What Is Cognitive Load Theory? Instructional Design and the Busy Mind

Cognitive load theory and its effect on working memory

Imagine you’ve just arrived at a housewarming party for a new work acquaintance. There’s music blaring from a bluetooth speaker, a giant spread of mouthwatering appetizers on the kitchen counter, and children gleefully screaming out on the back patio. Amidst all the noise and commotion, you’re introduced to several people. A few minutes later, you realize that not one of their names sticks in your memory.

For moments like these, cognitive load theory provides an explanation. Taking in too much information at once—some relevant and some irrelevant—induces cognitive overload, causing our working memory to fail. Instructional designers know this, intentionally managing the amount, type, and length of content for their learners.

In this post, learn what cognitive load theory is, why it’s important to e-learning, how to apply it to instructional design, and the common mistakes that lead to cognitive overload.

What is cognitive load theory?

Definition of cognitive load theory

Cognitive load theory (CLT) places emphasis on presenting and organizing information into smaller pieces to reduce the chance of cognitive overload and increase knowledge retention. CLT acknowledges the limitations of our working memory—where we keep information before committing it to long term memory—and offers solutions to manage cognitive load effectively.

Types of cognitive load

There are three types of cognitive load to be aware of when creating e-learning modules:

• Intrinsic load is the natural complexity of the subject being taught. Some topics are more complex than others—like the difference between basic arithmetic and aerospace engineering. Intrinsic load cannot be avoided, only reduced and managed.
• Extraneous load is the unnecessary cognitive effort learners must make when encountering poorly constructed instructional materials like messy slides or unclear instructions. Any activities that engage the learners’ mental process but don’t actually contribute to their learning is considered extraneous, and should therefore be reduced.
• Germane load is any mental processing that builds on a learner’s understanding of the material. This contributes to the construction of a schema—a structure that helps organize related materials into a coherent framework—in the learner’s mind. This type of cognitive load should be optimized.

Your learners will encounter all three types of cognitive load while moving through educational or training material. Let’s now take a look at how cognitive load theory helps instructional designers make more effective learning experiences.

Why cognitive load theory is important in e-learning

Cognitive load theory helps instructional designers work around the natural barriers of a learner’s working memory. It serves as a reminder to keep training content relevant, engaging, and manageable. Designing an e-learning program with cognitive load theory in mind results in the following benefits:

Increased learner engagement

Keeping learners engaged with well-structured content avoids cognitive overload. Cleanly designed content minimizes distractions—like excessively wordy presentation slides—to help learners stay focused on the most relevant material.

Improved learner retention

When learners can focus on what truly matters, retaining important information is easier. CLT encourages instructional designers to break down material into smaller pieces to make it easier to understand, and to start with simple material before moving on to complex material to progressively build learner understanding.

Enhanced performance

Designing workplace training with cognitive load theory in mind ensures that learning content is efficient. Employees who train with efficient material reach full productivity sooner, enabling them to perform better at their job.

Applying cognitive load theory in e-learning design

Effectively applying cognitive load theory in e-learning design depends on your understanding of the three types of cognitive load every learner will encounter. To get the most out of your workplace training content, you’ll want to manage intrinsic load, reduce extraneous load, and optimize germane load. Read on to find out how.

Managing intrinsic load

As intrinsic load is the unavoidable complexity of any given topic, it’s best to attempt to reduce and manage it for your learners. To do so, you can:

• Break learning content into bite-sized, manageable chunks.
• Reveal lesson content gradually, moving from the simple to the complex.
• Use pre-training material to introduce foundational concepts. This makes subsequent, more complex material easier to understand.
• Use personalized, tailored learning pathways so novices start with simple material and experienced learners receive more advanced content.

E-learning tip: Microlearning techniques are particularly helpful in managing intrinsic load. Presenting information in bite-sized chunks—like this inclusive workplace training template—makes it easier to keep content manageable and engaging for your learners.

Got an all-hands training on data privacy scheduled for a Friday afternoon? Send out a short mobile learning course on the foundational concepts that morning or the night before to prime your learner’s minds.

