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.
❓ 지문에 따르면, 다이어그램과 함께 중복된 텍스트를 제시하는 것의 주요 효과는 무엇인가?
A. A. 추가적인 설명을 제공함으로써 학습을 향상시킵니다.
B. B. 이는 불필요한 인지 부하를 증가시키고 학습을 방해한다.
C. C. 정보 처리 시 작업 기억의 필요성을 줄여준다.
D. D. 초보자와 전문 학습자 모두에게 동등하게 유익하다.
✅ 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