雅思阅读

📖 Reading Passage

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 Sweller's cognitive load theory, learning is hindered when the intrinsic load (complexity of the material) and extraneous load (how the material is presented) exceed the learner's capacity. However, recent research suggests that a certain level of desirable difficulty, such as interleaving practice or introducing occasional spacing, can enhance long-term retention despite increasing momentary cognitive effort. This paradox implies that while reducing extraneous load is generally beneficial, overly simplified instruction may deprive learners of the productive struggle necessary for deep encoding of information.