A wide variety of media can be used in learning, including distance learning, such as print, lectures, conference sections, tutors, pictures, video, sound, and computers. Any one instance of distance learning will make choices among these media, perhaps using several.

Multimedia in Learning

In cognitive load theory, element interactivity has been used as the basic, defining mechanism of intrinsic cognitive load for many years. In this article, it is suggested that element interactivity underlies extraneous cognitive load as well. By defining extraneous cognitive load in terms of element interactivity, a distinct relation between intrinsic and extraneous cognitive load can be established based on whether element interactivity is essential to the task at hand or whether it is a function of instructional procedures. Furthermore, germane cognitive load can be defined in terms of intrinsic cognitive load, thus also associating germane cognitive load with element interactivity. An analysis of the consequences of explaining the various cognitive load effects in terms of element interactivity is carried out.

Element Interactivity and Intrinsic, Extraneous, and Germane Cognitive Load

Cognitive load is a theoretical notion with an increasingly central role in the educational research literature. The basic idea of cognitive load theory is that cognitive capacity in working memory is limited, so that if a learning task requires too much capacity, learning will be hampered. The recommended remedy is to design instructional systems that optimize the use of working memory capacity and avoid cognitive overload. Cognitive load theory has advanced educational research considerably and has been used to explain a large set of experimental findings. This article sets out to explore the open questions and the boundaries of cognitive load theory by identifying a number of problematic conceptual, methodological and application-related issues. It concludes by presenting a research agenda for future studies of cognitive load.

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Cognitive load theory, educational research, and instructional design: some food for thought

Cognitive load theory has been very influential in educational psychology during the last decade in providing guidelines for instructional design. Whereas numerous empirical studies have used it as a theoretical framework, a closer analysis reveals some fundamental conceptual problems within the theory. Various generalizations of empirical findings become questionable because the theory allows different and contradicting possibilities to explain some empirical results. The article investigates these theoretical problems by analyzing the conceptual distinctions between different kinds of cognitive load. It emphasizes that reduction of cognitive load can sometimes impair learning rather than enhancing it. Cognitive load theory is reconsidered both from the perspective of Vygotski’s concept of the zone of proximal development and from the perspective of research on implicit learning. Task performance and learning are considered as related, but nevertheless fundamentally different processes. Conclusions are drawn for the further development of the theory as well as for empirical research and instructional practice.

http://blog.ncue.edu.tw/sys/lib/read_attach.php?id=60

A Reconsideration of Cognitive Load Theory

Meta-Analysis of the Modality Effect.

Using cognitive load theory and cognitivetheory of multimedia learning as a framework,we conducted two within-subject experimentswith 10 participants each in order toinvestigate (1) if the audiovisual presentationof verbal and pictorial learning materialswould lead to a higher demand on phonologicalcognitive capacities than the visual-onlypresentation of the same material, and (2) ifadding seductive background music to anaudiovisual information presentation wouldincrease the phonological cognitive load. Weemployed the dual-task methodology in order toachieve a direct measurement of cognitive loadin the phonological system. In bothexperiments, the modality effect could beconfirmed in the patterns of secondary taskperformance and in the primary learning task.

Assessment of Cognitive Load in Multimedia Learning with Dual-Task Methodology: Auditory Load and Modality Effects

Students participated in a study (n=98) investigating the effectiveness of three types of annotations on three learning outcome measures. The annotations were designed to support the cognitive processes in the comprehension of scientific texts, with a function to aid either the process of selecting relevant information, organizing the information in memory, or integrating information with prior knowledge. Learning outcomes were measured by assessing student recall of facts, comprehension of the text, and mental model construction. Results show that different types of annotations facilitate different learning outcomes. In addition, we found that, compared to having only one type of annotation available, multiple types of annotations resulted in a higher cognitive load that resulted in lower performance, especially in tests of higher-level processing. This effect was stronger for low-verbal-ability learners, who showed lower peformance in treatments with multiple types of annotations than high-verbal-ability learners.

http://www.anitacrawley.net/Resources/Articles/Wallen%20The%20Function%20of%20Annotations%20in%20the.pdf

The function of annotations in the comprehension of scientific texts: Cognitive load effects and the impact of verbal ability

Zusammenfassung: Multimediale Lernumgebungen, die multiple Reprasentationen (z. B. Texte, Bilder, Tabellen etc.) enthalten, uberlasten Lernende oftmals durch den hohen Aufwand der mentalen Koharenzbildung. In drei experimentellen Drei-Gruppen-Studien wurde untersucht, ob der Wissenserwerb beim Lernen mit multiplen Reprasentationen durch instruktionale Koharenzbildungshilfen gefordert werden kann. Dazu wurden je Experiment 57 bis 60 Lernenden jeweils Text-Bild-Kombinationen zum Herz-Kreislaufsystem dargeboten (Gruppe 1: visuell; Gruppe 2: audiovisuell; Gruppe 3: visuell mit Koharenzbildungshilfe). Studie 1 untersuchte die lokale Fokussierung auf den Text, Studie 2 auf das Bild, wahrend in der dritten Studie die globale Koharenzbildung durch eine Fokussierung der Text-Bild-Bezuge unterstutzt wurde. In allen 3 Studien wurde beim Vergleich visueller und audiovisueller Informationsprasentation ein modality effect gefunden. In Bezug auf die Koharenzbildungshilfen konnte die textbezogene Hilfe textbezogene Leist...

Roland Brünken

Papers

Assessment of Cognitive Load in Multimedia Learning with Dual-Task Methodology: Auditory Load and Modality Effects

The function of annotations in the comprehension of scientific texts: Cognitive load effects and the impact of verbal ability

Förderung der Kohärenzbildung beim Lernen mit multiplen Repräsentationen

Cognitive Load Theory: COGNITIVE LOAD THEORY