Rate My Professor James Pengelley

James Pengelley is an Adjunct Lecturer in the School of Education at Murdoch University. He completed a Master of Education by Research at Murdoch University in 2022, with his thesis titled "A testing load: comparing cognitive load in computer and paper-based testing." His research focuses on the impact of educational technologies on learning environments, classroom discourse, and student cognition, with particular emphasis on cognitive load in computer-based versus paper-based learning and assessment. Additional interests include teacher training, sociolinguistics, ICT use and its effects on learners, and classroom applications of cognitive psychology. Pengelley also teaches psychology at a secondary school.

Pengelley's key publications include "A testing load: a review of cognitive load in computer and paper-based learning and assessment," published in Technology, Pedagogy and Education in 2024, which examines the cognitive consequences of testing modes on student performance and subjective experiences. Another notable paper is "A Testing Load: Investigating Test Mode Effects on Test Score, Cognitive Load and Scratch Paper Use with Secondary School Students," published in 2023. His earlier works comprise "School in the cloud, feet on the ground: Language learning with SOLE" (2017), "Beyond the task" (2014), and "The one about the horse who walked into a bar: taking a step back" (2013). He co-authored the article "Does it matter if students do tests on computers or on paper?" featured on Murdoch University's news site in 2024 and discussed NAPLAN testing formats on ABC National Radio in 2024. Additionally, he co-presented "Teaching critical thinking: A critical review of teaching strategies" at the ReimaginED 2025 conference.