Cognitive Load Theory for Student Learning Enhancement

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Why is it so difficult to assimilate some knowledge? How can we improve our didactic proposals to facilitate student learning? According to Professor Mariela Cuda, students will leverage learning better when our teaching aligns logically and coherently with human cognitive architecture. It means optimal learning occurs when didactic designs coincide with how people learn. Professor Cuda explained this critical topic in the Webinar of the Observatory of the Institute for the Future of Education at Tecnologico de Monterrey. If you did not have the chance to catch the broadcast live, here is a summary of the session’s salient points. You can watch the full video here for more details.

The webinar provided the keys to designing better digital or face-to-face didactic proposals to improve learning potential. Cognitive load theory, developed by John Sweller in the late 1980s and perfected thereafter, sheds light on memory characteristics, including the fact that the human brain has a limited capacity to process information. Memory is fundamental for learning; it falls into several categories. Hence, it is crucial to know more about how it functions.

“The more things we must learn at once, the poorer our processing of novel information will be.” – Mariela Cuda

Characteristics of memory and information processing

Sensory memory is activated or operated when external information enters from the senses, such as hearing, sight, smell, touch, etc. This information is briefly retained in sensory memory; it has little initial meaning; later, it becomes modified through neural circuits in working memory.

Working memory. This is the mental space where present thought is produced, operating in the “here and now.” It is characterized by a limited capacity, making it easily overloaded when handling unknown knowledge.

Long-term memory. Enduring knowledge is stored in this part of the memory, allowing working memory to perform with less likelihood of overload as long as that knowledge correlates with the new.

In neuroscience, two main structures are operable in our cognitive system: working memory and long-term memory. Although working memory has limited capacity, there are ways of presenting the teaching material in class that avoid overloading it, promoting direct learning.

In the webinar, Professor Mariela Cuda stressed that the teaching and learning proposals we design are optimal when we help students manage working memory better and substantially develop long-term memory.

Applying Cognitive Load Theory in Teaching Practice

Whether we design a digital or face-to-face instructional model, the important thing is how we transmit the message. Therefore, we must analyze how we teach class content to reduce the students’ cognitive load.

According to John Sweller (2011), cognitive load is the amount of information our brain can store simultaneously to be used immediately.

In this webinar, the professor commented that cognitive load theory applies to any learning because people learn at all times of life. Cognitive load is summative and refers to the difficulty of what is learned and how it is taught. Therefore, teachers must know the types of cognitive load to prepare an optimal teaching design.

Three types of cognitive load

Intrinsic cognitive load: This is the burden of the object of study: the difficulty of what is being learned, i.e., its degree of complexity, which is intrinsic.
Relevant cognitive load: This references the support elements used to teach something, including slides, videos, verbal explanations, and demonstrations, to convey the object of teaching. These are pertinent because people need them to understand better what is trying to be taught.
Extrinsic cognitive load: This refers to the contribution of a teaching process that is not necessarily the most appropriate. It occurs when the teaching methodology has elements that, far from helping, complicate the situation or exceed what is necessary for teaching.

Some topics have a naturally high intrinsic cognitive load due to the complexity of the object of study. However, a high extrinsic cognitive load often makes it difficult to understand because the teacher’s complicated didactic proposal makes the teaching strategy even more complex, as the webinar explains.

Here are tips for designing more compelling presentations, contributed by the research of John Sweller, Paul Ayres, and Slava Kalyuga (2011).

Tips for More Effective Presentations: Cognitive Load Theory

Omit redundant information. Eliminate redundant information so that extrinsic cognitive load does not increase.
Prevent channel overload. Ensure that the information delivered in the various auditory or visual channels does not exceed the processing capacity of a single channel. Thus, an oral explanation does not need to be written, and a written one does not need to be read or spoken aloud.
Take care that the relevant information endures. Ensure the student has enough time to process the information before it disappears; do not rush the exposure time.

Research has shown that multimedia design and instructional materials can optimize working and long-term memory functioning and combine to support students’ learning potential. I invite you to watch the full video to learn more about the webinar.

Watch this webinar: If your native language is not Spanish, turn on YouTube’s Instant Translation with subtitles. To activate this option, select the Subtitles option on YouTube (Spanish subtitles will appear), then choose Settings -> Subtitles -> Translate automatically, and select the preferred language.

About the speaker

Mariela Cuda (mbcuda@gmail.com) has a degree in educational management, a master’s in Neurosciences applied to education, and a master’s in Emotional Intelligence for Teachers. She is a Specialist in scientific research, an expert in e-learning applications of teaching, and a political, legal, and social sciences professor. Her experience includes being a trainer, advisor, and teacher trainer. She is also a writer, international lecturer, and workshop leader.

Professor Cuda has held management positions and worked as a middle school, high school, and university teacher (undergraduate and postgraduate) for over twenty years. She has participated in multiple national and international conferences and made several publications. She currently works as a pedagogical advisor, researcher, trainer, and teacher trainer in institutions in Argentina, Mexico, Chile, and Peru.

She is the author of Neurosciences, Didactics and Pedagogy, and Today’s Classes in Yesterday’s Schools (Bonum), among others.

Translation by: Daniel Wetta