Cognitive-Load Theory: Methods to Manage Working Memory Load in the Learning of Complex Tasks

Fred Paas*, Jeroen J. G. van Merrienboer

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

Cognitive-load researchers attempt to engineer the instructional control of cognitive load by designing methods that substitute productive for unproductive cognitive load. This article highlights proven and new methods to achieve this instructional control by focusing on the cognitive architecture used by cognitive-load theory and aspects of the learning task, the learner, and the learning environment.

Original languageEnglish
Article number0963721420922183
Pages (from-to)394-398
Number of pages5
JournalCurrent Directions in Psychological Science
Volume29
Issue number4
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Aug 2020

Keywords

  • cognitive-load theory
  • working memory
  • instructional design
  • mental effort
  • INSTRUCTIONAL-DESIGN
  • WORKED EXAMPLES
  • ENVIRONMENT
  • ARCHITECTURE
  • PERFORMANCE
  • MODEL

Cite this