Applying Cognitive Load Theory part 1: Overview and The Worked Example Effect

TomNeedham

This is the first blog post looking at how Cognitive Load Theory can be applied in the classroom.

I first came across Cognitive Load Theory a few years ago via Greg Ashman’s informative and prolific blog. Since then, interest in John Sweller’s work has spiked and it seems to be one of the hottest topics amongst research-informed teachers.  Dylan Wiliam has even gone so far as to say:

While much of the interest and discussion surrounding Sweller’s ideas is centred around the domains of science and maths (this is understandable as a large number of his studies focus on these areas), this series of blogs will explore how I have been attempting to apply his ideas to English, a subject area that Sweller would call an ‘ill-structured learning domain’.

If you would like to know more about Cognitive Load Theory, here are some useful resources:

1) Greg Ashman’s

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