Reducing extraneous load

Unnecessary and distracting material can quickly lead to cognitive overload, wasting precious working memory on irrelevant material. To avoid this, follow the steps below:

• Use consistent layouts and design to reduce learner confusion and frustration.
• Simplify the navigation in your chosen LMS, making it easier for learners to find the content they need.
• Remove any unnecessary media on presentation slides so learners can focus on the most important pieces of information.

E-learning tip: Instead of overloading your learners with pages and pages of material to scroll through, take advantage of robust course authoring tools that allow for stepped navigation. Stepped navigation displays one block of content at a time—a bulleted list, a short video, an interactive checklist—before learners can click or scroll through to the next block, improving focus and comprehension.

Optimizing germane load

Germane load is where the learning actually happens, so it’s imperative that content is engaging, interactive, and relevant to your learners. To make it happen,

• Use real-world examples and training scenarios.
• Incorporate interactive learning experiences.
• Encourage consistent reflection to gain feedback from all key stakeholders.
• Use spaced repetition—a method that reintroduces content at increasing intervals—to reinforce learning.

E-learning tip: Scenario-based learning modules give employees the chance to practice navigating difficult or complex work situations in a safe, virtual environment. They’ll encounter interactive characters who react to the learner’s choices—like this customer service skills training template—thereby improving decision-making skills and confidence.

Common mistakes that increase cognitive load in e-learning

While every instructional designer has good intentions, sometimes it’s easy to go overboard when creating content. Here are six common design mistakes that increase cognitive load in e-learning:

1. Information overload

We’ve all seen a presentation with slides that are so full of information it’s hard to know where to look, even with the presenter’s direction. Overly-wordy or overcrowded slides means more competition for our working memory, making it more likely we’ll shut down and wait for an explanation rather than actively engage in learning.

2. Irrelevant content

Sometimes referred to as seductive details, irrelevant content like excessive animations, distracting anecdotes, or non-essential visuals draw the learner’s attention away from important content. This reduces the chances of knowledge retention and increases the extraneous cognitive load on the learner.

3. Complex navigation

Closing a pop-up ad on your phone or laptop is intentionally difficult. Do you click the semi-transparent ‘X’ that’s bouncing around the screen or the ‘Close’ button that looks suspiciously like a hyperlink to another ad? Navigation in e-learning should be the opposite: simple and uniform. Learners shouldn’t have to expend mental effort just to figure out how to get to the next content block or find the next module in a series.

4. Redundancy and split-attention presentation

Repeating core concepts can be beneficial for learners, but that’s different than being redundant. A common example of redundancy is presenting text and narration simultaneously. It divides the learner’s attention, increasing extraneous cognitive load. Separating a visual from its textual explanation has a similar effect, splitting the learner’s attention and reducing the chances of integrating connected information.

5. Overusing interactivity

While including interactive features throughout an e-learning course has the potential to increase learner engagement and knowledge retention, sometimes it’s unnecessary. Gamification, while an increasingly popular way to enhance learner engagement, may be overkill when attempting to teach a single, simple concept. A microlearning module made up entirely of digital flashcards would amount to a click-heavy, distracting level of interactivity that only undermines the actual learning goal.

6. Lack of structure

Presenting learners with long, unbroken pages of text can overwhelm the working memory, making it harder to discern core concepts or learning goals. Implement stepped navigation between content blocks to help learners focus on one concept at a time. Visuals and labeled graphics can go too far in this regard as well. Reserve interactive image markers for core concepts, or number them to help guide learners through click-and-reveal content.

Effective e-learning experiences begin with cognitive load understanding

Cognitive load theory plays an important role in developing and designing effective e-learning experiences. Manage intrinsic load, reduce extraneous load, and optimize germane mode to increase knowledge retention and enhance learner engagement.

Avoid common instructional design mistakes like complex navigation, information overload, and lack of structure to provide a seamless learning experience. Remember to honor the natural barriers of your learners’ working memory by keeping content relevant, manageable, and engaging.

Interested in how real organizations combat information overload? Check out how Netsmart helped its instructional designers roll out a 50-course e-learning academy that learners praised for its ability to present complex information in digestible, meaningful chunks.

Want to get started creating manageable courses for your learners? Start your free trial of the Articulate 360 platform today.