| Have you ever noticed that once you reach a | | | | few related elements. Break-down complex |
| certain point in learning a new complex idea that it | | | | processes and concepts into smaller and more |
| suddenly becomes simpler? It might be a sudden | | | | cognitively accessible pieces. |
| "AH-HA!" moment, or gradually understanding | | | | Eliminate needless thinking over interpreting the |
| more than you did previously. Either way, once | | | | meaning of redundant elements. |
| you have acquired a basic understanding of the | | | | Have you ever sat through a presentation where |
| material, learning new additions becomes | | | | the speaker simply reads the words projected on |
| significantly easier. Conversely, when you first are | | | | a screen? If you have, then you understand |
| exposed to the information, it looks like a wall of | | | | needless repetition. Repetition is an important part |
| new concepts that you have to climb without a | | | | of learning, but redundant information elements |
| ladder. | | | | serve more to distract than reinforce if they do |
| When you present complex ideas and new | | | | not add additional information or allow for another |
| concepts to your audience, they face the same | | | | interpretation. |
| challenge. They are in unfamiliar territory and | | | | |
| cannot distinguish relationships or relevance of | | | | Increase working memory by stimulating more |
| sections of the material. They do not know what | | | | than one sense in a non-redundant manner. |
| they do not yet know, and how best to acquire | | | | The truth is, for on-line or electronic learning |
| that new information. Furthermore, they can only | | | | content, we are still limited to sight and sound for |
| hold a limited number of portions of information in | | | | presenting information and understanding, but we |
| their minds at one time with which to build | | | | can use these forms of media in creative ways. |
| cognitive relationships between ideas. Seminal to | | | | For instance, video of performing a physical |
| these ideas, George Miller presented the | | | | exercise can give visual and auditory information |
| psychological idea that humans can only retain five | | | | that a learner can interpret due to prior spatial |
| to seven separate concepts in their short-term | | | | and kinesthetic experience. Illustrations of working |
| memory at one time, while. John Sweller | | | | with a piece of electronic equipment can give |
| expanded upon this idea of with the concepts of | | | | essential relational information when the animated |
| cognitive load and schema of related information | | | | to focus on their maintenance or placement within |
| (Sweller, 1988) that suggested the arrangement | | | | a larger machine. |
| of presented content had a significant impact on | | | | Adherence to these points can aid learners in |
| the learner's adoption of the material . | | | | developing a network or web or relationships |
| Furthermore, Sweller proposed that goal-oriented | | | | between knowledge areas that Sweller refers to |
| problem-solving might not be the best way to | | | | as a schema (Sweller, 1999). A schema or |
| initially learn new material, as the learner may | | | | scheme is an internal representation of the world |
| focus more on the resolution of the problem than | | | | or an area of knowledge that acts as a blueprint |
| the principles that it represents. | | | | for building new structures of understanding in |
| As producers of on-line educational material, we | | | | learned material. A developed schema allows an |
| should take these ideas to heart, because a | | | | expert in an area to discern what new |
| major focus of our planning and design should be | | | | information is useful and should be translated in |
| to devise the most effective means for delivering | | | | knowledge, and what pieces of information are |
| complex ideas in smaller, more accessible pieces. | | | | extraneous. This is a psychologically-based |
| This is not as difficult to implement as it sounds, | | | | explanation of how the acquiring of knowledge in |
| and has been well described in numerous texts on | | | | an area is an accelerating process, dependent |
| the subject. | | | | upon prior experience and cognitive relationships |
| To elaborate on some of Sweller's main points | | | | already formed by the learner. |
| (Sweller, 1999), there are four specific | | | | To break this down into tasks for you, the |
| recommendations concerning cognitive load and | | | | designer of the learning content: |
| the design of instructional material: | | | | 1. Take complex data and break it into smaller |
| When presenting problems as learning tools, | | | | learning tasks. |
| structure them so that they stress the learning | | | | 2. Use multiple media types, such as text and |
| of the elements of the process, and not merely | | | | images together to build stronger connections |
| achieving an end-result. | | | | between related data. |
| Let's say that you are attempting to educate the | | | | 3. Integrate the media types closely to reduce |
| learner on how to perform a conversion of feet | | | | the number of concepts a learner has to keep in |
| to meters. You should stress the calculations | | | | her head at one time. |
| performed, and not the end result. In this way, | | | | 4. Design your content so that each section builds |
| you focus their attention on the actual objective, | | | | upon the previous section, in order to help the |
| instead of a perceived objective. | | | | learner develop a schema more quickly. |
| Combine supporting elements together so that | | | | Miller, G.A., The magic number seven, plus or |
| the learner does not need to divide their attention | | | | minus two: Some limits on our capacity for |
| among several sources of information. | | | | processing information. Psychological Review, 63, |
| If you are presenting an image of car engine in | | | | 81-97 (1956). |
| order to teach placement of the engine parts, | | | | Sweller, J., Cognitive load during problem solving: |
| label and describe the parts within the image, | | | | Effects on learning, Cognitive Science, 12, 257-285 |
| rather than creating a separate legend to which | | | | (1988). |
| the learner must refer. If possible, isolate the | | | | Sweller, J., Instructional Design in Technical Areas, |
| relevant part of the image and supporting text, | | | | (Camberwell, Victoria, Australia: Australian Council |
| audio, animation or interaction to present only a | | | | for Educational Research (1999). |