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 inherent to the complexity of the material itself, while extraneous load is generated by the way information is presented to the learner. Germane load, on the other hand, is the mental resource dedicated to constructing and automating schemas. Research suggests that instructional design should aim to minimize extraneous load, but not necessarily intrinsic load, as the latter is linked to the difficulty of the subject matter. Interestingly, studies have shown that presenting information in a poorly organized manner can increase extraneous load, thereby impeding learning, even if the content is logically sound. Therefore, effective teaching materials should be structured to reduce unnecessary cognitive burden, allowing learners to allocate more capacity to understanding and integrating new knowledge.
❓ Según el pasaje, ¿cuál es el objetivo principal de un buen diseño instruccional?
A. A. Eliminar todas las formas de carga cognitiva para el aprendiz.
B. B. Para aumentar la carga intrínseca y desafiar más al aprendiz.
C. C. Para reducir la carga extrínseca mientras se permite que florezca la carga pertinente.
D. D. Presentar información de manera compleja para mejorar la construcción de esquemas.
✅ 正确答案
C. To reduce extraneous load while allowing germane load to flourish.
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