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, such as confusing diagrams or irrelevant text. Germane load, on the other hand, is the effort dedicated to processing and understanding the material, which contributes to learning. Research suggests that instructional design should aim to reduce extraneous load while optimizing germane load, as excessive extraneous load can impede the learning process, especially for novices who lack prior knowledge to help organize new information.
❓ 文章によると、指導的提示の質に最も直接関連する認知負荷の種類はどれか。
A. 内発的負荷
B. 余計な負荷
C. 関連負荷
D. 作業記憶の負荷
✅ 正确答案
Extraneous 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