Digital amnesia in the digital classroom: a review of memory retention challenges among computer science students

Digital learning environments expose computer science students to repositories, coding platforms, automated assessment, and AI tools that may encourage cognitive offloading and weaken durable learning. This scoping evidence-mapping review examined how digital amnesia affects retention in computer science education and identified pedagogical responses. Guided by PRISMA-ScR and PRISMA-S, the review used Scopus AI to analyze expanded summaries, concept maps, topic experts, and emerging themes, with claims checked against Scopus records. Findings link digital amnesia to unregulated tool use, information overload, limited retrieval practice, emotional strain, and unequal access rather than technology itself. Effective responses include spaced retrieval, interleaving, spiral sequencing, retrieval-first activities, delayed hints, and controlled tool use. AI-supported personalization may adapt practice and feedback. Future research should test these approaches through longitudinal, cross-cultural studies using delayed-retention and knowledge-transfer measures.