Tübingen Center for Digital Education

Pauline Frick

My research background focuses on how different modalities, such as text and pictures, influence learning processes. Building on this foundation, my current work explores how innovative educational technologies can be used to support and foster the cognitive processes involved in comprehension and learning.

In interdisciplinary teams, I use co-constructive design approaches that actively involve educators, learners, and other stakeholders in the development process. Through this collaborative work, I aim to design adaptive, evidence-based learning environments that respond to the diverse needs and developmental stages of learners across different age groups.

In addition, I am interested in how research–practice partnerships can be developed to bridge the gap between academic research and educational practice, fostering sustainable innovation in learning environments.
 

 

 

since 01/2025
Research assistant at the Tübingen Centre for Digital Education (TüCeDe)

Deputy Coordination of the Innovative Educational Technologies department

2025
Doctorate to Dr rer. nat

Leibniz-Institut für Wissensmedien/ Faculty of Science, Eberhard Karls UniversityTübingen

Thesis: “Reading Illustrated Texts: How Pictures Influence Activation, Integration, and Validation Processes” (First reviewer: PD. Dr. Anne Schüler, Second reviewer: Prof. Dr. Stephan Schwan) 

01/2021 - 05/2025
Research assistant at the Leibniz-Institut für Wissensmedien

Multiple representation group

06/2020 ‐ 11/2020
Internship in knowledge management and e-learning

BASF SE, Ludwigshafen

10/2018-12/2019
Student assistant

Universtiy of Trier, Department of Giftedness Research and Education 

10/2017 ‐ 03/2020
Master Degree Psychology

University of Trier

12/2015-02/2018
Student assistant

Universtiy of Koblenz-Landau, Department of Cognitive Psychology and Department of Diagnostics, Differential Psychology, Methodology and Evaluation

10/2014‐08/2017
Bachelor degree in Psychology

University of Koblenz-Landau

Publications

Articles in peer-reviewed journals

Frick, P., & Schüler, A. (2026). Validation of illustrated texts: Can pictures raise awareness of inconsistencies? Memory & Cognition. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13421-026-01900-7 

Frick, P., Kendeou, P., & Schüler, A. (2025). Knowledge revision processes during reading: How pictures influence the activation of outdated information. Memory & Cognition 53, 547-567. https://dx.doi.org/10.3758/s13421-024-01586-9  Data

Schüler, A., & Frick, P. (2025). Unveiling passive cross-modal reactivation and validation processes in the processing of multimedia material. Learning and Instruction, Article 102117. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2025.102117 Data 

Schüler, A., & Frick, P. (2024). Do passive cross-modal validation processes occur when processing multimedia materials? Learning and Instruction, 93, Article 101956. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2024.101956 Data

Frick, P., & Schüler, A. (2023). Extending the theoretical foundations of multimedia learning: Activation, integration, and validation occur when processing illustrated texts. Learning and Instruction, 87, Article 101800. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2023.101800 Data

Conference Contributions

Frick, P., Johnson, V., & Kendeou, P. (2025, June 9-11). Communicating climate change: How graphs, source credibility, and trust in science influence engagement with social media posts. 35th Annual Meeting of the Society for Text & Discourse (ST&D). University of Padua, Italy. [Talk]

Schüler A., Frick, P., & Hoch, E. (2025, June 9-11). Cross-modal reactivation, integration, and validation processes during reading illustrated texts: An eye-tracking study. 35th Annual Meeting of the Society for Text & Discourse (ST&D). University of Padua, Italy. [Talk]

Frick, P., Hoch, E., & Schüler, A. (2024, June 27-28). Cross-modal activation, integration, and validation processes when reading illustrated texts: An eye-tracking study. Visual Language (VisLang) Conference 2024. Tilburg University, Netherlands. [Talk]

Frick, P., & Schüler, A. (2024, June 17-19). How pictures influence the automatic validation process and the awareness of inconsistencies. 34th Annual Meeting of the Society for Text & Discourse (ST&D). Chicago, IL. [Talk]

Frick, P., & Schüler, A. (2024, March 17-20). Synthesizing text comprehension and multimedia learning research: text-picture combinations are activated, integrated and validated automatically. 66. Tagung experimentell arbeitender Psycholog:innen (TeaP) - Conference of Experimental Psychologists. University of Regensburg. [Talk]

Johnson, V., Frick, P., & Kendeou, P. (2024, November 21-24). The joint effects of source credibility and graph presence on communicating climate science. Psychonomic Society 65th Annual Meeting. New York, NY, USA. [Poster]

Schüler, A., & Frick, P. (2024, September 4-6). Cross-modal validation processes occur during processing multimedia materials. European Association for Research on Learning and Instruction (EARLI). Special Interest Group (SIG) 2: Comprehension of Text and Graphics. Valencia, Spain. [Talk]

Frick, P., Kendeou, P., & Schüler, A. (2023, September 18-20). When learning requires revision – how pictures influence knowledge revision processes. 19. Tagung der Fachgruppe Pädagogische Psychologie. Kiel. [Talk]

Frick, P., Kendeou, P., & Schüler, A. (2023, June 28-30). The influence of pictures on knowledge revision processes during reading. 33rd Annual Meeting of the Society for Text & Discourse (ST&D). University of Oslo, Norway. [Talk]

Frick, P., Kendeou, P., & Schüler, A. (2023, August 22-26). Knowledge revision during reading – do pictures reduce the activation of outdated information? 20th Biennial Conference of the European Association for Research on Learning and Instruction (EARLI). Thessaloniki, Greece. [Talk]

Frick, P., & Schüler, A. (2023, January 8-13). The cognitive processes when reading and learning with illustrated texts. Winter School Eye Tracking - Experimental Design, Implementation, and Analysis. ETH Zürich, Monte Verita, Switzerland. [Poster]

Schüler, A., & Frick, P. (2023, August 22-26). Reading research meets multimedia: text-picture combinations are validated automatically. 20th Biennial Conference of the European Association for Research on Learning and Instruction (EARLI). Thessaloniki, Greece. [Talk]

Frick, P., & Schüler, A. (2022, March 20-23). Text-picture combinations are integrated and validated automatically. 64. Tagung experimentell arbeitender Psycholog:innen (TeaP) - Conference of Experimental Psychologists. University of Cologne (online conference). [Talk]

Frick, P., & Schüler, A. (2022, August 29-31). Not just texts – reactivation, integration, and validation processes also apply to illustrated texts. European Association for Research on Learning and Instruction (EARLI). Special Interest Group (SIG) 2. Kiel. [Talk]

Frick, P., & Schüler, A. (2022, July 19-21). Does the RI-Val model also apply to illustrated texts? 32nd Annual Meeting of the Society for Text & Discourse (ST&D). Georgia State University. Atlanta, GA, USA. [Talk]

Frick, P., & Schüler, A. (2021, September 14-16). Reaktivierungs- und Validierungsprozesse beim Lernen mit Text und Bild. 18. Tagung der Fachgruppe Pädagogische Psychologie (PaePsy) 2021. Pädagogische Hochschule Heidelberg. [Runder Tisch]