In this blog, we will look at cognitive overload, what it is and how can we avoid it in eLearning.
Let’s start with cognitive load. When we talk about cognitive load we’re talking about the amount of effort or brain power (cognitive resources) required to process information or perform a task. The more difficult the information is, the more cognitive resources we require to process it. The cognitive load will vary depending on the information and the person’s capabilities to understand it. If the information is too difficult, this can result in cognitive overload.
What is cognitive overload?
Cognitive overload is when our capacity to think and process information becomes overwhelmed. Lots of factors might cause this to happen. If the information is too difficult and complex, or if there is too much information at once, our brains cannot process it as effectively as it normally would. The antidote to cognitive overload in eLearning lies in the art of good instructional .
There are three types of cognitive load:
- Intrinsic
- Extraneous
- Germane
Intrinsic cognitive load (how complex a task is)
Intrinsic cognitive load is the complexity of the information or task. For example, is a much more complex topic than the basics of hand hygiene.
How to design eLearning with intrinsic cognitive load in mind:
- Know your learners: consider what prior knowledge will they have on the topic. Make sure to pitch the content correctly. If the content is complex, then break it down into manageable chunks to avoid cognitive overload.
- Consider the language: make sure you’re using language your learners will be familiar with. If that’s not possible, provide any explanation or definition to complex terms at the start of the course.
- Set your learner up for success rather than failure: begin with easier, simpler material and gradually move towards more complex More difficult information can be added incrementally and the level of challenge can increase over time.
- Build in opportunities for the learners to practice or reflect on the new learning.
Extraneous load (distractions that increase the load)
Extraneous load happens when the learner is presented with ‘extra’ irrelevant information which does not aid learning. For example, extraneous load occurs when an explainer video has loud distracting music in the background or when a learner needs to read text on screen but the slide is decorated with moving images that aren’t related or helpful. Extraneous load is information that distracts the brain from processing what it needs to.
Limiting extraneous load to avoid cognitive overload:
- Only use visuals, text and voiceover that are relevant to helping the learner achieve the learning outcomes.
- Avoid having text on screen that is different to the voiceover.
- Write clear instructions to help the learner interact easily with the content.
- Follow Mayer’s Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning. These guidelines provide specific ways to design your eLearning to avoid extraneous load on the learner.
- Consider Mayer’s theory of the ‘dual-channel assumption’: how we process visual and auditory information through separate channels. If we expect the learners to listen to information and read information on screen at the same time, this can lead to cognitive overload.
- Be mindful of Mayer’s ‘limited-capacity assumption’ that we can only hold about 5-7 chunks of information in our working memory at a given time.
Germane load (using our previous knowledge and experience to process information)
Germane load is when we draw on our prior knowledge or experience, such as what we already know about a topic, to process new information. However, when we are faced with completely new information, we lack the prior knowledge to help our brains process and understand it. By learning and having the new experience, germane load will help us to process new information in the future.
How to use germane load to enhance eLearning?
- Do you ever find that new information goes ‘in one ear and out the other’ when you have nothing to ‘hook’ it on to? In your eLearning, help the learners to make connections between the new information and what they already know.
- Provide examples, problems or scenarios that the learner may have already experienced. This will resurrect a mental schema in the learner’s brain and help them to process the new information, like applying the same problem-solving strategy they used before but now in a different context.
- Refer back to previous courses to remind learners of their prior knowledge. You might also refer back something that was already covered in the course.
Cognitive overload: key takeaways
- Cognitive load is about the cognitive resources required to process new information.
- There are three types of cognitive load: intrinsic, germane and extraneous.
- Instructional designers can avoid cognitive overload by:
- Knowing their learners
- Using the learners’ previous-related knowledge and experience to help understand and process new information
- Follow Mayer’s Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning to reduce cognitive overload in your eLearning
