Cognitive load

The Cognitive Load Theory (CLT ) is a theory of cognitive load during learning. It was erected by John Sweller and Paul Chandler.

The CLT assumes that learning is associated with cognitive load, and describes which learning can be made ​​easier or more difficult. She writes the working memory has a particularly important function in learning and knowledge acquisition. Working memory is responsible for problem-solving and information processing. It is assumed that the capacity of working memory is limited and only a certain amount of information can be maintained. Another assumption is that people store the knowledge in so-called schemes. So while learning both new schemes are designed as linked new knowledge with existing schemes. It is important that the working memory has enough available capacity and is not cognitively overloaded to allow the schema acquisition and thus effective learning.

Types of cognitive load

The theory describes three kinds of cognitive load during a learning process:

Intrinsic cognitive load ( intrinsic cognitive load )

Under intrinsic stress refers to the type of cognitive load, which is itself due to the learning material and depends on the difficulty and the complexity of the learning material. Therefore is more difficult the learning material, the higher the intrinsic stress. The element interactivity plays a very important role, with Sweller (2003) refers to the entire cognitive load. There is on one side elements which can be learned separately. These can be learned and understood individually, in which case understanding is defined as the ability to be able to process all the elements which are necessarily associated with each other, at the same time in the working memory. The learning material consists of such elements, caused only a small cognitive load. Sweller (2003) refers to this low element interactivity material. Learning the vocabulary of a foreign language would be a concrete example of this, as for example the number of words may perhaps be very large, but still not understanding suffers because individual words and can be learned in succession.

On the other hand, there are elements which are strongly related to each other, so there is a very high element interactivity. This results in a high cognitive load because the information must be processed simultaneously, so as to achieve a high level of understanding of the learner. Is the information only after the other learned and processed, then it is indeed memorized, but no links between the various elements will be fabricated. The total cognitive load is reduced thereby, but it is by Sweller (2003) no understanding instead, and he refers to such a complex material as a high element interactivity material. An example would be the syntax of a foreign language, as everything has to be processed simultaneously in order to understand the material. If there is no concurrent processing instead, then memorized. In simpler terms: When learning the entire understanding cognitive load is high, with pure memorization, low. Understanding of a learned material is produced by Sweller et al. (1998) only at high element interactivity, with the prior knowledge of the learner has a decisive influence on it. The more appropriate prior knowledge a person has, the lower intrinsic cognitive load be a possible.

Extraneous cognitive load ( extrinsic cognitive load )

The extrinsic stress is influenced by the appearance and design of the learning material. A learning material, which is characterized by the redundant and irrelevant information, repetitions or numerous references, leads to higher extrinsic stress. Also multimedia content that are available only for optical reasons, the attention of the learner can be distracting. Thus, the view of the essential information is adjusted and difficult to learn. Also, reduce the extrinsic load an optimized design of the learning material.

Germane cognitive load ( learning -related cognitive load )

Under learning-related stress is defined as the important role of cognitive load, which is necessary for the learning process, ie the strain or the effort of the learner to understand the learning material. The learning -related stress needs to be encouraged, so that the learner can build new schemas in working memory and activate already existing schemes, and so learning takes place. Germane load can be supported by intrinsic and extraneous load be kept low. This can be done through better design of the learning material, for example.

Sweller (2005) refers in connection with the germane cognitive load on the important aspect that the goal of instruction should be the learning of automated schemes. Now, if the instructional design ignores the limitations of working memory, then the effectiveness of the instruction is left to chance and there is no focus placed on the schema construction and schema automation.

Summary

The three different loads add up, as already mentioned, according to Sweller (2005) together, which should be the goal of the instruction, the extraneous cognitive load to decrease. If this is achieved, the germane cognitive load conducive to learning might come into play. A high germane cognitive load may be acceptable at the same time a high extraneous cognitive load, namely if the cognitive load is low intrinsic and thus the total load is at a relatively low level. The instructional design is only relevant when complex material to be learned, which corresponds to a high intrinsic cognitive load, and maintaining a high extraneous load by poor instructional design would exceed the working memory resources.

Schemes, which are stored in long term memory, allow by Sweller (2003), with high element interactivity material to be processed in working memory in such a way as if the material consisted only of a single element. The use and promotion of schemes is regarded as the ideal in understanding learning. The interacting elements are integrated in the scheme, which can act as a kind of central executive to coordinate these interacting elements. But only through automated schemes, there is the limited working memory allows to reduce and thus to process more information the load. However, this is only feasible when automated schemes have emerged in the long-term memory through prior learning already.

Sweller (2003) concludes, therefore, that anything that can be learned, can also be automated in accordance with practice. Through exercise less and less conscious effort for information processing is necessary, for example for the words and sentence comprehension in everyday life, which also decreases correspondingly the working memory load. Thus, the two functions of schemas according to Sweller et al are. (1998) clearly: storage and organization of knowledge in long-term memory, and the reduction of working memory load.

One criticism is that it is not currently possible to measure the cognitive load directly. In addition, very large similarities to the cognitive theory of multimedia learning ( Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning) by Richard E. Mayer are available.