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 learning is most effective when instructional materials are designed to reduce 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, while germane load is the effort devoted to processing and understanding the information. Researchers have found that poorly designed presentations, such as those with redundant text and graphics, can increase extraneous load, hindering comprehension. Conversely, integrating visual and verbal information in a coherent manner can facilitate schema construction. This theory has significant implications for curriculum design, especially in complex subjects like science and mathematics, where managing cognitive resources is crucial for student success.