Martin Merkt

Martin Merkt is a Research Fellow at the German Institute for Adult Education (DIE) in Bonn, Germany, specializing in the Teaching and Learning research area. Since 2024, he has served as a research associate, building on prior leadership of DIE's junior research group 'Audiovisual Knowledge and Information Media' (2018–2023) and extensive experience at the Leibniz Institute for Knowledge Media in Tübingen.

Education

• Doctorate in Psychology (Dr. rer. nat.), University of Tübingen (2012)
• Diploma in Psychology, University of Tübingen (2009)

Merkt's research centers on optimizing audiovisual media for learning, with emphasis on learner heterogeneity and critical digital media discourse. His work bridges formal education and informal settings like museums, examining how video design elements—such as instructor presence, pauses, and cueing—affect cognitive processing. Key methodologies include eye tracking, experimental design, and learning analytics to investigate multimedia principles in digital environments.

His publication record (2021–2025) reveals consistent focus on video-based learning dynamics, particularly how structural features influence attention, comprehension, and knowledge retention. Recent studies dissect instructor embodiment effects, VR cueing efficiency, and mind wandering triggers, demonstrating evolving sophistication in isolating variables within complex digital learning ecosystems.

Merkt actively contributes to professional communities including the European Association for Research on Learning and Instruction (EARLI), German Society for Psychology (DGPs), and Society for Empirical Educational Research (GEBF). He currently participates in DIE's NOVA:ea project while advancing research on equitable digital learning design.