Note: this post was created as an assignment for the course LDT100x Instructional Design and Technology: Learning Theories You can learn more about this course (and the Micro-Master's program it is a part of) here.
In this series, I will introduce core learning theories and discuss their potential applicability in the college or university classroom. I will also provide links throughout if you want to learn more.
Am I overloading my learners and stressing them out?
Photo by Aarón Blanco Tejedor on Unsplash
In the previous two posts in this series on behavioralism and constructivism, I provided an overview and strengths and weaknesses of each approach. This week, we are going to do something a little bit different. For this weeks' installment, cognitivism, the main question to ask yourself is:
Am I overloading my learners' cognitive capacities? If so, what can I do to help manage their cognitive load?
Cognitivism: The Basics
In a very brief nutshell, cognitivist theories focus on how information is received, processed, organized, and absorbed in the mind (Michaela, 2020). A core premise is that our working (or short-term) memory is limited; thus, students can only process so much material and successfully translate it into long-term memory, where they can then pull from it and build off of it for future learning progression (Emory, 2019).
The process of learning, according to this model, looks like this:
There are three basic elements or types of cognitive loads that learners encounter:
Intrinsic load: cognitive load inherent to the material/stimuli. This cannot be controlled.
Extrinsic load: cognitive load from external sources (i.e., how material is presented). This can be controlled
Germane load: elements that allow for easier processing of information. This can be controlled.
In order to reduce cognitive load (thus increasing the likelihood that information will be committed to long-term memory), you want the sum of the three types of cognitive load to be less than the available processing space in the working (short-term) memory. Or:
Intrinsic + Extrinsic + Germane < Working (short-term) memory
(Source: Guyan, 2013)
Although cognitivism may seem quite dissimilar to our last topic- constructivism- it shares certain premises. Mainly, that learning is an active process (rather than students being passive receptacles of information), learning is a social process (i.e., occurs with others like peers or an instructor), and that while the formula for reducing cognitive load remains the same, each individual will have a unique, personalized cognitive load based on biological, psychological, and social factors.
To summarize, view the infographic below:
Interested in learning about cognitivism in-depth? Check out the resources linked below:
Applying the Principles of Cognitivism
Now that you have a basic understanding of the principles of cognitivism and cognitive load theory, let's apply these ideas to creating courses that will minimize the cognitive load burden our students face by thinking through a couple of examples.
Course Design:
When designing your course structure, keep in mind the aptitudes, abilities, and cognitive load of your learners. If the content is overly complex, too long, or difficult or confusing to find, learners will have trouble processing the information effectively (not to mention, getting to the information in the first place!).
Try to chunk or cluster learning modules together in a consistent way. By breaking content down into smaller, more manageable chunks and creating a structure where students know what to expect, where to go to find what they need, and how to interact with the course material, you minimize the cognitive load needed.
For example, you can create a weekly module folder that has the weekly learning objectives, any linked or online readings, the lecture content, a link to the weekly discussions and/or any assessments due that week. This is user friendly—students have to do less clicking to get to where they need to go, and it creates consistency that helps students to put their cognitive resources toward learning the material rather than figuring out how to navigate the course.
Course Content:
Let's imagine that you are creating videos for your courses. I have written about why you should (and how to do so) here. How many of you have sat through a 45+ minute recorded webinar or lecture? Were you paying attention the whole time? OK, then. When creating your videos, in addition to considering the length, work on lowering the processing required by implementing the following principles:
Remove unnecessary background music, sound reactions, decorative (i.e., non-essential) images and graphics.
If you are narrating over a slide or text, the text on the screen should be a summary (reading word-for-word means that people have to do a type of "double processing" where they are reading and listening to the same thing).
If explaining images, charts, or graphics, put the written explanation as close to the image as possible. If learners have to scroll up (or click back), this creates difficulty processing the information
This is not to suggest that you cannot edit your videos to be more appealing or insert images or graphics into your lectures or course content materials. Rather, these principles will help you to minimize the unnecessary distractions, streamline the learning process, and ensure that learners are actually absorbing the critical content and main objectives of the lesson.
Assessments:
Much like we discussed in the post on constructivism, the concept of scaffolding assignments also applies to cognitivist-informed approaches. As a refresher, scaffolding is the building of knowledge from easier to more complex information, with the instructor removing some of the barriers and oversight as the learner progresses, allowing them more freedom and flexibility as they build new skills and assimilate new knowledge schemas.
This can apply to creating course content, but also to creating assessments. For example, let's take the classic research essay or term paper. Rather than having students work on this, unassisted throughout the semester, the professor could choose to scaffold this assignment in a manner that is not only more manageable for students, but provides feedback and opportunities for improvement along the way. It could look something like this:
Week 2: Submit topic
Week 5: Submit outline and annotated bibliography
Week 8: Submit rough draft for peer review
Week 10: Deadline to submit peer review
Week 16: Submit final paper
By breaking the assignment up into more manageable chunks, starting with the items that need the least amount of content knowledge or skill development, progressing into an outline of the research, then a full first draft, then a final draft, students are able to assimilate new knowledge schemas that they build throughout the semester to create a final product (i.e., the research essay).
In general, cognitivist approaches to learning seek ways to minimize the cognitive load learners experience, thereby assisting in the processing of information from working to long-term memory. While it is certainly a theory of learning, the principles of cognitivism also lend themselves to practical implementation for instructional designers and faculty.
Sources:
Emory, B. (2019). Cognitive load theory and instructional message design. In M. Ramlatchan (Ed.), Instructional Message Design: Theory, Research, and Practice (Vol. 1). Norfolk, VA: Kindle Direct Publishing.
Guyan, M. (2013). 5 ways to reduce cognitive load in learning. eLearning Industry. https://elearningindustry.com/5-ways-to-reduce-cognitive-load-in-elearning
Michela, E. (2020). Cognitivism. In R. Kimmons & scaskurlu (Eds.), The Students' Guide to Learning Design and Research. EdTech Books. https://edtechbooks.org/studentguide/cognitivism
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