The concept of 'cognitive load' refers to the total amount of mental effort being used in the working memory. In educational psychology, it is often divided into three types: intrinsic, extraneous, and germane. Intrinsic load is associated with the inherent difficulty of the material itself, which cannot be altered by instruction. Extraneous load is generated by the way information is presented to learners, and can be reduced through better instructional design. Germane load, on the other hand, is the effort devoted to processing and understanding the material, which contributes to learning. Research suggests that effective teaching strategies aim to minimize extraneous load while optimizing germane load, thereby facilitating deeper comprehension. However, overly complex presentations can overwhelm working memory, hindering knowledge acquisition, even if the content is well-structured.