Cognitive Overload
Are you aware of the cognitive load your training materials place on your adult learners? Cognitive Load Theory or CLT has been around for at least 25 years but, after reading this you may reconsider the structure of your training curriculum.
Sweller and CLT
John Sweller is an Australian educational psychologist who brought forth the notion of cognitive load affecting learners in problem solving in 1988. If you are a trainer, have you ever heard any of your learners say “This is information overload!”; well, that’s a great sign of cognitive overload. “If the cognitive load requires more working memory recourses than the learners have, it will cause cognitive overload and the learning activities are unable to carry out ineffectively and smoothly.”(Zhang, 2013). Sweller described the existence of three types of cognitive load: Intrinsic, Extraneous and Germaine.
Intrinsic Cognitive Load
Intrinsic Cognitive Load (ICL) deals with the human capacity of working memory.
Cognitive load theory assumes human’s cognitive capacity in working memory is limited and only stores about seven elements but can operate on just two to four elements. Whereas long-term memory that contains chunks of information called by schemas is unlimited.(Sweller, 2010).
Extraneous Cognitive Load
Extraneous Cognitive Load (ECL) refers to the sometimes unnecessary load of extra information which does not help learners but, rather confuse them more. Here’s a video from Sweller discussing a great example of ECL:
Germane Cognitive Load (GCL)
Last but not least, there’s GCL which is a bit trickier. “Germane load is the consequence of processing information that contributes to learning.”(Kirschner, Kester & Corbalan, 2011). Just keep in mind that Germane load is perhaps the product or directly influenced by ICL and ECL.
If the cognitive load requires more working memory recourses than the learners have, it will cause cognitive overload and the learning activities are unable to carry out ineffectively and smoothly.
How can CLT help my training program?
Your instructional materials and content should have a well balanced cognitive load. This is so you don’t overwhelm your learners and literally waste time and money in the creation and delivery of ineffective training. Yes, you are training folks for two weeks on your systems and procedures. Yes, they are passing your tests and you get great evaluations. However, how well are those individuals performing past training and testing at 30, 60 and 90 days of being in the job? This is why we need TLC on the CLT!
References
F. Kirschner, L. Kester, G. Corbalan, “Cognitive load theory and multimedia learning, task characteristics and learning engagement: the Current State of the Art,” Computers in Human Behavior , vol. 27, no. 1, pp. 1-4, 2011
Sweller, J. (2010). Element interactivity and intrinsic, extraneous and germane cognitive load. Educational Psychology Review, 22, 123-138. http://dx.doi.org.authenticate.library.duq.edu/10.1007/s10648-010-9128-5
Zhang, J. (2013). Decreasing cognitive load for learners: Strategy of web-based foreign language learning. International Education Studies, 6(4), 134-139. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1447222997?accountid=10610
