Rewind and Recall: Examining the Effects of Self-regulated Learning and Off-task Thought in Video-based Learning

Task-unrelated thought, commonly known as mind wandering, occurs frequently during learning and can negatively affect learning outcomes. In video-based learning environments, learners have the opportunity to mitigate the negative effect of task-unrelated thoughts by rewinding the video to review missed content. This study investigated whether rewinding following self-caught off-task thoughts (task-unrelated thoughts or task-related interference) affects learning outcomes. The study explores the types of off-task thoughts that co-occur with rewinding behaviour and how self-regulated learning aptitudes relate to awareness of off-task thoughts and learning outcomes. The study employed an experiment, with 222 participants watching a 15-minute video and reporting their off-task thoughts. Task-unrelated thoughts were more often followed by rewinding compared to other thought types. However, no significant difference in knowledge test scores was observed between participants who reviewed previous video segments after off-task thoughts and those who did not. To explore what underpins awareness of off-task thoughts and reactionary tactics such as rewinding, self-regulated learning aptitudes were examined. A piecewise structural equation model showed that higher scores on the Metacognition and Online Effort Regulation scales were associated with fewer reported off-task thoughts. These findings suggest a relationship between self-regulated learning aptitudes and meta-awareness that warrants further investigation to determine whether self-regulated learners experience fewer off-task thoughts or habitually regulate their learning in response to them.

Daniel Ebbert, Aaron wong, Natasha Wilson, Srecko Joksimovic, Negin Mirriahi, Shane Dawson, Caitlin Mills

07/2026