Intrinsic Cognitive Load

Theory

Intrinsic cognitive load is the result of inherent complexity of the information which needs to be processed. For example, when translating a number of words intrinsic cognitive load is quite small, but when translating same number of words forming part of a sentence intrinsic cognitive load is higher since not only meanings of individual words, but also their relations must be analyzed.

Still, it should be noted that there is no objective measure of element interactivity, since what exactly will be considered as an element depends on learners existing schemata and how developed and automatized they are. Unlike a novice, an experienced learner with an appropriate schema will be able to manipulate multiple elements and their relationships as one and will therefore experience reduced element complexity and intrinsic load.1) Ginns, Paul. Meta-analysis of the modality effect. Learning and Instruction 15, no. 4: 313-331. August 2005.

Practice

Earlier it was considered that intrinsic cognitive load

“cannot be manipulated through instructional design without changing nature of the task or compromising understanding.”2) Ayres, P. Impact of reducing intrinsic cognitive load on learning in a mathematical domain. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 20(3), 287-298. 2006.

Still, recent findings suggest it is possible to reduce intrinsic cognitive load using techniques like

simple-to-complex sequencing3) van Merrienboer, Jeroen J. G., Paul A. Kirschner, and Liesbeth Kester. Taking the Load Off a Learner’s Mind: Instructional Design for Complex Learning. Educational Psychologist 38, no. 12003: 5. 2003. ,

modular presentation of solution procedures4) Gerjets, Peter, Katharina Scheiter, and Richard Catrambone. Designing Instructional Examples to Reduce Intrinsic Cognitive Load: Molar versus Modular Presentation of Solution Procedures. Instructional Science 32, no. 1/2: 33-58. January 2004. , or

simplified whole tasks4).