John Sweller's cognitive load theory and its characteristics

John Sweller's cognitive load theory and its characteristics.


John Sweller's cognitive load theory says that one learns better in circumstances that are in line with human cognitive architecture.

The cognitive load is related to the amount of information that the working memory can store at one and the same time. The work memory has a limited capacity. According to Sweller, instructional methods can be used so that it will not be overloaded. Other activities that do not directly contribute to the learning memory often tend to overload the work memory.

Sweller created a theory that deals with a combination of elements such as cognitive structures that form the basis of an individual's knowledge. He did it after reading George Miller's research on information management, which shows that short-term memory is limited in terms of the number of elements it can contain at a time.

Sweller claimed that instructional design can reduce students' cognitive load. Many years later, other researchers developed a way to measure estimated mental effort, indicating cognitive load.

One of the most important points of John Sweller's cognitive load theory is that a heavy cognitive load can have a negative effect on the completion of a task. Not everyone also experiences cognitive load in the same way.

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John Sweller's cognitive load theory
For cognitive psychology, a cognitive load refers to the effort made in the work memory. Sweller designed this theory to provide guidelines that were intended to be helpful when presenting information. His goal was to encourage student activities that optimize the intellectual performance.

He took into account the content of the sophisticated structures of the long-term memory that let us perceive, think and solve problems. These structures are called schedules and allow us to treat several elements as one. The schedule thus constitutes a knowledge base. You get them by learning during life. Schemes may also have other schedules within them.

The difference between an expert and a novice is that a novice has not received the expert's schedule. Learning requires a change in long-term memory's schematic structures, as demonstrated by progressive performance. This change in performance capability arises because the more we become familiar with the material, the more the cognitive properties associated with the material are modified so that the work memory can handle them more effectively.

To be able to obtain a schedule, instructions must be designed to reduce the load on the work memory. John Sweller's cognitive load theory includes techniques used to reduce the burden of working memory to facilitate changes in long-term memory associated with obtaining such schedules.

Principles of Sweller's cognitive load theory
The specific recommendations regarding the design of instructional material proposed by John Sweller in his cognitive load theory include:

Change problem-solving methods by using problems without goals or solved examples. The goal is to avoid procedures that place a heavy load on the work memory.
Remove the load on the work memory that is associated with the need to mentally integrate different sources of information through the physical integration of these information sources.
Remove the load on the work memory associated with an unnecessary repetitive information management by reducing redundancy.
Increase the ability of work memory by using acoustic and visual information where both sources of information are necessary (not redundant) for understanding.
Key points regarding the cognitive load theory
As we have seen, the cognitive load theory refers to an instructional design that reflects our cognitive architecture or the way we handle information. During the learning, the information must be retained in the work memory until it has been processed sufficiently enough to proceed to the long-term memory.

The work memory has a very limited ability. Since too much information is presented at the same time, we feel overwhelmed and much of the information is lost.

The cognitive load theory makes learning much more effective with training methods that reflect this. These methods include:

Measurement of experience and adaptation instructions.
Reduce the number of problems by dividing them into parts and using partially completed problems and resolved examples.
The fusion of several different sources of visual information, when this is possible.
The expansion of the work memory's ability through the use of visual and acoustic channels.
Knowledge and critical thinking
One of the ideas put forward by the cognitive load theory is that it is important to "know things" to think critically about these things. This also means that two of the main information management activities (obtaining knowledge and problem solving) should be considered separately, by first focusing on the schedule and then on solving problems.

Sweller therefore proposes that problem solving and domain knowledge are not directly proportional, considering how the brain works. Problem solving occupies an "important bandwidth in the brain" that reduces what is left for the learning of new things. This, of course, has important implications for how teachers can structure, among other things. lessons and evaluations.