EDT 8210
Smart Learning Objectives
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this content you should be able to:
-Explain the three types of cognitive load
-Explain the three assumptions of the Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning
-Describe how an Instructional Designer can help to minimize cognitive load
Upon completion of this content you should be able to:
-Explain the three types of cognitive load
-Explain the three assumptions of the Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning
-Describe how an Instructional Designer can help to minimize cognitive load
The COgnitive Load Theory
In order to understand the cognitive load theory you must first understand the underlying principles of cognitive load theory. The primary principles of cognitive load theory are:
Next you need to understand the architecture of the cognitive load theory or the way in which you memory works. The architecture is founded in the different types of memory that are affected by learning new information. Specifically, when you are exposed to new information either it comes in through the visual channel or the Auditory channel which is your sensory memory. Once the information enters your sensory memory it is then transferred to your working memory. It is here that the real work happens. This is where you really begin to make sense of the information. This is where you begin meaning making by first selecting the relevant information and then the information is organized into meaningful models which are key to the next part of the learning process. From here, the final step of the architecture begins. Your long-term memory begins to process and integrate the models into your long-term memory by making connections to prior knowledge or by building new connections to solidify the knowledge into your long-term memory (Mayer, 2014).
The final thing you need to understand is the different types of cognitive load. There is intrinsic cognitive load which is the load created by the learning and processing new information (Mayer, 2014). The next type of cognitive load is extraneous load, which is caused by interacting elements introduced by some type of instructional design (Mayer, 2014). The third type of cognitive load is Germane load, which is caused by the act of learning and processing the intrinsic and extraneous cognitive load (Mayer, 2014).
- The information store principle—This is the principle which states that in order for an information system to function it requires a very large store of information, which is made available by the long term memory (Mayer, 2014)
- The borrowing and reorganizing principle—This is the borrowing or learning information from other humans (Mayer, 2014)
- The randomness as genesis principle—This is the learning created by the act of problem solving and random generated and test procedures when there is a lack of prior knowledge (Mayer, 2014)
- The narrow limits of change principle—This is the explanation of why we are limited in the amount of information we can process at any given time in working memory (Mayer, 2014)
- The environmental organizing and linking principle—This is the way in which we learn by linking information from the learners long-term memory into the new information being presented to the learner (Mayer, 2014)
Next you need to understand the architecture of the cognitive load theory or the way in which you memory works. The architecture is founded in the different types of memory that are affected by learning new information. Specifically, when you are exposed to new information either it comes in through the visual channel or the Auditory channel which is your sensory memory. Once the information enters your sensory memory it is then transferred to your working memory. It is here that the real work happens. This is where you really begin to make sense of the information. This is where you begin meaning making by first selecting the relevant information and then the information is organized into meaningful models which are key to the next part of the learning process. From here, the final step of the architecture begins. Your long-term memory begins to process and integrate the models into your long-term memory by making connections to prior knowledge or by building new connections to solidify the knowledge into your long-term memory (Mayer, 2014).
The final thing you need to understand is the different types of cognitive load. There is intrinsic cognitive load which is the load created by the learning and processing new information (Mayer, 2014). The next type of cognitive load is extraneous load, which is caused by interacting elements introduced by some type of instructional design (Mayer, 2014). The third type of cognitive load is Germane load, which is caused by the act of learning and processing the intrinsic and extraneous cognitive load (Mayer, 2014).
The cognitive Theory of Multimedia learning
To understand the cognitive theory of multimedia learning, we need to talk about the three basic assumptions. The first assumption is the Dual channels assumption, which states that humans possess separate channels for processing visual and auditory information (Mayer, 2014). The second assumption is the limited capacity assumption, which states that humans are only able to process a finite amount of information through each channel at one time (Mayer, 2014). The third assumption is the active processing assumption, which states that humans participate in active learning by attending to relevant information and then processing it in a way that will allow it to make meaning and finally linking it to other learned information (Mayer, 2014).
When faced with multiple types of media the human brain begins the process we discussed in the Cognitive load Theory of first accepting the information through the sensory memory and then by processing that information through the working memory (Mayer, 2014). This is all done with the goal of transferring the information into your long-term memory by making meaning of the mental models created in your working memory (Mayer, 2014). As you can tell this process can be extremely taxing in the learner if we do not take care in the way in which we present the information. Basically, the Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning is an expansion on the Cognitive Load Theory and this means that we need to keep the important information up front and clearly defined for our learners. We also need to do everything that we can to avoid distractions and make it easy for our learners to be able to find the important information that we are presenting.
When faced with multiple types of media the human brain begins the process we discussed in the Cognitive load Theory of first accepting the information through the sensory memory and then by processing that information through the working memory (Mayer, 2014). This is all done with the goal of transferring the information into your long-term memory by making meaning of the mental models created in your working memory (Mayer, 2014). As you can tell this process can be extremely taxing in the learner if we do not take care in the way in which we present the information. Basically, the Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning is an expansion on the Cognitive Load Theory and this means that we need to keep the important information up front and clearly defined for our learners. We also need to do everything that we can to avoid distractions and make it easy for our learners to be able to find the important information that we are presenting.
Final presentation with Embedded YouTube video
The video below will provide you with an overview of the cognitive load theory and the cognitive theory of multimedia learning along with examples of the following principles (provided in the picture-in-picture portion of the presentation):
- Signaling Principle
- Spatial Contiguity Principle
- Temporal Contiguity Principle
Please complete the knowledge check below so we can better understand the effectiveness of this lesson.
References
Mayer, R. E. (2014). Implications of cognitive load theory for multimedia learning in R. E. Mayer's (Ed.), The Cambridge handbook of multimedia learning (2nd Ed.). (pp. 27 – 42) New York: University of Cambridge.
Mayer, R. E. (2014). Cognitive theory of multimedia learning in R. E. Mayer's (Ed.), The Cambridge handbook of multimedia learning (2nd Ed.). (pp. 43 – 71) New York: University of Cambridge.
Mayer, R. E. (2014). Cognitive theory of multimedia learning in R. E. Mayer's (Ed.), The Cambridge handbook of multimedia learning (2nd Ed.). (pp. 43 – 71) New York: University of Cambridge.