An AI-Enabled Adaptive Visualization Approach to Overcoming Cognitive Barriers in Technical Terminology Learning

Abstract

Acquiring the specialized technical terminology is an important and ongoing requirement of the computer science education. Despite the extensive usage of codified definitional paradigms and traditional static visual instructional aids. The majority of students struggle to achieve the genuine conceptual clarity and epistemic knowledge. This difficulty is the most visible in learner's incapacity to adequately combine terminology with the conceptual and the procedural knowledge. Using the survey-based research approach, this study investigates the complex barriers to the technical terminology proficiency by examining the interconnected factors such as the conceptual integration, the effectiveness of the visualization- based learning strategies, the learner's capacity for a practical application, and the persistent problem of delay in the comprehension error detection. The data collected from the undergraduate computer science students showed that the learners commonly exhibit unfounded metacognitive confidence when dealing with the technical jargon, resulting in false comprehension. This cognitive-epistemological mismatch was evident during evaluative tasks, where the difficulties in applying the theoretical notions reveal major deficits in the basic conceptual frameworks. The findings also showed that the traditional instructional techniques are frequently fail to detect and rectify the growing conceptual mistakes in a timely manner, allowing them to become the cognitively entrenched. This research presents the Conceptual DNA System (CDS), a three-tier educational framework aimed at advancing learning of technical vocabulary and the assimilation of concepts in computer science, thereby addressing existing teaching limitations. It combines context-based visualization, collaborative learning and real-time feedback to support early error detection, deeper conceptual integration and sustained comprehension. The findings show that adaptive visualisation assists learners in organizing and connect technical information, mitigates cognitive overload, and improves lasting retention by transforming static terms into visual forms.