time and energy to focus on the lesson itself by cutting down on preparation time. By following such set implication sequences both teacher and learners come to a better understanding of the subject at hand, and learn what is needed in more efficient and effective ways. 2.3.4 Cognitive Load Theory and Sweller Although well known as a theory of learning and instruction, cognitive load theory has not been widely cited in school intervention literature. It is the contention of this review that it is crucial for understanding how to work with underperforming teachers and learners and addresses specific dangers and mistakes often made by intervention strategies that try to do too much too quickly. The key reason for its importance is that it points to the danger of overloading working memory when trying to do too much in too complicated a way. When intervention programmes come into schools with suggestions on how to change pedagogy, change content, change discipline, change, change change, what happens is that teachers’ working memory is flooded over with the amount of change asked for, resulting in a highly restricted ability to actually learn and make sense of the intervention. Cognitive load theory points to three different kinds of load carried by the teaching and learning process: Intrinsic load: some tasks are more complex than others due to their inner makeup and what they already expect the learner to be able to understand and do. Doing a calculus problem expects you to have already mastered algebra. If you do not have a good knowledge of algebra you will really struggle with a calculus problem, even if it is carefully worked out for you. So one way to make the intrinsic load more manageable is to ensure that the basics needed to do the task are already well understood. A student with a working understanding of calculus will find a calculus problem easier than a novice calculus student. Extraneous load: instructional strategies to teach and learn a task. You cannot avoid extraneous load, but you can reduce it by becoming skilled in what pedagogic choices work to focus attention on the problem at hand, rather than distract attention away with showy side effects. The six effects listed below provide a guide to pedagogic techniques that work best for novice learners of a task – not experts. Experts enjoy cracking a difficult, obscure, multiple task that a novice will collapse under with cognitive overload.
time and energy to focus on the lesson itself by cutting down on preparation time. By following such set implication sequences both teacher and learners come to a better understanding of the subject at hand, and learn what is needed in more efficient and effective ways. 2.3.4 Cognitive Load Theory and Sweller Although well known as a theory of learning and instruction, cognitive load theory has not been widely cited in school intervention literature. It is the contention of this review that it is crucial for understanding how to work with underperforming teachers and learners and addresses specific dangers and mistakes often made by intervention strategies that try to do too much too quickly. The key reason for its importance is that it points to the danger of overloading working memory when trying to do too much in too complicated a way. When intervention programmes come into schools with suggestions on how to change pedagogy, change content, change discipline, change, change change, what happens is that teachers’ working memory is flooded over with the amount of change asked for, resulting in a highly restricted ability to actually learn and make sense of the intervention. Cognitive load theory points to three different kinds of load carried by the teaching and learning process: Intrinsic load: some tasks are more complex than others due to their inner makeup and what they already expect the learner to be able to understand and do. Doing a calculus problem expects you to have already mastered algebra. If you do not have a good knowledge of algebra you will really struggle with a calculus problem, even if it is carefully worked out for you. So one way to make the intrinsic load more manageable is to ensure that the basics needed to do the task are already well understood. A student with a working understanding of calculus will find a calculus problem easier than a novice calculus student. Extraneous load: instructional strategies to teach and learn a task. You cannot avoid extraneous load, but you can reduce it by becoming skilled in what pedagogic choices work to focus attention on the problem at hand, rather than distract attention away with showy side effects. The six effects listed below provide a guide to pedagogic techniques that work best for novice learners of a task – not experts. Experts enjoy cracking a difficult, obscure, multiple task that a novice will collapse under with cognitive overload.