freeform pen-input as evidence of cognitive load and expertise
This paper presents a longitudinal study that explores the combined effect of cognitive load and expertise on the use of a scratchpad. Our results confirm that such cognitive support benefits users under high cognitive load through visual aid, perceptual motor use and helps to improve meaningful learning and successful problem solving. Indeed, we found significant changes in stroke frequency affected by cognitive load, which we believe are caused by the scratchpad essentially augmenting or extending working memory capacity. However, the discrepancy between stroke frequencies under low and high load is reduced with expertise. These results indicate that pen stroke frequency, which can be automated with electronic devices, could be used as an indicator of cognitive load, or conversely, of expertise level.
cognitive load pen input multimodal measurement and assessment