Has your computer ever slowed down because you have too many tabs open? Your computer only has so much memory, and opening too many tabs will overtax it. This slows your computer down and affects its ability to work efficiently.
What is Cognitive Overload?
The same can be said about how your brain works. Just like a computer, your brain has a limited amount of memory to absorb and store information. Attempting to push too much information into your noggin can lead to cognitive overload. Cognitive overload is defined as having a maximum capacity to learn.
Cognitive overload is a crucial concept to understand in the eLearning industry. If you jam too much info into your learners at any given time, they’ll obtain very little if anything. At that point, why teach them in the first place? Think about quality over quantity.
How to Prevent Overload
There are ways to combat cognitive overload that every instructional designer should practice; and they’re not that hard. Taking a few extra steps can go a long way in helping your learners use their memory to their fullest potential.
Simplify Content
Simplifying your content is probably one of the easiest ways to reduce cognitive load. Sometimes we forget that we’re creating courses that are designed to teach our learners something new. So, it’s likely that they aren’t experts in the field or else why would they be taking the course?
Using simple language and getting rid of all the extra “fluff” information that isn’t necessary will reduce cognitive overload. There’s no reason to use complex vocabulary that only one percent of the population can understand. It doesn’t make the content seem smarter, just confusing.
Chunking Information Together
Chunking is when you prepare smaller bite-size amounts or chunks of information for learners. This allows them to focus on specific pieces of content. The magic number is 3. Working memory for the majority of people is typically limited to 3 new pieces of information at a time.
When having to learn a new complex concept, breaking it into three or less small chunks of information can make it manageable for the brain. It also has a higher chance of being stored in long-term memory.
Alternatives of Delivery
Changing the delivery method of new content can be very effective. There is no “one-size” fits all when it comes to educating. There are visual, audio, and kinesthetic learners (hands-on). When it comes to instruction, provide both audio and visuals when reading text. Video clips, charts, graphs, and images are all helpful tools. You can also have learners try exercises or activities that have them do more hands-on learning such as acting out a scenario or skit.
The Schema Theory
As mentioned earlier, our brains are like computers and can store what we deem as important in our long-term memory. Taking those stored memories and linking them to new knowledge can make learning easier. This is referred to as the Schema Theory.
We’re emotional creatures by nature. We want to make connections. Think of our memories as a tether that we can link new related information to. This helps to lighten the cognitive load since we’re using the aid of past experiences to help store content into long-term memory.
So, the next time you’re creating a course, think about how you can help your learners absorb the content best. Cognitive overload is not an eLearning myth. It’s a real issue that many developers must take into consideration. Everyone can use a helping hand.
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