Profiling cognitive offloading in LLM-mediated synthesis writing: Volume vs. content

Oleksandra Poquet, Mani Shankar Nanduri, Maria Ximena Salinas Loyer, Matthias Stadler, Michael Sailer, Jelena Jovanovic — Accepted at EC-TEL 2026 — cs.HC, cs.ET

This study compares two approaches to profiling how learners offload cognitive activity to LLMs during a synthesis writing task, drawing on Salomon's distributed cognition and the Kintsch–van Dijk model of text comprehension. Volume-based profiling (k-means, k=4) differentiated learners primarily by prior knowledge, with higher LLM use negatively associated with essay authorship. Content-based profiling (k=5) revealed qualitatively distinct patterns: from vocabulary clarification to active direction of structuring and generation to passive delegation of comprehension at both local and global levels. These patterns correspond to differences in learning strategies, behavioral markers, and essay authorship. The study provides a nuanced framework for understanding not just how much learners rely on LLMs, but what kind of cognitive work they offload — critical for designing AI Literacy interventions and Formative Assessment that promotes productive AI use without undermining learning. The findings connect to Self Regulated Learning research by showing that offloading patterns reflect different fragmentation of the cognitive process.

Connected Concepts

AI Literacy

Formative Assessment

Self Regulated Learning

Connected Articles

GenAI Academic Search Workshop — Report on CHIIR 2026 Workshop on Generative AI and Academic Search (GAI&AS)

Bridging Instructional Design Framework Math — WIP: Bridging the Gap Between Instructional Design and Pedagogical Use: A Framework for Mathematics Educators

Edumirror Educational Social Dynamics — EduMirror: Modeling Educational Social Dynamics with Value-driven Multi-agent Simulation

Adaptive Virtual Patient Psychotherapy Training — The Empirically Grounded Adaptive Virtual Patient for Psychotherapy Training

Student Misconceptions Conditionals Loops Taxonomy — How Students (Mis)understand Conditionals and Loops -- A Taxonomy

Reshaping CS Education GenAI — Reshaping Undergraduate Computer Science Education in the Generative AI Era

Citation

Poquet, O., Nanduri, M. S., Salinas Loyer, M. X., Stadler, M., Sailer, M., & Jovanovic, J. (2026). Profiling cognitive offloading in LLM-mediated synthesis writing: Volume vs. content. arXiv:2606.10434.