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 learners. Germane load, on the other hand, is the effort devoted to processing and understanding the material, which contributes to learning. Research suggests that instructional design should aim to minimize extraneous load, but not necessarily intrinsic load, as the latter is tied to the difficulty of the subject. Effective teaching strategies often involve scaffolding to help learners manage intrinsic load, thereby freeing cognitive resources for germane processing.
❓ 지문에 따르면, 교수 설계는 주로 어떤 유형의 인지 부하를 줄이는 것을 목표로 해야 하는가?
A. A. 내재적 부하, 학습에 불필요하기 때문이다.
B. B. 외부 부하(Extraneous load), 이는 이해에 직접적으로 기여하지 않기 때문이다.
C. C. 독일식 부하, 왜냐하면 그것은 작업 기억을 압도하기 때문이다.
D. D. 내재적 부하와 외재적 부하 모두, 학습을 동등하게 방해하므로.
✅ 正确答案
B. Extraneous load, because it does not directly contribute to 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