The concept of 'cognitive load' refers to the total amount of mental effort being used in the working memory. In educational settings, cognitive load theory suggests that instructional design should minimize extraneous load to facilitate learning. Extraneous load is generated by the manner in which information is presented to learners, which can be either helpful or hindering. For instance, when a diagram is accompanied by redundant text that merely describes the same information, it can increase extraneous load, thereby impeding the learning process. Conversely, integrating visual and verbal information in a complementary way can reduce this load, allowing learners to allocate more cognitive resources to the essential processing of the material. Research has shown that novice learners benefit greatly from such integrated formats, whereas experts might not show the same advantage due to their existing schemas.
❓ 本文によると、図とともに冗長なテキストを提示することの主な影響は何か。
A. A. 追加の説明を提供することで、学習を向上させます。
B. B. それは無関係な認知負荷を増加させ、学習を妨げる。
C. C. 情報処理における作業記憶の必要性を軽減する。
D. D. 初心者と熟練者の両方にとって、同様に有益である。
✅ 正确答案
B. It increases extraneous cognitive load and hinders learning.
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