Editing Cognitive Load Theory (section)

= Overview =
Cognitive Load Theory was developed in the late 80s by John Sweller. The theory emphasizes [[Working Memory | working memory]] constraints as determinants of instructional design effectiveness and reduces the unnecessary cognitive load (Sweller, 1998). Three types of cognitive load: Intrinsic, Extraneous, and Germane. Intrinsic load is the difficulty associated with the topics, which is not a controllable factor by the designer. Extraneous load is the load by the manner in presentation of the information, which is a controllable factor for the instructional designer. Germane load is the processing of working memory that creates knowledge and contributes to the construction of schemas (Sweller, 1994).