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 suggests that instructional design should minimize extraneous cognitive load to facilitate learning. Extraneous load is generated by the way information is presented to learners, such as confusing layouts or irrelevant details, which do not contribute to schema construction. Intrinsic load, by contrast, is inherent to the complexity of the material itself and cannot be reduced without simplifying the content. Germane load, the third type, is the effort devoted to processing and integrating new information into existing cognitive structures. Effective teaching materials aim to optimize germane load while reducing extraneous load, allowing learners to focus on meaningful understanding rather than on overcoming unnecessary obstacles.