The concept of 'cognitive load' refers to the amount of mental effort required to process information. In educational psychology, cognitive load theory suggests that learning is hindered when the total load exceeds the learner's working memory capacity. This is particularly relevant in multimedia learning, where learners must integrate visual and auditory information simultaneously. According to Mayer's cognitive theory of multimedia learning, effective instructional design should reduce extraneous load (irrelevant information) and manage intrinsic load (complexity inherent to the material), while fostering germane load (effort devoted to schema construction). Research has shown that presenting information in a segmented manner, rather than as a continuous stream, can significantly improve comprehension, especially for novice learners. However, experts may benefit from less scaffolding, as their prior knowledge allows them to handle higher intrinsic load without overload.
❓ Según el pasaje, ¿cuál es la razón principal por la que la presentación segmentada de la información mejora el aprendizaje de los aprendices novatos?
A. Reduce la carga cognitiva total al simplificar la complejidad intrínseca del material.
B. Reduce la carga extrínseca al permitir que los aprendices procesen fragmentos más pequeños de información a la vez.
C. Aumenta la carga pertinente al animar a los estudiantes a memorizar cada segmento por separado.
D. Elimina la necesidad de conocimientos previos, haciendo que el material sea accesible para todos los estudiantes.
✅ 正确答案
It decreases extraneous load by allowing learners to process smaller chunks of information at a time.
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