The concept of 'cognitive load' refers to the total amount of mental effort being used in the working memory. In educational contexts, cognitive load theory suggests that instructional design should minimize extraneous cognitive load to facilitate learning. Extraneous load is generated by the manner in which information is presented to learners, such as unnecessary graphics or redundant text. In contrast, intrinsic load is inherent to the complexity of the material itself, and germane load is devoted to processing and constructing schemas. Research indicates that when extraneous load is high, learners have fewer cognitive resources available for deep understanding, leading to poorer performance on complex tasks. Therefore, effective instructional materials should streamline presentations to reduce irrelevant demands on working memory, allowing learners to focus on essential information.
❓ According to the passage, what is the primary reason to reduce extraneous cognitive load in instructional design?
A. To increase the complexity of the learning material.
B. To free up cognitive resources for deep understanding and schema construction.
C. To eliminate all cognitive load from the learning process.
D. To make the material more visually appealing to learners.
✅ 正确答案
To free up cognitive resources for deep understanding and schema construction.
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