The concept of 'cognitive load' refers to the total amount of mental effort being used in the working memory. In educational psychology, cognitive load theory, developed by John Sweller in the 1980s, suggests that learning is most effective when instructional materials are designed to minimize extraneous cognitive load, allowing learners to focus on intrinsic load and germane load. Intrinsic load is the inherent difficulty of the material itself, which cannot be altered, whereas extraneous load is generated by the way information is presented. Germane load is the mental effort devoted to processing and understanding the material, which contributes to learning. Recent studies have shown that multimedia presentations can inadvertently increase extraneous load if they include irrelevant visuals or redundant text, thereby hindering comprehension. Therefore, instructional designers must carefully select and integrate visual and verbal information to optimize learning outcomes.
❓ Según el pasaje, ¿cuál es el factor principal que puede obstaculizar el aprendizaje en las presentaciones multimedia?
A. A. La dificultad inherente del material
B. B. La presencia de elementos visuales irrelevantes o texto redundante
C. C. La falta de capacidad de memoria de trabajo
D. D. El énfasis excesivo en la carga pertinente
✅ 正确答案
B. The presence of irrelevant visuals or redundant text
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