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Sustained attention in learning: what can Hollywood cinema teach us about the design of educational videos?
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  • Published: 14 March 2026

Sustained attention in learning: what can Hollywood cinema teach us about the design of educational videos?

  • AyÅŸe Candan ÅžimÅŸek1,
  • Martin Merkt2,
  • Christina Sondermann2 &
  • …
  • Markus Huff1,3 

Humanities and Social Sciences Communications , Article number:  (2026) Cite this article

We are providing an unedited version of this manuscript to give early access to its findings. Before final publication, the manuscript will undergo further editing. Please note there may be errors present which affect the content, and all legal disclaimers apply.

Subjects

  • Education
  • Psychology

Abstract

Educational videos have become central to learning environments, particularly following the COVID-19 pandemic, underscoring the need for optimized design to enhance learning outcomes. Concurrently, research on film cognition has provided valuable insights into how viewers process dynamic visual narratives in Hollywood cinema. This paper explores the parallels between Hollywood cinema and educational videos to determine how film cognition research can inform educational video design. We analyze how cinematic techniques align with educational principles (i.e. signaling, spatial and temporal contiguity) proposed by Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning. Additionally, we examine social cognition aspects, drawing connections to the learning principles (i.e., embodiment and image principles) in educational contexts. We propose that educational videos can enhance learner engagement by adopting attention-guiding methods and social cues used in film. We also suggest that compiling a shared collection of example videos and reusable materials could help teachers and researchers reuse and adapt resources more easily.

Data availability

No datasets were generated or analysed during the current study.

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  1. Leibniz-Institut für Wissensmedien, Tübingen, Germany

    Ayşe Candan Şimşek & Markus Huff

  2. German Institute for Adult Education, Leibniz Center for Lifelong Learning, Bonn, Germany

    Martin Merkt & Christina Sondermann

  3. Eberhard-Karls-Universität Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany

    Markus Huff

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  1. AyÅŸe Candan ÅžimÅŸek
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  2. Martin Merkt
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  3. Christina Sondermann
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  4. Markus Huff
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Contributions

All authors, ACS, MH, CS and MM contributed to the manuscript and worked on all the revisions. ACS and MH developed the idea; ACS and CS performed the literature review; ACS, MH, CS and MM drafted and critically revised the work. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to AyÅŸe Candan ÅžimÅŸek.

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Candan ÅžimÅŸek, A., Merkt, M., Sondermann, C. et al. Sustained attention in learning: what can Hollywood cinema teach us about the design of educational videos?. Humanit Soc Sci Commun (2026). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-026-06917-6

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  • Received: 14 June 2025

  • Accepted: 27 February 2026

  • Published: 14 March 2026

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-026-06917-6

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