Which factor that affects student learning is referred to as a break in upward progress?

The concept of a learning plateau refers to a period during which a student experiences a stagnation in their progress despite ongoing efforts to learn and improve. This phenomenon can be viewed as a "break" in upward progress, where the individual does not seem to acquire new skills or knowledge even after additional practice or study.

During this plateau phase, learners might feel frustrated as they do not see the expected incremental advancement in their abilities, which can impact their motivation and engagement. Understanding learning plateaus is crucial for instructors, as they can devise strategies to help students push through these periods, encouraging them to continue practicing or to approach learning from different perspectives to reignite their progress.

The other factors listed – motivational dips, cognitive overload, and feedback loops – all relate to aspects of the learning experience, but they do not specifically denote a period of stalled progress in the same manner that a learning plateau does. Each of these factors plays a role in the learning process, but only learning plateaus explicitly capture the idea of a halt in advancement.