John Sweller
John Sweller, an Australian educational psychologist born in 1946, is best known for formulating the influential Cognitive Load Theory, which integrates evolutionary psychology and human cognitive architecture to optimize instructional design. He is a Professor Emeritus at the University of New South Wales and a Fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia.
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Optimizing Learning Through Cognitive Load Management
Important
Topics for this Second Brain
The Role of Contextual Interference in Enhancing Learning
Introducing variability in instructional examples, known as contextual interference, can initially increase cognitive load but ultimately leads to deeper learning by promoting comparisons and contrasts, thereby enhancing schema acquisition.
Dual-Mode Presentation to Increase Working Memory Capacity
Utilizing both auditory and visual channels simultaneously can effectively increase working memory capacity, provided the information is non-redundant and essential to understanding, thus optimizing learning.
The Expertise Reversal Effect
Instructional methods that are effective for novices can become counterproductive for experts. As learners gain expertise, instructional design should shift from high guidance to more problem-solving and exploratory approaches to avoid unnecessary cognitive load.
Transient Information and Cognitive Load
Transient information, such as spoken text or animations that disappear quickly, can significantly increase extraneous cognitive load. Effective instructional design should minimize transient information or provide aids like 'remember' boxes to mitigate this effect.
Biologically Primary vs. Secondary Knowledge
Cognitive load theory distinguishes between biologically primary knowledge, which is acquired effortlessly, and biologically secondary knowledge, which requires explicit instruction and is constrained by working memory limitations.
The Split-Attention Effect
Instructional materials that require learners to split their attention between multiple sources of information can increase cognitive load. Integrating related information into a single, cohesive format can significantly reduce this load and improve learning outcomes.
The Variability Effect
Instructional variability, when applied judiciously, can be advantageous by promoting deeper cognitive processing and better schema construction, despite initially increasing cognitive load.
The Role of Worked Examples in Reducing Cognitive Load
Worked examples are highly effective in reducing cognitive load for novice learners by providing clear, step-by-step solutions, which facilitate schema acquisition and reduce the need for problem-solving efforts.