Application of Cognitive Load Theory in Learning

Application of Cognitive Load Theory in Learning

Introduction: Memory

According to Blayney, Kalyuga and Sweller (2015), memory tends to play a vital function in nearly every human activity. For instance, it assists in the remembrance of every type of information including individual memories, automatic procedures and common knowledge amongst others, for either a shorter or a prolonged duration. Memory is considered to be vital in the development and creation of the human personality, as it acts as the direct witness of the human pasts, particularly with regards to the episodic memory, as well as the common knowledge which arises from semantic memory and history. This, therefore, makes memory to be amongst the most vital and important cognitive roles in an individual’s life.

Moreover, the different types of memory have been acknowledge to be vital in the performance of diverse tasks. For instance, even as verbal memory enables the memorization of a sequence of words and the recalling of such words later, for others, the memorization of visual information is much easier compared to the memorization of verbal information. The visual memory is increasingly reliant on the individual attention abilities as the visual components around humans have to be evaluated continuously so as to be effectively memorized. It aid in the faster and easy finding of various locations of objects and places, and in precisely remembering the actual details of a specific picture that one has observed or even the clothing that have been worn by an individual that one might have met recently.

Divergent kinds of memory are in existence. On most occasions, individuals tend to perceive memory in its entirety; for example, through observation that an individual has either a bad or good memory.  However, remembering what one might have had for lunch the previous day is quite divergent from remembering that Singapore is in Asia. The kind of information that requires memorization or recalling often engages the individual’s brain in divergent ways.

Introduction: Cognitive Load theory

According to Kalyuga and Singh (2016), on the field of cognitive psychology, the cognitive load mainly refers to effort that are being utilized within the working memory. Thus, the cognitive load theory tends to distinguish the cognitive load into three distinct kinds: germane, intrinsic and extraneous cognitive loads. As such, the intrinsic cognitive load mainly implies the efforts linked to certain subjects while the extraneous cognitive load mainly entails the manner in which tasks and information are presented or offered to the learner. On the other hand, germane cognitive load mainly entails the amount of work that put into the development and creation of permanent knowledge store and schema.

John Sweller developed the cognitive load theory in the late 1980s through a problem solving research. In this regard, John Sweller presented the argument that it was possible to use instructional design in the reduction of cognitive load amongst learners. However, at a later time, other scholars came up with a means of measuring the perceived psychological efforts that are indicative of the cognitive load. The various task-invoked pupillary responses tend to be dependable and sensitive cognitive load measurements that are unswervingly linked to the working memory. Moreover, the heavy cognitive loads may also present adverse impacts with regards to the task completion. For that reason, it is worth noting that the cognitive load experience cannot be similar in all individuals. The children, adults and students tend to experience divergent, and always increase amounts of the cognitive load. Increment in the cognitive load in adults have been indicated to have adverse impacts on the center of balance.

Application of the Cognitive Load theory

Applying Cognitive Load Theory to Training and Learning

With regards to the application of the Cognitive Load Theory, Mayer, Borges and Simske (2018) maintain that it assists one in the designing of apt training while also ensuring the training aids in the reduction of the demands placed on the working memories of the learners thereby ensuring effectual learning. One can therefore, effectively apply the cognitive load to both learning and training in a number of ways.

Firstly, cognitive load theory may be applied in the measurement of the expertise and proper adaptation of presentations. When one develops increased degree of expertise in a given area, the highly like he is to gain access to more information within the schemas. It is, nevertheless, worth noting that, the complexity of the matter does not matter given that it is counted as a single item within the learner’s working memory (Kalyuga & Singh, 2016). This also makes it vital for one to ensure that tutors adapt the instructions to mirror the expertise level of the learners being tutored. This can be attained either through the administration of the training needs assessment or through requesting the learners to offer descriptions on their familiarity with the topic being taught. This is immediately followed by the use of the of Bloom’s Taxonomy of Educational Objectives in making certain that information is presented at the apt levels for the learners. Thus, what appears as obvious to the tutor might not be obvious to the learner.

Secondly, the cognitive load theory may be used in the reduction of the problem space. The problem space mainly refers to the gap existing between the present situation and desired objective (Mayer, Borges & Simske, 2018). In case the problem space is big, the working memory of the learners is likely to be overloaded. This normally occurs in instances of intricate challenges in which the learners require to work in a backward manner starting from the objective to the current state (Kalyuga & Singh, 2016). This demands that the learner holds increased amounts of information simultaneously in his working memory. Concentration on the goal tends to draw attention from the information that is being taught, and, in turn, makes learning ineffective. The best approach to reducing the problem space therefore, entails breaking the problem into smaller parts as it not only minimizes the problem space in addition to lightening the cognitive load and ensuring that learning becomes effective.

