Cognitive Load Theory

<p>Cognitive Load Theory, developed by John Sweller, explains that working memory can hold only a small amount of information at once, so instruction must be designed to avoid overloading it. The theory distinguishes three types of load: intrinsic (the inherent difficulty of the material), extraneous (load created by poor design, such as cluttered slides or confusing instructions) and germane (the productive effort of building lasting understanding). Effective design minimises extraneous load and manages intrinsic load through techniques like chunking content, worked examples, removing redundant information, and pairing visuals with narration rather than competing on-screen text. Applying cognitive load theory helps learners process and retain information more efficiently, and it provides the scientific rationale behind approaches such as microlearning and clean, focused course design.</p>