This Tip discusses extraneous cognitive load, or ineffective load, what causes it and three of six theories how to reduce it.
I had originally thought that I could simply tell you what the cognitive load theory effects are. However, when I looked at them more closely, I realized that I needed more information to even begin to understand them.
Extraneous Cognitive Load
Causes
According to Fred Paas, Alexander Renkl and John Sweller in “Cognitive Load Theory and Instructional Design: Recent Developments’ [2003], how we present information to learners and require learning activities of learners can impose a cognitive load. When that load is unnecessary and interferes with schema acquisition and automation, it is an extraneous or ineffective load.
They state that many conventional instructional procedures impose extraneous cognitive load. This is because we developed most instructional procedures without any consideration or knowledge of the structure of information or cognitive architecture. For example, any instructional procedure that requires learners to engage in either a search for:
- a problem solution or
- referents in an explanation (i.e., when Part A of an explanation refers to Part B without clearly indicating where Part B is to be found)
is likely to impose a heavy extraneous cognitive load. This happens because we are using working memory resources for activities that are irrelevant to schema acquisition and automation.
How to Reduce
Use Worked Examples During Intermediate Stages of Learning
The use of worked examples rather than solving the equivalent problems is one of the earliest and probably the best known cognitive load reducing technique:
- In the earliest stages of learning, when intrinsic cognitive load is high because few schemas are available, learners should study instructions;
- During intermediate stages when schema formation has freed some working memory capacity, they should study worked examples and increase germane load by using self-explanations;
- In the final stages, there should be sufficient working memory capacity to permit more problem solving.
Fade Complete Worked Examples
Fade complete worked examples by successively eliminating sections of the worked example until eventually only a full problem remains. This fading technique is superior to the traditional procedure of alternating worked examples and problems.
Three Problem Solving CLT Effects
According to Cognitive Load Theory and the Role of Learner Experience: An Abbreviated Review for Educational Practitioners (2008), by Anthony R. Artino, Jr., there are six cognitive load theory effects that reduce extraneous cognitive load. The first three relate to problem solving:
Goal-Free Effect
1. Goal-Free Effect means to replace conventional problems with goal-free problems that provide learners with a non-specific goal. This reduces extraneous load caused by relating a current problem state to a goal state and attempting to reduce the difference between them.
Worked Example Effect
2. Worked Example Effect means to replace conventional problems with worked examples that must be carefully studied. This reduces extraneous load caused by weak-method problem solving.
Completion Problem Effect
3. Completion Problem Effect means to replace conventional problems with completion problems. These provide a partial solution that the learner must complete. This reduces extraneous load because giving part of the solution reduces the size of the problem space.
If anyone can help to clarify this information and distill it down into layman’s terms, I would be very grateful!
Next week, we will discuss the last three of the six cognitive load theory effects that reduce extraneous cognitive load.
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Next week, we will look at the last three cognitive load theory effects.
