Cognitive Load Theory

1. EDM 508
EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY
THE COGNITIVE LOAD THEORY
Jheally L. Orlanda
Discussant

2. John Sweller
“A theory that focuses the load
on working memory during
instruction.”

3. • is an Australian educational psychologist
who is best known for formulating an
influential theory of cognitive load.
• He received a Ph.D. from the
University of Adelaide's Department of
Psychology in 1972 — his thesis was entitled
"Effects of initial discrimination training on
subsequent shift learning in animals and
humans" — and he also received a B.A.
(Hons.) from the same institution in 1969.
• He has authored over 80 academic
publications, mainly reporting research on
cognitive factors in instructional design,
with specific emphasis on the instructional
implications of working memory limitations
(e.g., Sweller, Merrienboer & Paas, 1998)
and their consequences for instructional
procedures.

4. Cognitive Load Theory
• "Cognitive load theory has been designed
to provide guidelines intended to assist in
the presentation of information in a
manner that encourages learner activities
that optimize intellectual performance".
• Employs aspects of information processing
theory to emphasize the inherent
limitations of concurrent working memory
load on learning during instruction.
• It makes use of the schema as primary unit
of analysis for the design of instructional
materials.

5. 3 Types of Cognitive Load
• intrinsic cognitive load
• extraneous cognitive load
• germane cognitive load

6. OVERVIEW
Clipperfield (2006) states that for a given problem or task, “I”
cannot be changed. But “G” and “E” can vary and are inversely
proportional to each other. The more extraneous load the less room for
germane load. Thus, the duty of an instructional designer is to limit the
amount of extraneous load and to build instructional presentations and
activities that encourage germane load or schema formation to take
place.

7. Intrinsic Cognitive Load
• First described by Chandler and
Sweller, intrinsic cognitive load is the
idea that all instruction has an inherent
difficulty associated with it.
• This inherent difficulty may not be
altered by an instructor. However
many schemas may be broken into
individual “subschemas” and taught in
isolation, to be later brought back
together and described as a
combined whole.

8. Intrinsic Cognitive Load
• Intrinsic load is the “thinking” part of
cognitive learning theory.
 For example, if one were learning the
mechanics of 2+2 for the first time, one
would have to think about the
combination of two items with another
two items. Essentially, one would have
two items, then another item (3) and
then another item (4).
 The amount of “thinking” or “intrinsic
load” affects the learning capacity.
Another key component is the way in
which the material is presented.

9. Extraneous Cognitive Load
• Extraneous cognitive load, by
contrast, is under the control of
instructional designers.
• This form of cognitive load is
generated by the manner in which
information is presented to learners
(i.e., the design).

10. Extraneous Cognitive Load
• To illustrate an example of extraneous
cognitive load, assume there are at
least two possible ways to describe a
geometric shape like a triangle. An
instructor could describe a triangle
verbally, but to show a diagram of a
triangle is much better because the
learner does not have to deal with
extraneous, unnecessary information.

11. Germane Cognitive Load
• Germane load is a third kind of
cognitive load which is encouraged to
be promoted.
• Is the load that helps building new
complex schema in a successive
manner in helping the learner to move
from novice to expert.
• It is a self effort to learn and memorized
information learned.
• Is coined as effective cognitive load,
caused by successful schema
construction.

12. Germane Cognitive Load
• Germane load is the load used in forming
new schemas.
• Think back to our example of 2+2 for a
moment. As an adult, we do not have to
think about have two items, then adding
another, then adding another. We
already know that 2+2=4.
• We use this knowledge to solve high level
problems. For example, one could
quickly tell me that 1,001,242 + 2 =
1,001,244
• These rules do not change. These are our
schemas

13. Implications
• Working memory is extremely limited.
• Long term memory is essentially
unlimited.
• The process of learning requires
working memory to be actively
engaged in the comprehension (and
processing) of instructional material to
encode to-be-learned information into
long term memory.
• If the resources of working memory are
exceeded then learning will be
ineffective.

14. Classroom Implications
• The goal of the instructor should be to
reduce extraneous cognitive load and
increase germane cognitive load.
Instructors can accomplish this in a variety
of ways:
 Change problem solving methods to avoid
means-ends approaches that impose a
heavy working memory load by using goal-free
problems or worked examples.
 Physically integrate multiple sources of
information whenever possible to eliminate
the need for learners to have to mentally
integrate that information which increases
the load on working memory.

15.  Reduce redundancy and repetitive
information whenever possible so that
the load on working memory is lessened.
 Use auditory and visual information
under conditions where both sources
of information are essential (i.e. non-redundant)
to understanding. This helps
increase the capacity of working
memory.

16. References
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive
_load
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Sw
eller
• http://www.learning-theories.
com/cognitive-load-theory-of-
multimedia-learning-sweller.html
• http://www.southalabama.edu/oll/m
obile/theory_workbook/cognitive_loa
d_theory.htm
• http://elearningindustry.com/cognitiv
e-load-theory-and-instructional-design