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.
❓ 인지 부하 이론이 교수 설계에 주는 주요 시사점은 무엇인가?
A. A) 학습자에게 과부하를 방지하기 위해 상호작용적 환경은 항상 피해야 한다.
B. B) 디자이너는 본질적 처리를 위한 용량을 더 확보하기 위해 외부 부하를 최소화해야 한다.
C. C) 모든 학생들의 학습을 더 쉽게 만들기 위해 내재적 부하를 제거해야 한다.
D. D) 작업 기억 용량은 훈련을 통해 확장되어 더 많은 정보를 처리할 수 있다.
✅ 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