Cognitive Load Theory

Complex learning aims at the integration of knowledge, skills, and attitudes; the coordination of qualitatively different constituent skills; and the transfer of what is learned to daily life or work settings. Recent instructional theories stress authentic learning tasks as the driving force for learning; but due to the complexity of those tasks, learning may be hampered by the limited processing capacity of the human mind. In this article we present a framework for scaffolding practice and just-in-time information presentation, aiming to control cognitive ...

Abstract: Improving human systems integration through technologically advanced training and performance aids has become increasingly important to military transformation. Measures of improved cognitive and coordination processes arising from the employment of transformational tools are necessary to guide the refinement and future development of such technologies.

Livro composto por duas partes, uma com seis capítulos dedicados ao ensino online e a outra também com seis capítulos sobre a teoria cognitiva da aprendizagem multimédia, a teoria da carga cognitiva, o multimédia e hipermédia e ainda sobre a pedagogia dos média.

... van Merriënboer, JJG, Kirschner, PA, & Kester, L. (2003). Taking the load off a learner's mind:Instructional design for complex learning. Educational Psychologist, 38, 5-13. van Merriënboer, JJG, & Sweller, J. (2005). Cognitive load theory and Page 15. 439 ...

Aprender conocimientos escolares tiene características diferentes de los aprendizajes que ocurren en situaciones de convivencia no escolarizada. Su principal diferencia radica en utilizar los sistemas cognitivos desarrollados para adquirir información. Los procesos de enseñanza-aprendizaje son más efectivos cuando se diseñan y ejecutan teniendo en mente los aspectos más relevantes de la cognición humana. La teoría de la carga cognitiva es una teoría instruccional que viene desarrollándose específicamente a partir de la investigación de la arquitectura cognitiva humana y opera durante el aprendizaje de la solución de problemas complejos. El principal propósito de esta teoría es proponer lineamientos para el diseño de ambientes apropiados de aprendizaje que permitan la construcción de esquemas de conocimientos de alta calidad en la memoria de largo plazo optimizando los recursos atencionales de la memoria de trabajo. Por esto, las investigaciones se han centrado en identificar las condiciones que resultan ser más favorables para instrucción y el aprendizaje de las tareas académicas. En este artículo se presenta una revisión general de la teoría de la carga cognitiva. Se distinguen los conocimientos biológicos primarios y secundarios, los sistemas, características y limitaciones de la arquitectura cognitiva humana, los tipos carga cognitiva y los efectos instruccionales encontrados en condiciones de experimentación. Esta revisión ofrece lineamientos instruccionales para el diseño de ambientes adecuados de aprendizaje, los cuales pueden servir de guía para los profesionales de la educación, los diseñadores instruccionales y los administradores de carreras y programas académicos.

The educational benefits of collaboration are well known. Collaborative writing platforms, such as Google Docs, provide students with opportunities to write collaboratively from any location at any time. Despite the benefits of writing collaboratively, such assignments require a number of start-up tasks that may cause mental processing irrelevant to the learning goal. One such task is the creation of shared documents and the granting of permissions to edit the document among group members. In order to avoid taxing students with unnecessary cognitive processing, the present paper posits that instructors should be responsible for creating and sharing collaborative documents. However, as this may be a burdensome task for instructors due to large numbers of students and assignments, a customized computer system, Collab_doc_maker, is introduced that automatically replicates Google Docs, organizes them into predetermined folders and subfolders, and grants editing permissions to members of student groups.

The educational benefits of collaboration are well known. Collaborative writing platforms, such as Google Docs, provide students with opportunities to write collaboratively from any location at any time. Despite the benefits of writing collaboratively, such assignments require a number of start-up tasks that may cause mental processing irrelevant to the learning goal. One such task is the creation of shared documents and the granting of permissions to edit the document among group members. In order to avoid taxing students with unnecessary cognitive processing, the present paper posits that instructors should be responsible for creating and sharing collaborative documents. However, as this may be a burdensome task for instructors due to large numbers of students and assignments, a customized computer system, Collab_doc_maker, is introduced that automatically replicates Google Docs, organizes them into predetermined folders and subfolders, and grants editing permissions to members of student groups.

