Cognitive load theory and multimedia learning, task characteristics and learning engagement: The Current State of the Art

Femke Kirschner*, Liesbeth Kester, Gemma Corbalan

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

Some of the empirical research papers focusing on improving instructional design from a cognitive load theory (CLT), included in the Third International Cognitive Load Theory Conference held at the Open University, Heerlen, The Netherlands, 2009, are compiled. CLT uses current knowledge about the human cognitive architecture to generate instructional techniques. Baddeley & Hitch found that this architecture consists of an effectively unlimited long-term memory (LTM), which interacts with a working memory (WM) that is very limited in both capacity. The empirical evidence of a learning process occurring over a long period of time is in the study of chess grandmasters by De Groot, 1946, 1978 and Simon & Gilmartin, 1973. Lee and Kalyuga, (2011) studied the multimedia redundancy effect in using pinyin to learn the Chinese language. Wetzels, Kester, and Van Merriënboer, (2011) used a static multimedia learning environment to teach students about the functioning of the heart.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1-4
Number of pages4
JournalComputers in Human Behavior
Volume27
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jan 2011
Externally publishedYes

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