What is Cognitive Load

The amount of information processing activity imposed on working memory.

Refers to the total amount of mental activity that the working memory can handle.

A theory proposing that differences in performance were due to the total amount of mental activity used for the storage of information in working memory.

With regard to the communication methods commonly used in virtual worlds, the simultaneous visual and auditory processing of information can cause cognitive overload due to one’s limited cognitive processing-capacities ( Chandler & Sweller, 1992 ; Mayer & Moreno, 2003 ; Sweller, 1988 /1999). Of particular relevance for this chapter is the split attention effect of multimedia information processing, which occurs when separate sources of information (e.g., voice, group text chat, private text chat, and watching avatars’ movements) need to be mentally integrated.

The internal system which is employed in the listening process is fairly limited and plays a very important role in the success or failure of listening comprehension.

The loading of cognitive resources, “which are the alerting, executive, and orienting attentional networks singly or in combination, as well as the memory and representational systems (e.g., working and long-term) from which information may be retrieved and in which it may be held and operated upon” (Foley et al., 2013 AU23: The in-text citation "Foley et al., 2013" is not in the reference list. Please correct the citation, add the reference to the list, or delete the citation. ). Same as Cognitive demand (see Introduction).

The amount of work exerted in the brain necessary for the working memory to process and use information. Extraneous cognitive load refers to working to process external stimuli, and germane cognitive load refers to the brain’s processing of information into memory. CAPs reduce cognitive load and improve retention by minimizing competing stimuli to reduce work and improve efficient processing.

Cognitive Load refers to the amount of information to be kept and worked with within the Human Working Memory.

Working memory resources required for processing specific information by an individual user. Cognitive load theory distinguishes between the essential (intrinsic) and wasteful (extraneous) forms of cognitive load, and suggests a variety of techniques and procedures (cognitive load effects) for managing essential and reducing extraneous load in learning.

The amount of mental demand associated with a task.

The amount of cognitive resources are required to perform a certain task.

The amount of demand on working memory during a thinking task. There are three types of cognitive load: intrinsic, extrinsic, and germane.

A multidimensional construct representing the load that performing a task has on an individual’s cognitive system.

The total amount of mental effort being used in the working memory.

A measure of the mental effort required to carry out a given task.

The amount of mental effort being used in the working memory.

the used amount of working memory resources.

Refers to cognitive processing induced by a learning task.

Refers to the amount of cognitive resources imposed on working memory.

The demand on a learner’s working memory.

The amount of information working memory can hold at one time. There are three sources of cognitive load – intrinsic load, extraneous load, and germane load.

The amount of stress placed on working memory (i.e. the mental processing power required).

According to cognitive load theory (CLT), three types of cognitive load exist: intrinsic load, extraneous or ineffective load, and germane or effective load. The intrinsic cognitive load refers to cognitive load that is induced by the structure and complexity of the instructional material. Usually, teachers or instructional designers can do little to influence the intrinsic cognitive load. The extraneous cognitive load refers to the cognitive load caused by the format and manner in which information is presented. For example, teachers may unwittingly increase learner’s extraneous cognitive load by presenting materials that “require students to mentally integrate mutually referring, disparate sources of information” (Sweller et al., 1991, p. 353). Finally, the germane cognitive load refers to cognitive load that is induced by learners’ efforts to process and comprehend the material. The goal of CLT is to increase this type of cognitive load so that the learner can have more cognitive resources available to solve problems (Brunken, Plass, & Leutner, 2003; Marcus et al., 1996).

The amount of mental effort learners invest during the learning process. Which is also closely associated with learner’ working memory capacity. The purpose of instructional design is to optimize the allocation of cognitive load to induce the deep learning process.

The degree of cognitive processes required to accomplish a specific task.

Demand on working memory to achieve particular learning or tasks.

The amount of mental effort or working memory.

The amount of information being processed within one’s working memory. Cognitive overload, then, refers to data exceeding the capacity of an individual’s working memory. Pedagogically, teachers are advised to be mindful of the amount of novel data and tasks assigned to a student, to prevent overload (and stifle learning).

The amount of information the brain is able to process.

Number of cognitive resources required to process information in a situation given the environment and the individual’s characteristics.

Cognitive psychologists provide a term ‘cognitive load’ to denote the amount of information and its necessary processing placed on the working memory of a learner (the part of short-term memory involved in conscious perceptual and linguistic processing). The amount that can possibly be processed without causing the cognitive overload depends on the amount of working memory one possesses and how much information can a learner retain in short-term memory.

The amount of information and its necessary processing placed on the working memory of a learner (the part of short-term memory involved in conscious perceptual and linguistic processing).

The amount of an actor’s cognitive facilities that is required to perform a task or set of tasks. People are inherently limited in the amount of cognitive load they can bear, and thus relieving cognitive load is one of the major goals for a successful software personal assistant design.

Amount of information that working memory can hold at one time.

Refers to the total amount of mental activity and allocation to a certain task or tasks simultaneously with the task at hand.

A theory developed by Sweller (1980), cognitive load theory differentiates cognitive load into three types: intrinsic, extraneous, and germane.

The relative mental effort a user must expend in a specific situation or with a particular user interface to accomplish a task.

The burden on working memory during information-processing. It can be augmented by the individual’s characteristics, but also by the content or the form and structure of the message. For example, a complex integration of modalities can elicit a cognitive load on the working memory so that the information is less remembered.

Effort exerted by the working memory during the learning process.

The amount of working memory which is required to perform a task adequately at a given time.

The degree of cognitive processes required to accomplish a specific task.

According to Cognitive Load Theory (CLT), three types of cognitive load exist: intrinsic load, extraneous or ineffective load, and germane or effective load. The intrinsic cognitive load refers to cognitive load that is induced by the structure and complexity of the instructional material. Usually, teachers or instructional designers can do little to influence the intrinsic cognitive load. The extraneous cognitive load is referred to the cognitive load caused by the format and manner in which information is presented. For example, teachers may unwittingly increase learner’s extraneous cognitive load by presenting materials that “require students to mentally integrate mutually referring, disparate sources of information” (Sweller et al., 1991, p.353). Finally, the germane cognitive load refers to cognitive load that is induced by learners’ efforts to process and comprehend the material. The goal of CLT is to increase this type of cognitive load so that the learner can have more cognitive resources available to solve problems (Brunken, Plass, & Leutner, 2003; Marcus, et al., 1996).

Located within the boundaries of working memory, intrinsic, extraneous and the effective load elements with various instructional designs, and a task that can be controlled with the execution emerging multi-dimensional structure (Sweller and at all, 1998).

A term used in cognitive psychology, that refers to the effort being used in the working memory. According to the cognitive load theory, there are three types of cognitive load intrinsic, extraneous, and germane.

In the context of technology-enabled learning, cognitive load refers to the perceived amount of mental effort investment upon interacting with the learning tasks.

Amount of mental resources necessary for information processing.

This is the amount of working memory resources that the learner utilizes while learning.

The demand for working memory resources required by a learner for achieving goals of specific learning task.

The mental effort a learner invests in completing a cognitive task.

The loading of cognitive resources, “which are the alerting, executive, and orienting attentional networks singly or in combination, as well as the memory and representational systems (e.g., working and long-term) from which information may be retrieved and in which it may be held and operated upon” (Foley et al., 2013).

The amount of working memory available to an individual at a specific time.

Cognitive load refers to the load on working memory during instruction.

The burden on working memory during information-processing. It can be augmented by the individual’s characteristics, but also by the content or the form and structure of the message. For example, a complex integration of modalities can elicit a cognitive load on the working memory so that the information is less remembered.