Programmed Instruction was a dominant force in educational research during the 1960’s and early 1970’s. During this period a new cognitively oriented psychology of education arose that eventually replaced the behaviorally driven research into programmed instruction. For some reason little work was done on integrating these two approaches. This study was designed to test a programmed instructional system based on the intrinsic programmed instructional technology of Crowder (1961) but incorporating design elements derived from cognitive load theory (Sweller, 1988). Specifically, this study tested a multimedia programmed instructional system (CLT-PI) based on work by Mayer (2001) against a text based system (TXT), a traditional linear programmed instructional system based on Skinner (1954, 1958)(LPI), and an intrinsic programmed instructional system based on the work of Crowder (1960, 1961)(IPI). Three hypotheses were tested; 1) Programmed instruction would produce higher long-term ret...

The purpose of this article is to review and critique each of the research studies published in this special issue. We will critique each article, derive one or more instructional design heuristics based on the findings for each study, and provide recommendations for extending particular lines of research. Three suggestions are provided concerning cognitive load theory and instructional design adaptations

En este artículo de revisión se presenta un resumen de la Teoría de la Carga Cognitiva y la Teoría Cognitiva del Aprendizaje Multimedia. Se dan algunos ejemplos de investigaciones empíricas y se reflexiona acerca del valor explicativo de estas teorías del aprendizaje. Se exponen diez principios para el diseño de material instruccional. No obstante, otras investigaciones han encontrado limitaciones en el uso y práctica de estas teorías. Se refieren principalmente a la medición de la carga cognitiva, a la experiencia, al conocimiento previo de los aprendices y a la motivación y aspectos afectivos que intervienen en el proceso de aprendizaje.

Collaborative learning is an extensively used instructional technique by which individuals interact in small groups to learn to solve academic problems. This study aimed to determine the impact of task-specific prior knowledge on individual learners and collaborative groups that were instructed to collaborate. A 2 (individual vs. collaborative group) × 2 (novice vs. knowledgeable learners) factorial experiment with 228 students was carried out to examine the effects of these treatments on performance and mental effort in learning and its outcomes. As expected, knowledgeable individuals and knowledgeable collaborative groups outperformed novice individuals and novice collaborative groups in learning outcomes. Less knowledgeable, collaborating learners outperformed less knowledgeable, individual learners in learning outcomes. While more knowledgeable collaborating and individual learners performed equally well in the learning phase and the delayed test, on the retention test, collaborative groups demonstrated better performance. In general, collaboration benefited learning compared to individual learning in complex tasks, but performance depended on the learner task-specific prior knowledge.

Research has shown that guiding learners’ attention in animations by cueing does not necessarily improve conceptual understanding. This study investigated whether the number of elements that are presented per unit of time influences the effectiveness of cueing by showing a cued or an uncued animation about the cardiovascular system at a high or at a low speed. It was hypothesized that cueing would be most helpful for learning when the animation was shown at a high rather than at a low speed. Unexpectedly, students showed equal performances on comprehension and transfer tests irrespective of cueing and the animation’s speed. However, the low speed groups invested more mental effort to obtain this performance than the high speed groups. The findings and their implications for the design of animations are discussed in terms of cognitive load theory.

This book presents some of the latest theoretical and empirical advances in cognitive translation & interpreting studies. It involves the modes of interpreting, translation,  sight translation, and computer-aided translation. Some chapters propose a new analytical framework for studying keylogged translation processes, a framework that aims to reconcile a sociological and a psychological (Ericsson's) approach for studying expertise in translation, and a pedagogical model of translation competence. Other chapters expand the investigation of cognitive processes by considering the role of emotional factors, reviews, and develops the effort models of interpreting as a didactic construct. The empirical studies in this book revolve around cognitive load and effort; they explore the influences of text factors (e.g., metaphors, complex lexical items, directionality) while taking into account translator factors and evaluate the user experience of computer-aided translation tools.

