The concept of 'cognitive load' refers to the total amount of mental effort being used in the working memory. In educational settings, cognitive load theory suggests that instructional designs should minimize extraneous cognitive load to facilitate learning. Extraneous load is generated by the way information is presented to learners, such as confusing layouts or irrelevant details, which do not contribute to schema acquisition. 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 resources available for germane processing, thereby hindering deep understanding. Therefore, effective instructional materials often employ strategies like worked examples or split-attention formats to reduce unnecessary mental effort and promote better learning outcomes.
❓ 지문에 따르면, 높은 외재적 인지 부하가 학습에 미치는 주요 영향은 무엇인가?
A. 그것은 주제의 본질적 복잡성을 증가시킨다.
B. 깊은 처리와 이해에 사용할 수 있는 정신적 자원을 감소시킵니다.
C. 그것은 학생들에게 자료를 더 흥미롭고 기억에 남게 만듭니다.
D. 스키마 구축에 있어 관련 부하의 필요성을 제거합니다.
✅ 正确答案
It reduces the mental resources available for deep processing and understanding.
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