The concept of 'cognitive load' refers to the total amount of mental effort being used in the working memory. In educational settings, instructional design often aims to manage this load to optimize learning. According to cognitive load theory, learning is hampered when the working memory is overloaded by extraneous information that does not contribute to schema construction. Effective teaching materials, therefore, should reduce unnecessary cognitive demands while promoting intrinsic load related to the complexity of the subject matter. Research has shown that presenting information in a segmented or multimedia format can help learners process content more efficiently, especially for novices who lack prior knowledge to organize new information. However, for experts, such scaffolding may be redundant, as their existing schemas already reduce cognitive burden. Thus, the optimal level of instructional support depends on the learner's level of expertise.
❓ 지문에 따르면, 효과적인 교수 자료를 설계하는 데 있어 핵심 요소는 무엇인가?
A. A) 학습자의 도전을 위해 외부 인지 부하를 증가시키기
B. B) 불필요한 요구를 줄이면서 내재적 부하를 관리하기
C. C) 모든 학습자에게 전문성 수준과 관계없이 동일한 스캐폴딩을 제공하는 것
D. D) 주의 산만을 방지하기 위해 멀티미디어 형식을 피하기
✅ 正确答案
B) Reducing unnecessary demands while managing intrinsic load
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