DIGITAL COGNITIVE OVERLOAD EXPERIENCES AMONG ISLAMIC RELIGIOUS EDUCATION STUDENTS IN PLATFORM-BASED DIGITAL LEARNING: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY

Abstract

Digital transformation in higher education has expanded students' access to learning
resources, but it has also created new challenges, including information overload, notificationbased distraction, multitasking, and cognitive fatigue. This study aims to explore the experience
of digital cognitive overload among students of Islamic Religious Education (PAI) in platformbased digital learning. The study employed a qualitative approach using Interpretative
Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). The participants were six PAI students at UIN Walisongo
Semarang, selected through purposive sampling based on their experiences with multiple digital
platforms and encountering overwhelm, distraction, or difficulty maintaining focus during
learning. Data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews and analyzed both
ideographically and across cases. The findings revealed six main themes: cognitive fatigue and
information overload; digital distraction and fragmented academic presence; notifications as
triggers for attentional shifting; ambivalence toward digital platforms and AI; failure and effort in
developing digital self-regulation; and recovery strategies from digital pressure. The findings
indicate that digital cognitive overload is not merely a technical issue of media use. However, a
complex lived experience involves the body, emotions, attention, self-regulation, and the meaning
of learning. This study emphasizes the need for PAI learning that is simpler, more purposeful,
cognitively friendly, reflective, and digitally ethical. It also highlights the importance of
metacognitive awareness as a form of self-regulation in improving students' patterns of digital
media use.