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 instructional design. Extraneous load, however, is generated by the way information is presented to learners; poorly designed materials can unnecessarily increase this load, hindering learning. Germane load, in contrast, is the effort devoted to processing and understanding the underlying schema, which directly contributes to learning. Effective instructional strategies aim to minimize extraneous load while optimizing germane load, thereby facilitating the construction of robust mental models.
❓ According to the passage, which type of cognitive load is most directly related to the actual learning process?
A. Intrinsic load
B. Extraneous load
C. Germane load
D. Working memory load
✅ 正确答案
Germane 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