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 can reduce unnecessary load to facilitate learning. When learners are presented with complex information, their working memory may become overloaded, hindering the transfer of knowledge to long-term memory. Effective teaching materials often employ strategies such as segmenting information, using dual coding (combining visual and verbal formats), and providing worked examples to manage cognitive load. However, excessive simplification can lead to the 'expertise reversal effect', where novices benefit from guidance but experts may be hindered by redundant information. Thus, instructional designers must tailor the level of scaffolding to the learner's prior knowledge, balancing challenge and support to optimize learning outcomes.