil, 6(1), 15–20. https://doi.org/10.37134/jvt.vol6.1.3.2025
Noetel, M., Griffith, S., Delaney, O., Harris, N. R., Sanders, T., Parker, P., del Pozo Cruz, B., & Lonsdale, C. (2022). Multimedia Design for Learning: An Overview of Reviews With Meta-Meta-Analysis. Review of Educational Research, 92(3), 413–454. https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543211052329
Paas, F., & van Merriënboer, J. J. G. (2020). Cognitive-Load Theory: Methods to Manage Working Memory Load in the Learning of Complex Tasks. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 29(4), 394–398. https://doi.org/10.1177/0963721420922183
Paul, J., & Seniuk-Cicek, J. (2022). The Cognitive Science of PowerPoint Part II: The Power of Attention. Proceedings of the Canadian Engineering Education Association (CEEA). https://doi.org/10.24908/pceea.vi.15834
Pink, A., & Newton, P. M. (2020). Decorative animations impair recall and are a source of extraneous cognitive load. Advances in Physiology Education, 44(3), 376–382. https://doi.org/10.1152/ADVAN.00102.2019
Pouw, W., Rop, G., de Koning, B., & Paas, F. (2019). The cognitive basis for the split-attention effect. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 148(11), 2058–2075. https://doi.org/10.1037/xge0000578
Rahmaniah, Ariqo, M. kenzie Z., Alsalsabila, N. N., & Bakar, M. Y. A. (2025). Ontologi, Epistemologi, dan Aksiologi Dalam Filsafat Islam Sebagai Fondasi Pendidikan Moral. JOURNAL SAINS STUDENT RESEARCH, 4(1), 179–192. https://doi.org/10.61722/jssr.v4i1.7638
Ramdani, H., Fahmi, R., Nadya, A., & Indahsari, I. (2022, Juli 22). Affective Domain (Taxonomy Krathwohl) and Interpersonal Communication of Students in e-Learning Activities. Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Social, Science, and Technology, ICSST 2021, 25 November 2021, Tangerang, Indonesia. https://eudl.eu/doi/10.4108/eai.25-11-2021.2318828
Selvia, S., Jasiah, J., & Mahmudah, I. (2025). Pengaruh Media Interaktif Berbasis Aplikasi Nearpod Terhadap Hasil Belajar Siswa Pada Mata Pelajaran Fiqih Kelas Xi Di Ma Darul Amin Palangka Raya. AL-MUADDIB: Jurnal Kajian Ilmu Kependidikan, 7(4), 664–681. https://doi.org/10.46773/muaddib.v7i4.2646
Shahnabati, F., Sabourifard, A., Amiri, S. H., Bosaghzadeh, A., & Ebrahimpour, R. (2025). Cognitive load and visual attention assessment using physiological eye tracking measures in multimedia learning. PLOS ONE, 20(12 December). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0337195
Skulmowski, A. (2023). The Cognitive Architecture of Digital Externalization. Educational Psychology Review, 35(4). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-023-09818-1
Skulmowski, A., & Xu, K. M. (2022). Understanding Cognitive Load in Digital and Online Learning: A New Perspective on Extraneous Cognitive Load. Educational Psychology Review, 34(1), 171–196. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-021-09624-7
Sundararajan, N., & Adesope, O. (2020). Keep it Coherent: A Meta-Analysis of the Seductive Details Effect. Educational Psychology Review, 32(3), 707–734. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-020-09522-4
Susanti, S. S., Nursafitri, L., Hamzah, I., Zunarti, R., Darmanto, Fitriyah, Asy’arie, B. F., & As’ad, M. S. (2024). Innovative Digital Media in Islamic Religious Education Learning. Jurnal Pendidikan Agama Islam, 21(1), 40–59. https://doi.org/10.14421/jpai.v21i1.7553
Sweller, J., Merrienboer, J. J. G. van, & Paas, F. (2019). Cognitive Architecture and Instructional Design: 20 Years Later. Educational Psychology Review, 31(2), 261–292. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-019-09465-5
Syagif, A. (2024). Teori Beban Kognitif John Sweller Dan Implikasinya Dalam Pembelajaran Bahasa Arab Pada Jenjang Pendidikan Dasar. FASHLUNA, 5(2), 93–105. https://doi.org/10.47625/fashluna.v5i2.883
Tajuddin, T., & Amaluddin, A. (2025). Pendidikan Agama Islam sebagai Media Penguatan Karakter dan Mental Spiritual. Journal of Humanities, Social Sciences, and Education, 1(4), 61–71. https://doi.org/10.64690/jhuse.v1i4.194
Wang, C.-C., & Chen, M.-C. (2026). An eye-tracking study to investigate the impact of media multitasking behaviour on visual attention and learning performance in online learning. Research Papers in Education, 0(0), 1–32. https://doi.org/10.1080/02671522.2026.2649157
Zhao, P., & Todd, R. W. (2025). Recontextualising PowerPoint in higher education: Teacher perceptions and pedagogical affordances. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 41(5), 89–102. https://doi.org/10.14742/ajet.10719
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Rohmat Robi' Rozaqiy, Faqih Abdul Aziz, Muchammad Naufal Abid, M. Yunus Abu Bakar, Suryani

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

