[Paper Review] "I Can't Keep Up": Accessibility Barriers in Video-Based Learning for Individuals with Borderline Intellectual Functioning

Hyehyun Chu, Seungju Kim+5 more|arXiv (Cornell University)|Feb 9, 2026

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TL;DR

The paper investigates how video-based learning challenges for individuals with Borderline Intellectual Functioning (BIF) arise from cognitive traits and video design, how these challenges are experienced, and what coping strategies and design implications emerge.

ABSTRACT

Video-based learning (VBL) has become a dominant method for learning practical skills, yet accessibility guidelines provide limited guidance for users with cognitive differences. In particular, challenges that individuals with Borderline Intellectual Functioning (BIF) encounter in video-based learning remain largely underexplored, despite VBL's potential to support their learning through features like self-paced viewing and visual demonstration. To address this gap, we conducted a series of studies with BIF individuals and caretakers to comprehensively understand their VBL challenges. Our analysis revealed challenges stemming from misalignment between user cognitive characteristics and video elements (e.g., overwhelmed by pacing and density, difficulty inferring omitted content), and experiential factors intensifying challenges (e.g., low self-efficacy). While participants employed coping strategies such as repetitive viewing to address these challenges, these strategies could not overcome fundamental gaps with video. We further discuss the design implications on both content and UI-level features for BIF and broader groups with cognitive diversities.

Motivation & Objective

• Identify how video elements interact with BIF cognitive traits to affect learning.
• Examine experiential factors that amplify or mitigate VBL challenges for BIF users.
• Explore coping strategies used by BIF learners and assess their effectiveness and limits.
• Provide content and UI design implications to improve cognitive accessibility in VBL for BIF and related groups.

Proposed method

• Conduct semi-structured interviews with social workers and parents of BIF individuals to contextualize VBL challenges.
• Perform a multimethod study with 12 BIF participants involving semi-structured interviews and observational video-watching with comprehension quizzes.
• Use an AED instructional video to anchor video content and develop quiz items aligned with potential comprehension barriers.
• Apply reflective thematic analysis to synthesize interview and observation data into themes of cognitive barriers and coping strategies.
• triangulate participant perspectives with caregiver/professional observations to validate themes.

Figure 1. Overview of how video elements map to cognitive characteristics, coping strategies, and limitations for BIF users in video-based learning. Left: video elements that heighten cognitive demand—content requiring 2D to 3D translation; technical jargon and abstract terminology; high information

Experimental results

Research questions

• RQ1 RQ1: How do different video elements and BIF users’ cognitive traits impact video-based learning for BIF users?
• RQ2 RQ2: What experiential factors impact video-based learning for BIF users?
• RQ3 RQ3: What strategies do BIF users employ during video-based learning, and what are their effectiveness and limitations?

Key findings

• Cognitive characteristics of BIF (e.g., working memory constraints, spatial/verbal challenges) interact with video design to create barriers across nutrition of information, pacing, and inference.
• Experiential factors such as low self-efficacy intensify challenges and contribute to a negative feedback cycle.
• Participants rely on coping strategies like repetitive viewing, yet such strategies often fail to resolve underlying comprehension gaps.
• Caregiver and professional perspectives corroborate that VBL can be essential for life skills but current designs do not adequately support BIF needs.
• The study discusses design implications at content and UI levels to reduce cognitive load and bolster self-efficacy for BIF learners and similar cognitive-diversity groups.

Figure 2. Examples of spatial perception and visual inference challenges in the AED instructional video. Top panel shows how camera angle and device rotation create spatial comprehension difficulties. Q6 tests whether participants can identify the power button when the AED is rotated 45 degrees from