Managing Cognitive Load When Teaching and Learning e-Skills

The paper introduces major categories of cognitive load imposed on learners in instructional situations and provides examples of methods for managing different types of load when teaching and learning such e-skills as using new software manuals and using spreadsheets. It describes three series of studies within a cognitive load framework that illustrate methods for reducing unnecessary, wasteful extraneous cognitive load (split-attention and redundancy effects), managing essential, productive intrinsic cognitive load (pre-training and isolated elements effect), and appropriately focusing working memory resources by enhancing germane resources (imagination effect).