The Cambridge Handbook of Working Memory and Language discusses the role of memory in the development and use of language, both mother tongues and additional languages. The book is divided into sections that cover general theoretical frameworks and measures, linguistic theory and models, and how memory, particularly working memory, functions in first and second language acquisition with respect to vocabulary development, formulaic chunking, sentence processing, reading comprehension, writing, discourse comprehension, learning difficulties, and specific language impairments. Given that this book features contributions from a team of world-leading experts who discuss cutting-edge work from a variety of approaches, it is hoped that the book will benefit researchers and advanced undergraduate and graduate students of several fields including, but not limited to, language acquisition, linguistics, and psychology.

If not designed in consideration to the workings of the human mind, multimedia learning environments can impose too high a demand on working memory. While such high cognitive load presents challenges for learners of all ages, older learners may be particularly affected as research on cognitive aging has shown the efficiency of working memory declines with age. Research has suggested that cognitive load theory (CLT) and the cognitive theory of multimedia learning (CTML) are likely to accommodate the cognitive needs of older learners; however, few of the principles emerging from these theories have been examined in the context of cognitive aging. The abundance of studies has focused on younger learners, prompting the need for further research of CLT and CTML principles with regard to age. This study contributes to the body of research on the cognitive aging principle by extending research on the modality effect with middle-aged learners. Ninety-two participants ranging in age from 30 to 59 were exposed to multimedia learning treatments presented as animation with concurrent narration and animation with concurrent text, followed by retention, concept, and transfer tests of multimedia learning. Demographic and descriptive statistics were performed along with a multivariate analysis of variance. The findings did not show a modality effect with middle-aged learners; however, results need to be interpreted with care as possible explanations may entail other causes for the lack of a modality effect other than age.

The purpose of this study was to test the principle of modality by using audio to deliver verbal information
when that information is designed to support non-verbal information such as animations in a computer-based
lesson. This was done by comparing the effect of two types of audio support mechanisms- a simple support
mechanism consisting of declarative statements explaining the animated sequence and a complex support
mechanism consisting of questions and answers explaining the animated sequence- on undergraduate student
achievement of conceptual, rule and procedure knowledge. A control group consisting of the same computer-based
lesson without any auditory support of the animation was also employed. Learning was measured through drawing,
terminology, and comprehension tests. The results indicate student achievement was not enhanced by the addition of
auditory support.

Experts must often execute cognitive and motor skills in demanding, potentially stressful environments. Broadly, stress impairs attention and working memory, increasing vulnerability to cognitive overload. Theories of attentional resources and cognitive skill acquisition suggest a Standard Capacity Model (SCM) of expertise and stress vulnerability. However, the SCM has several deficiencies including neglect of contextual factors and the complexities of stress. Theoretical challenges are compounded by methodological issues including the choice of stress measure, and individual differences in response. The interplay between stress and expertise is explored across four domains: test anxiety, sports performance, surgery, and vehicle driving. In each domain, stress is sometimes associated with overload, consistent with the SCM, such that expertise buffers stressor impacts. However, expert performance is also subject to domain-specific influences beyond cognitive capacity, including strategies for emotional regulation, choking under pressure, and aggressive behaviors. Thus, relationships between stress and expertise must be understood contextually.

Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of an iPad iBook for adolescents with disabilities. With its release in 2012, the iBooks Author software for the Apple iPad allows classroom teachers to create accessible and engaging textbooks. Leveraging media and interactive widgets, iBooks Author holds promise for delivering content to learners of all needs. However, little empirical research currently supports the iPad as a textbook. In this intervention study, 22 middle school students with disabilities learned to identify and understand features of textbooks. Participants were randomly assigned to one of two cohorts and alternated reading between a traditional textbook and iPad iBook across six science textbook chapters. Using a repeated measures design, quantitative and qualitative data were collected for reading comprehension scores, electrodermal activity, cognitive load, and participant satisfaction. Results indicated no significant differences in reading comprehension scores, electrodermal activity levels, or cognitive load scores. Satisfaction measures indicated students significantly preferred the iPad iBook. Emergent themes from participant interviews, fidelity checks, and task analyses are also discussed.

