The concept of 'cognitive load' refers to the total amount of mental effort being used in the working memory. In educational psychology, cognitive load theory suggests that learning is most effective when instructional materials are designed to minimize extraneous cognitive load, thereby freeing resources for the intrinsic and germane loads that facilitate schema construction. For instance, a poorly designed diagram may force learners to split their attention between disparate sources of information, increasing extraneous load and hindering comprehension. Conversely, integrating related text and visuals can reduce this burden, allowing learners to focus on deeper processing. However, researchers caution that reducing cognitive load is not always beneficial; if materials are too simplified, learners may fail to engage in necessary elaboration, leading to superficial understanding. Thus, the optimal level of instructional guidance depends on the learner's prior knowledge and the complexity of the subject matter.
❓ 文章によると、指導設計において認知的負荷を過度に軽減することの潜在的な欠点は何か？
A. A. それは、学習者の容量を超えて内省的負荷を増大させる可能性がある。
B. B. 学習者が意味のある精緻化を行うことを妨げ、浅い理解につながる可能性がある。
C. C. それは学習者に、複数の情報源の間で注意を分割することを強いる。
D. D. それは、初心者の学習者にとって必要な以上に教材を複雑にしてしまう。
✅ 正确答案
B. It could prevent learners from engaging in meaningful elaboration, resulting in shallow 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