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If you are a learning professional or if you think of yourself as a product designer, one of the most important aspects of your work is understanding how people learn. Yet, many of us in the field lack a basic understanding of the key theories that explain human cognitive architecture and how to best leverage it for learning. It’s up to us to learn about it, spread the word and advocate for learners. That’s why I couldn’t be more excited to present a conversation I had with John Sweller, PhD, the person who developed cognitive load theory.
John Sweller is an Emeritus Professor in the school of Education at the University of New South Wales, Sydney. He is an educational psychologist, best known for formulating cognitive load theory, which uses our knowledge of evolutionary psychology and human cognitive architecture as a basis for instructional design. Cognitive load theory is one of the most highly cited educational psychology theories.
WE DISCUSS:
- Characteristics of working memory and long-term memory
- Importance of tying novel information to previously learned information
- What causes cognitive load
- Cognitive load considerations in user interface and visual design
- Examples of taxing cognitive resources in instruction: redundancy effect, split attention effect, transient information effect
- Intrinsic and extrinsic cognitive load
- Isolating elements as an instructional strategy
- Why guided instruction is superior for novices learning difficult material
TRANSCRIPT: Download the ELC 055 Transcript
RATE: Rate this podcast in iTunes
TIME: 37 minutes
RESOURCES:
You may need access to an academic library to read many of Sweller’s publications.
Cognitive Load Articles on The eLearning Coach
- 8 Principles on Cognitive Load and Collaborative Learning
- Six Strategies You May Not Be Using To Reduce Cognitive Load
- What is cognitive load?
Thank you Ken. I’ll correct.
Minor point Connie, but it’s the University of New South Wales, Sydney (not ‘South Wales’). New South Wales is one of the largest states here in Australia,
Have a great day!
Ken
Hi Cindy,
The podcast was published on April 23, 2019. That info should also be in iTunes.
Best,
Connie
Hi Connie,
Great podcast with Dr. Sweller. I would love to cite the information I learned in the podcast. Would you please provide a citation or at least the original podcast date and time?
Thank you
Thank you for the excellent resource Connie.
Being mindful of the cognitive load in presenting content is key in the learning experience.
I’m so glad to discover this at the start of my LXD career.
Hi Christina,
Can I tell you that you made my day? Thanks for the kind words. Good luck with your freelance career. I too am independent, so I understand the ups and downs you may experience.
Best,
Connie
Hi Connie,
I want to thank you for ALL your fantastic podcasts. Although I only discovered them a few months ago (wish I had years ago) I’m planning to listen to them all since the many I have already listened to have been useful and inspiring. I love your format of interviewing pros in the field. I’ve followed up on a few purchasing their books to learn more. I’ve been an instructional designer for many years and recently I’ve gone freelance so I find these especially supportive as they remind me I’m among many amazing professionals in my field why also love what they do.
~ Christina
Hi Anise,
I’m glad you found the podcast valuable. I have tips throughout the 350 articles on my website. Check them out.
Connie
Connie.
I just listened to your podcast with John Sweller on Cognitive Load and loved it. I think it is sometimes tough for us to balance Cognitive Load considerations with wanting to ensure we have made learning/training engaging enough. Do you have your own tips/tricks you can share for striking that balance? Thanks so much for covering this very timely topic.
That’s a good idea, Dan, to focus specifically on that. I think at least one of my guests covers that here, when they talk about the best practices for learning. See this from one of the authors of Make it Stick: https://theelearningcoach.com/podcasts/32/. (You may like that book). Applying the knowledge through practice and feedback is important and Patti Shank discusses that here: https://theelearningcoach.com/podcasts/45/.
Also, we know that connecting novel information to previous knowledge is one of the best ways. And helping learners to elaborate on what they learn so they can make it meaningful. That said, I’ll keep my eyes out for a guest!
Hi Connie. It would be great to have a podcast on effective ways to transfer novel information from working memory to long-term memory.
Very informative and brilliant. I found the examples on how to reduce extraneous cognitive load very useful and practical. I will certainly go back to one of the programs I designed recently and check if I took some of those elements into consideration and try to reduce the cognitive load effects. Thank toy Connie for this great podcast and big thank you to your guest Dr. John Sweller.
Hi Sidris,
Most of my clients come from the world of adult learning. When I do work with clients who create educational materials, I certainly do take age, and thus knowledge and experience, into consideration. Although there is that optimum time period for learning language and perhaps music, the lack of previous knowledge and experience means you need to teach in smaller chunks to younger learners. As to your point of learning language at an early age so that it becomes primary knowledge, it certainly seems like that could be a possibility, especially if the two languages are consistently spoken at home. It would be interesting to hear what John Sweller would say!
Connie
Connie,
I’m an elementary educator and I’m currently working towards attaining my graduate degree in instructional design and technology. I found this post incredibly interesting. I had never heard of the cognitive load theory before. I was also unaware that there are two types of knowledge, primary and secondary. I wonder what makes it possible to acquire primary knowledge so easily? What in our brain determines whether or not what we are learning is complex therefore making it secondary knowledge?
I’m so glad that I read this post and now I am aware of the limitations all learners face when acquiring new knowledge. I’m wondering if age contributes to cognitive load, and whether or not this makes a difference in the strategies that must be used to retain information? I read that “typically, people learn how to pronounce a second language flawlessly only if they study it before midadolescence or, even better, in the preschool or early elementary years (Bialystok, 1994a; Collier, 1989; Flege, Munro, & MacKay, 1995)” (Omrod J. 2009). Do you think that if this information is learned at an earlier age our brain stores it as primary knowledge, therefore allowing us to access the language easily and become fluent?
As an elementary teacher (grades k-6) I have seen first hand how easily younger children can soak up new information. It appears that there’s “persuasive evidence that there may be critical periods in learning” (Omrod J. 2009). Do you take in to account the age of the clients in which you are planning instruction for?
Resources:
Ormrod, J., Schunk, D., & Gredler, M. (2009). Learning theories and instruction (Laureate custom edition). New York, NY: Pearson.
Thanks, Michelle. I loved speaking with him. A lovely and brilliant person.
Connie
I loved this episode! Thank you for bringing John Sweller on the air.
Thank you, Henry.
A really fantastic episode. Thank you very much. There’s so much fantastic information. You’ve really helped my Instructional Design journey and I can’t wait for the next episode.