Lastly, the cognitive load theory may also be employed in the reduction of the Split-Attention Effect. In case of the existence of several visual information sources like diagrams, explanatory texts and labels, the learner’s attention is prone to be divided amongst them. This not only add to the cognitive load but also make it very challenging to create novel schemas. The effect can be reduced through the integration of visual information. For instance, labels should be incorporated into diagrams as opposed to being placed in a box on a given side (Kalyuga & Singh, 2016). In case the learners require manuals in working through the computer programs, they should be allowed to familiarize with the texts initially, prior to the introduction of the program.

Learning in classrooms using visuals and audios such as Youtube videos and Powerpoint slides

Good instructions mainly refer to the instructions that have the ability to aid the learners in constructing schemas (Young et al., 2014). The schema development is mainly facilitated in instances where the cognitive load has been reduced through the increment in the accessible working memory resources. Such resources comprise diverse audio and visual channels such as PowerPoint slides and YouTube videos amongst others. Blayney, Kalyuga and Sweller (2015) presents the argument that the presentation of learning materials in dual mode, mainly audio and visual modes, is much better compared to presentation of the materials in visual mode only as it enhances the working memory capacities. This is mainly as a result of the view that the working memory comprises several channels including audio and visual channels. For that reason, it is recommended that both channels should be activated as opposed to activation of a single channel during the designing of instructions. Leppink and van den Heuvel (2015) have asserted that text tend to be better in instances where they are presented in audio compared to the visual forms. For that reason, the visual diagrams and auditory texts are considered to be better compared to the visual diagrams and visual texts alone.

Still, it can be noted that in the teaching a second language, so as to help the learners to comprehend the various concepts including the Tenses, the use of the learners’ native language might prove to be very important (Mayer, Borges & Simske, 2018). This is mainly as a result of the observation that the efforts of the learners will be focused on comprehending the concept as opposed to comprehending the manner in which the clarification of the concept occurs (Blayney, Kalyuga & Sweller, 2015). Also, this is vital given that learners must put increased amounts of efforts in comprehending the manner in which concepts are presented even as they also understate the concepts that their tutor is teaching, and this might lead to ineffectual learning. In this context, ineffectual learning implies that the learners hare overloaded with information pertaining to the implication and form of the tenses, as well as the instructions being delivered using the target language (Young et al., 2014). For instances, the tutor clarifies the implication and form of the Simple Present Tense through the use of English language as opposed to the local dialects of Singapore. This is likely to impose high and unnecessary load on the learners given that they will be tasked with working hard to comprehend the tutor’s instructions, as well as the Simple Past Tense concept simultaneously (Leppink & van den Heuvel, A. (2015).

Learning is prone to be highly effectual in instances where the instruction of implication and form in relation to the Tense is mainly delivered in the Singapore dialects that is understood by the learners. Other than the consideration of the learner’s first languages, during the development of instructions for second language teaching, the level of the learners’ expertise has to be considered by the designers. As opposed to the integration of timeline texts and diagrams, the texts may be clarified in audio forms as this tends to facilitate learning given that learners often activate their audio and visual channels. Thus, the audio content will cover the clarification of all instruction in native and second language. The learners have to analyze the instructions’ context as this will enable them to effectively identify the kinds of tenses they may utilize. Following the selection of apt tenses, the learners may apply various tense patterns in writing sentences and paragraphs. This may be followed by the use of the dictionary in choosing apt vocabulary linked to the chosen topic, and as a result will be able to use better grammar in writing.

Conclusion

The cognitive load theory is mainly an instructional design concept that mirrors the learners’ cognitive architecture and the manner in which learner’s process information. In the course of learning, information has to be retained within the working memory till such a time that it has been fully processed to be passed into the learner’s long-term memory. The capacity of the learner’s working memory is restricted and in case large amounts of information are presented simultaneously, it becomes overwhelmed and a larger proportion of the information gets lost. In this regard, the cognitive load theory makes learning effective as it makes use of training methods reflecting this. This paper, has lived up to its objective of analyzing the application of cognitive load theory in learning.

References

Blayney, P., Kalyuga, S., & Sweller, J. (2015). Using cognitive load theory to tailor instruction     to levels of accounting students’ expertise. Journal of Educational Technology &          Society, 18(4), 199.

Kalyuga, S., & Singh, A. M. (2016). Rethinking the boundaries of cognitive load theory in           complex learning. Educational Psychology Review, 28(4), 831-852.

Leppink, J., & van den Heuvel, A. (2015). The evolution of cognitive load theory and its application to medical education. Perspectives on medical education, 4(3), 119-127.

Mayer, J., Borges, P. V., & Simske, S. J. (2018). Introduction. In Fundamentals and Applications             of Hardcopy Communication (pp. 1-5). Springer, Cham.

Young, J. Q., Van Merrienboer, J., Durning, S., & Ten Cate, O. (2014). Cognitive load theory:     Implications for medical education: AMEE guide no. 86. Medical teacher, 36(5), 371-         384.