<span style='font-family:Arial;

mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"'>Cognitive Load Theory (J.

Sweller)<o:p></o:p><o:p></o:p>

<span style='font-family:Arial;

mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"'><![if !supportEmptyParas]> <![endif]><o:p></o:p>

<span style='font-family:Arial;

mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"'>Overview: <o:p></o:p>

<span style='font-family:Arial;

mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"'>This theory suggests that learning happens

best under conditions that are aligned with human cognitive architecture.

The structure of human cognitive architecture, while not known precisely,

is discernible through the results of experimental research. Recognizing <A href="miller.html">George

Miller's research</a> showing that short term memory is limited in the number

of elements it can contain simultaneously, Sweller builds a theory that treats

schemas, or combinations of elements, as the cognitive structures that make

up an individual's knowledge base. (Sweller, 1988)<o:p></o:p>

<span style='font-family:Arial;

mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"'>The contents of long term memory are "sophisticated

structures that permit us to perceive, think, and solve problems," rather

than a group of rote learned facts. These structures, known as <a href="schema.html">schemas</a>,

are what permit us to treat multiple elements as a single element. They are

the cognitive structures that make up the knowledge base (Sweller, 1988).

Schemas are acquired over a lifetime of learning, and may have other schemas

contained within themselves.<o:p></o:p>

<span style='font-family:Arial;

mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"'>The difference between an expert and a

novice is that a novice hasn't acquired the schemas of an expert. Learning

requires a change in the schematic structures of long term memory and is demonstrated

by performance that progresses from clumsy, error-prone, slow and difficult

to smooth and effortless. The change in performance occurs because as the

learner becomes increasingly familiar with the material, the cognitive characteristics

associated with the material are altered so that it can be handled more efficiently

by working memory.<o:p></o:p><o:p></o:p><o:p></o:p>

From an instructional

perspective, information contained in instructional material must first be

processed by working memory. For schema acquisition to occur, instruction

should be designed to reduce working memory load. Cognitive load theory is

concerned with techniques for reducing working memory load in order to facilitate

the changes in long term memory associated with schema acquisition.<o:p></o:p>

<span style='font-family:Arial;

mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"'>Scope/Application:<o:p></o:p>

<span style='font-family:Arial;

mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"'>Sweller's theories are best applied in

the area of instructional design of cognitively complex or technically challenging

material. His concentration is on the reasons that people have difficulty

learning material of this nature. Cognitive load theory has many implications

in the design of learning materials which must, if they are to be effective,

keep cognitive load of learners at a minimum during the learning process.

While in the past the theory has been applied primarily to technical areas,

it is now being applied to more language-based discursive areas.<o:p></o:p>

Example:

<span style='font-family:Arial;

mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"'>In combining an illustration of blood

flow through the heart with text and labels, the separation of the text from

the illustration forces the learner to look back and forth between the specified

parts of the illustration and the text. If the diagram is self-explanatory,

research data indicates that processing the text unnecessarily increases working

memory load. If the information could be replaced with numbered arrows in

the labeled illustration, the learner could concentrate better on learning

the content from the illustration alone. Alternatively, if the text is essential

to intelligibility, placing it on the diagram rather than separated will reduce

cognitive load associated with searching for relations between the text and

the diagram (Sweller, 1999).<o:p></o:p><span style='font-family:Arial;

mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"'><o:p></o:p>

<span style='font-family:Arial;

mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"'>Principles:<o:p></o:p>

<span style='font-family:Arial;

mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"'>Specific recommendations relative to the

design of instructional material include:<o:p></o:p>

1.

Change problem solving methods to avoid means-ends approaches that impose

a heavy working memory load, by using goal-free problems or worked examples.

2.

Eliminate the working memory load associated with having to mentally integrate

several sources of information by physically integrating those sources of

information.

3.

Eliminate the working memory load associated with unnecessarily processing

repetitive information by reducing redundancy.

4.

Increase working memory capacity by using auditory as well as visual information

under conditions where both sources of information are essential (i.e. non-redundant)

to understanding.

<![if !supportLineBreakNewLine]>

<o:p></o:p>

<span style='font-family:Arial;

mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"'>References:<o:p></o:p>

<span style='font-family:Arial;

mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"'>Sweller, J., Cognitive load during problem

solving: Effects on learning, Cognitive Science, 12, 257-285 (1988).<o:p></o:p>

<span style='font-family:Arial;

mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"'>Sweller, J., Instructional Design in Technical

Areas, (Camberwell, Victoria, Australia: Australian Council for Educational

Research (1999).<o:p></o:p><span style='font-family:Arial;

mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"'><o:p></o:p>

<span style='font-family:Arial;

mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"'>

Acknowledgement: <o:p></o:p>

<span style='font-family:Arial;

mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"'>This article was provided by Howard Soloman.<span style='font-family:Arial;

mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"'><o:p></o:p>

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