The concept of 'cognitive load' refers to the total amount of mental effort being used in the working memory. In educational settings, instructional design often aims to manage cognitive load to optimize learning. According to cognitive load theory, learners have limited working memory capacity, and if the complexity of the material (intrinsic load) is high, additional demands from the way the material is presented (extraneous load) can hinder learning. However, effective design can promote 'germane load', which is the effort devoted to processing and understanding the underlying structure of the content. Recent studies suggest that interactive learning environments, while engaging, may inadvertently increase extraneous load if not carefully structured, thus reducing the potential benefits of active participation.
❓ 認知負荷理論の授業設計における主な示唆は何ですか？
A. A) 学習者に過剰な負荷をかけないよう、インタラクティブな環境は常に避けるべきである。
B. B) デザイナーは、外的負荷を最小限に抑え、関連処理のための容量を増やすべきである。
C. C) 内因性負荷は、すべての学生にとって学習を容易にするために排除されるべきである。
D. D) 作業記憶の容量は、より多くの情報を処理できるように訓練によって拡張することができる。
✅ 正确答案
B) Designers should minimize extraneous load to allow more capacity for germane processing.
IELTS Reading Tips
Skim the questions first, underline keywords, then locate in the passage
Watch for paraphrasing; correct answers are often reworded
Be wary of absolute statements (all, always, never) — usually wrong
Pay attention to content after transition words (however, but, yet)
Manage time: about 20 minutes per passage; skip difficult questions first