雅思阅读

📖 Reading Passage

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 aim to manage cognitive load to optimize learning. According to Sweller's cognitive load theory, learning is hindered when the intrinsic complexity of the material, combined with the way it is presented, exceeds the learner's available working memory capacity. For example, a poorly designed diagram that requires excessive visual searching can impose an unnecessary 'extraneous load,' leaving fewer resources for the 'germane load' that facilitates schema construction. Conversely, reducing extraneous load through clear, well-structured presentations can free up cognitive resources, thereby enhancing comprehension and retention. However, recent studies suggest that some level of desirable difficulty, such as interleaving different problem types, may actually improve long-term learning despite increasing initial cognitive load, challenging the simplistic notion that lower load is always better.