The concept of 'cognitive load' refers to the total amount of mental effort being used in the working memory. In educational settings, instructional designers often strive to manage cognitive load to optimize learning. According to cognitive load theory, learning is hampered when the working memory is overloaded with extraneous information that does not contribute to schema construction. This can occur when a lesson includes irrelevant graphics or redundant text. Conversely, intrinsic cognitive load is associated with the complexity of the material itself, which cannot be reduced without simplifying the content. Effective instructional design aims to minimize extraneous load while preserving the necessary intrinsic load, thereby facilitating the acquisition of complex knowledge.