Table 4.

Design factors that might be considered when creating innovative Guzheng learning environments in relation to cognitive load.

Design domain	Main issue	Possible design consideration	Potential pedagogical implication	References
Notation design	Split attention, visual clutter, and weak score–technique linkage	Place fingerings and technical marks as near as possible to their corresponding visual area; apply segmentation and a moderate visual hierarchy when applicable	It can decrease the unnecessary extraneous load and help in providing a better correspondence between notation and behavior, particularly for novice learners	Sweller et al. (2019); Skulmowski and Xu (2022); Paas and Merriënboer (2020); Zhang et al. (2024); Bae (2024)
Video-mediated demonstration	Overlong demonstrations, weak synchronization, and dense overlays	Shorter, goal-oriented clips are more effective; ensure that sound and movement go together well; eliminate explanatory support slowly with the growth in learner familiarity	May improve perceptual access to movement and reduce unnecessary processing pressure during early learning	Sweller et al. (2019); Skulmowski and Xu (2022); Janson et al. (2019); Costley et al. (2020); Ou et al. (2025); Sidi and Ackerman (2024)
Classroom workflow	Unclear goals, poorly sequenced tasks, and overload during practice	Use clear but achievable objectives, demonstrate prior to implementation, directed segmentation, and chances of reflection after training	May support a more manageable progression from observation to practice and later reapplication	Sweller et al. (2019); Hawthorne et al. (2019); Janson et al. (2019); Ou et al. (2025); Ayres et al. (2021); Janssen and Kirschner (2020); Wirth et al. (2020)
Adaptive digital support	Learners differ in expertise, pace, and overload threshold	Adjust difficulty, feedback timing, and scaffolding intensity in response to learner performance where feasible	May improve alignment between task demands and learner readiness under some conditions	Choi and Kim (2021); Ou et al. (2025); Ayres et al. (2021)
Multimedia platforms	Fragmented resources and navigation burden	Coordinate notation, demonstration, and feedback more closely within the same practice environment, where possible	May reduce fragmentation and support more coherent self-paced practice	Skulmowski and Xu (2022); Choi and Kim (2021); Song (2025)
AR/VR-enhanced guidance	Possible novelty load, realism effects, and interface burden	Apply AR/VR in a selective manner as a support of position, a context of rehearsal, or an embodiment of guidance; do not use interfaces that are unnecessarily complex	Can be used to support embodied rehearsal under certain conditions, as long as additional sensory or interface requirements are kept low	Buchner et al. (2021); Oje et al. (2025); Skulmowski and Rey (2020)

This table summarizes design considerations discussed in the review from a cognitive load perspective. The implications should be interpreted cautiously. Direct Guzheng-specific evidence remains limited for several entries, and some considerations are informed by broader music-learning or adjacent complex-skill literature. The table should therefore be read as a set of evidence-informed considerations rather than as validated instructional prescriptions.