TEACHING STRATEGIES

Cognitive Load Theory: How to Enhance Learning by Reducing Mental Strain

5 December 2024/ By Zineb DJOUB

Optimising the load on students’ working memories is essential to help maximize their learning. Indeed, understanding how human brains learn and use knowledge enables educators to adopt more effective instructional strategies that boost student performance. Cognitive load theory, described by Dylan Wiliam as “the single most important thing for teachers to know” (2017), offers valuable insights into this process. But what exactly is Cognitive Load Theory, and how can teachers apply it to their practice to enhance learning outcomes? Let’s dive in.

What is cognitive load theory?

Cognitive load theory, developed in the late 1980s by educational psychologist John Sweller and his colleagues, argues that instructional designs that fail to consider the limitations of working memory are inherently flawed (Sweller et al., 1998).

The theory is rooted in widely accepted principles about how the human brain processes and stores information:

• Human memory is divided into working memory and long-term memory.
• Schemas organise information stored in long-term memory.
• Working memory limitations create cognitive load, significantly impacting learning outcomes (Anderson, 1977; Baddeley, 1983).

 

In this essence, cognitive load theory is built on two evidence-based ideas:

1. There is a limit to how much new information the human brain can process at once.
2. There are no known limits to how much-stored information can be accessed from long-term memory at one time.

 

When the demands on working memory (cognitive load) exceed its capacity, cognitive overload occurs. This makes content harder to understand, slows down learning, and hinders the transfer of knowledge into long-term memory.

Types of cognitive load

Cognitive Load Theory identifies three types of cognitive load:

1. Intrinsic load: This relates to the difficulty of the subject matter or the material being learned.
2. Extraneous load: This cognitive load concerns how the content is taught. Poorly designed instruction with unnecessary distractions or unclear instructions makes learning harder.
3. Germane load: This refers to the load imposed on the working memory to understand and integrate new information into existing schemas, which is essential for meaningful learning.

Why cognitive load matters in teaching

Cognitive load theory provides valuable insights into how people learn and store new information by highlighting the characteristics and interplay of working and long-term memory.

So, what impacts learning the most?

The complexity of information, tasks and instructional strategies directly impacts students’ engagement and learning progress. Cognitive overload happens when:

• Students face complex learning materials without sufficient guidance from teachers.
• They split attention across multiple sources (e.g., analyzing a diagram while listening to an explanation, and reading a related textbook passage).
• Unnecessary information or irrelevant content is provided.
• Instructions are not adapted to a student’s prior knowledge.
• Students tackle highly variable tasks without the expertise to process them.

 

Cognitive overload overwhelms students, diminishes their confidence, makes them feel anxious and also leads to failure.

Research shows that there is a direct link between cognitive load and learning failure

(Sweller, 2010), and performance can drop 20–35% under high information complexity (Paas & Van Merriënboer (1994).

Therefore, understanding cognitive load theory is vital for teachers because it can help us develop effective instructional techniques and practices that reduce cognitive load and enhance learning outcomes.

Practical strategies for teachers to reduce cognitive load

Here are some essential strategies that can help you optimise learning, by reducing cognitive load.

# Simplify content

Optimising students’ cognitive load requires striking the right balance between too much and too little load. To do this effectively, you need to:

Understand students’ existing knowledge and skills: By drawing on information already stored in students’ long-term memories and managing the amount of new information they need to learn, you can reduce cognitive load and help them learn.

Chunk information into smaller pieces: Break down complex topics into smaller segments, starting with simpler content and gradually moving to more complex material. Allow time for students to process each part before advancing. However, avoid splitting their attention by presenting essential information all at once.

Use relevant visual aids: Use charts, diagrams, and images to support explanations of complex concepts that students need to understand. Ensure these visuals are meaningful and linked to the lesson’s content.

Minimise distractions: Keep slides and resources focused and free from any inessential information that adds to the load on students’ working memory, but does not contribute to their learning.

For instance, avoid overloading PowerPoint slides with both written and spoken content, which can overwhelm students’ working memory and detract from key learning points.

# Provide explicit instruction

Cognitive load theory supports explicit models of instruction where teachers clearly show students what to do and how to do it.

However, it’s important to note that explicit instruction shouldn’t be overused. It’s most effective when students are practicing newly learned content and skills, rather than discovering information themselves (Clark, Kirschner & Sweller 2012).

To make your instruction explicit and reduce cognitive load here are some key strategies:

Simplify instructions: Break spoken explanations into concise, manageable statements. Use short sentences to avoid overwhelming students, and pause frequently to check for understanding to ensure they grasp the instructions fully before moving forward.

Present your instruction at once: Provide clear explanations right away. For example, when explaining how to solve a math problem, offer an example immediately, rather than delaying it.

Written instructions should appear on the same slide or page to prevent distractions and cognitive overload.

Use worked examples: Provide fully explained, step-by-step solved problems (worked examples) for students to follow. For instance, when teaching persuasive essay writing, model the process and show examples of these essays.

This method helps free up working memory, allowing students to focus on understanding the process and making it easier for them to apply the same methods to new tasks.

Scaffold learning: As students become more proficient at a particular type of skill or area of knowledge, gradually provide more opportunities for independent problem-solving.

Continuing to fully guide them after they’ve developed some expertise can overload their working memory.

# Encourage active learning

When students are actively engaged in their learning, they process information and engage in deep learning. This helps them use their working memory in productive ways without overwhelming their cognitive capacity.

To encourage active learning, integrate:

Peer teaching: Encourage students to teach their peers, clarify content, provide feedback and share their successful learning strategies and tips.

Group discussions: Use higher-order thinking questions to prompt debates, stimulate critical thinking, and encourage students to share their views on engaging topics.

Problem-solving activities: Engage students in tasks that require critical thinking, collaboration, and application of knowledge, which helps them connect new information to what they already know.

Visualization: Encourage students to visualize their learning by creating mental images or diagrams. This helps in comprehension and retention.

In conclusion, understanding cognitive load theory is essential for improving teaching and learning. We can foster better information processing, retention, and performance by reducing unnecessary demands on students’ working memory. Apply cognitive load theory today to streamline your teaching and boost student outcomes.

References

Anderson, R. (1977).The notion of schemata and the educational enterprise: General discussion of the conference’, in R Anderson, R Spiro & W Montague (eds), Schooling and the acquisition of knowledge. Erlbaum, Hillsdale N.J., pp. 415-431.

Baddeley, A. (1983). Working memory. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences, vol. 302, no. 1110, pp. 311-324.

Clark, R, Kirschner, P & Sweller, J.(2012). Putting students on the path to learning: The case for fully guided instruction. American Educator, Spring, pp. 6-11.

Paas, F., & Van Merriënboer, J. G. (1994). Instructional control of cognitive load in the training of complex cognitive tasks. Educational Psychology Review, 6(4), 351-371.

Sweller, J. (2010). Element Interactivity and Intrinsic, Extraneous, and Germane Cognitive Load. Educational Psychology Review, 22(2), 123-138.

Sweller, J, van Merrienboer, J & Paas, F. (1998). Cognitive architecture and instructional design. Educational Psychology Review, vol. 10, no. 3, pp. 251-296.

Wiliam, D. (2017). I’ve come to the conclusion Sweller’s Cognitive Load Theory is the single most important thing for teachers to know, tweet, viewed 24 March 2017.Dylan Wiliam (@dylanwiliam) / X