Engaging students in a challenging (cognitively demanding) task and launching a mathematics lesson with a task prior to instruction are two characteristics of a reform-oriented approach to mathematics instruction often considered together. The current investigation systematically contrasted teaching with challenging tasks using a task-first lesson structure (Task-First Approach) with that of a teach-first lesson structure (Teach-First Approach) through the delivery of two programs of mathematics instruction to 75 Year 1 and 2 students (7 and 8 year olds). The investigation adopted a quasi-experimental design and included three studies. Study One was quantitative in nature and involved analysing pre- and post- program student outcome data. A series of Mixed Design ANOVAs revealed that both teaching approaches resulted in large gains in student mathematical performance. Moreover, there was no evidence that problem-solving performance differed by lesson structure, although the Teach-First Approach was somewhat more effective in improving mathematical fluency. Study Two was qualitative in nature and involved semi-structured interviews with teacher-participants. Analysis of interview data suggested that there appear to be distinct advantages to both the task-first and teach-first lesson structures. Specifically, teacher-participants perceived that the Teach-First Approach was more focused and efficient, whilst the Task-First Approach was viewed as empowering students, and providing an opportunity to build persistence whilst fostering student mathematical creativity. Despite these differences, there was evidence that the most dramatic shift in teaching practice for teacher-participants would be the incorporation of more cognitively demanding tasks into their mathematics instruction in any capacity. Study Three was also predominantly qualitative and involved semi-structured interviews with student-participants. In line with teacher perceptions of the student experience (Study Two), analysis of student-participant interviews indicated that students generally embraced struggle and persisted when engaged in mathematics lessons involving challenging tasks. In addition, many students described enjoying the process of being challenged. Although most students reported preferring the Teach-First Approach when learning with challenging tasks because it provided opportunities for cognitive activation, a substantial minority (41%) of students preferred the Task-First Approach, in part because they relished the higher level of cognitive demand involved. The findings do not support the assumption that for students to learn from cognitively demanding tasks, lessons must begin with these tasks. Given that each approach was revealed to be effective and to possess distinct strengths, it is recommended that early primary teachers give consideration to incorporating both Task-First Approaches and Teach-First Approaches into future mathematics instruction.

Como as limitações da Memória de Trabalho afetam o modo como se aprende, devem também, por óbvio, condicionar o modo como se ensina. A Teoria da Carga Cognitiva, tendo em vista essas limitações, oferece 29 diretrizes sobre como elaborar um ensino que diminua a Carga Cognitiva improdutiva e, ao mesmo tempo, maximize a Carga Cognitiva produtiva para tornar a aprendizagem mais eficiente. Todas essas diretrizes fundamentam-se em experiências cientificas, não sendo, portanto, meros construtos teóricos. Embora a aplicação dessa Teoria seja de grande utilidade, existe um vazio na literatura acadêmica em língua portuguesa com relação a sua origem, desenvolvimento e aplicações. Esta dissertação reúne e disponibiliza os conhecimentos empíricos, teóricos e metodológicos acumulados sobre essa teoria, os quais são expostos historiando-se a origem e o desenvolvimento teórico/experimental das suas principais diretrizes, dos três tipos de Cargas Cognitivas (Intrínseca, Estranha e Relevante), e das
“descobertas” dos Efeitos da Teoria da Carga Cognitiva: Efeito da Atenção Dividida, Efeito Modalidade, Efeito da Redundância, Efeito do Exemplo Resolvido e Efeito Reverso. Esta dissertação foi elaborada para ser utilizada por professores, pesquisadores
e, por óbvio, professores-pesquisadores, sendo particularmente útil àqueles professores que necessariamente utilizam a "resolução de problemas" como parte de sua prática pedagógica.