Cognitive Load

Cognitive load has been a major topic of conversation among psychologists and educators for the past few decades. Thanks to research in this area, we now have the capacity to design activities and curriculum in a way that helps students to use their mental space effectively for learning new material. But this concept goes beyond what’s happening in the learning space alone and touches all aspects of a student’s educational experience. Join the Magellan partners and guest, Dr. Pat Neely, Executive Vice President for Online & Distance Education from Bluefield University, as they discuss cognitive load.

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Questions discussed:

1. What is cognitive load, and how can it help us to understand how students learn?
2. What are some practical ways we can apply cognitive load theory in the learning space? [5 effects]
3. Besides the material in the course, what are some places where cognitive load shows up for students? [SES, beliefs/prejudices, motivations/desires, pre-existing learning habits, technology]
4. Besides designing courses well and trying to help students manage their own attention, what are some practical things that universities can do to reduce students’ cognitive load? [clean up terminology/nomenclature, address accessibility, communicate strategically across campus, address socioeconomic realities explicitly, facilitate interpersonal supports systems]
5. How can understanding cognitive load help us to be smarter about the effects of the pandemic and the political environment in which students are now learning?