Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Instructional control of cognitive load in the training of complex cognitive tasks

  • Published:
Educational Psychology Review Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Limited processing capacity constrains learning and performance in complex cognitive tasks. In traditional instruction, novices' failure to adequately learn cognitive tasks can often be attributed to the inappropriate direction of attention and the related high or excessive load that is imposed on a learner's cognitive system. An instructional design model for the training of complex cognitive tasks should provide instructional strategies that control cognitive load. We propose such a model and recommend research in which the cognitive load of instructional manipulations is systematically investigated and determined with mental-effort based measures.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Aasman, J., Mulder, G., and Mulder, L. J. M. (1987). Operator effort and the measurement of heart-rate variability.Hum. Factors 29: 161–170.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Anderson, J. R. (1983).The Architecture of Cognition, The Harvard University Press, Cambridge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Anderson, J. R. (1987). Skill acquistion: Compilation of weak-method problem solutions.Psychol. Rev. 94: 192–210.

    Google Scholar 

  • Anderson, J. R., Boyle, C. F., Corbett, A., and Lewis, M. (1986). Cognitive Modelling and Intelligent Tutoring. Carnegie-Mellon University, Psychology Department, Pittsburgh, PA (Tech. Rep. No. ONR-86-1).

    Google Scholar 

  • Chandler, P., and Sweller, J. (1991). Cognitive load theory and the format of instruction.Cognit. Instr. 8: 293–332.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chandler, P., and Sweller, J. (1992). The split-attention effect as a factor in the design of instruction.Brit. J. Educat. Psychol. 62: 233–246.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chi, M., Glaser, R., and Rees, E. (1982). Expertise in problem-solving. In Sternberg, R. (ed.),Advances in the Psychology of Human Intelligence, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Hillsdale, New Jersey, pp. 7–75.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cooper, G., and Sweller, J. (1987). Effects of schema acquisition and rule automation on mathematical problem-solving transfer.J. Educat. Psychol. 79: 347–362.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cristensen, B. R. (1982).Beginning Comal, Ellis Horwood, Chichester.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dufresne, R. J., Gerace, W. J., Hardiman, P. T., and Mestre, J. P. (1992). Constraining novices to perform expertlike problem analyses: Effects on schema acquisition.J. Learning Sci. 2: 307–331.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fabiani, M., Buckley, J., Gratton, G., Coles, M. G. H., Donchin, E., and Logie, R. (1989). The training of complex task performance.Acta Psychol. 71: 259–299.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fisk, A. D., and Gallini, J. K. (1989). Training consistent components of tasks: Developing an instructional system based on automatic/controlled processing principles.Hum. Factors 31: 453–463.

    Google Scholar 

  • Frederiksen, J. R., and White, B. Y. (1989). An approach to training based upon principled task decomposition.Acta Psychol. 71: 89–146.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gopher, D., and Braune, R. (1984). On the psychophysics of workload: Why bother with subjective measures?Hum. Factors 26: 519–532.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gopher, D., Weil, M., and Siegel, D. (1989). Practice under changing priorities: An approach to the training of complex skills.Acta Psychol. 71: 147–177.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hamilton, P. (1979). Process entropy and cognitive control: Mental load in internalized thought processes. In Moray, N. (ed.),Mental workload: Its Theory and Measurement, Plenum, New York, pp. 289–298.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jahns, D. W. (1973). A Concept of Operator Workload in Manual Vehicle Operations. Forschungsinstitut Anthropotechnik, Meckenheim, West Germany (Technical report No. 14).

    Google Scholar 

  • Jelsma, O., and Pieters, J. M. (1989). Practice schedule and cognitive style interaction in learning variants of a maze task.J. Appl. Cognit. Psychol. 3: 73–83.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jelsma, O., and Van Merriënboer, J. J. G. (1989). Contextual interference: Interactions with reflection-impulsivity.Percept. Motor Skills 68: 1055–1064.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jelsma, O., Van Merriënboer, J. J. G., and Bijlstra, J. (1990). The ADAPT design model: Towards instructional control of transfer.Instr. Sci. 19: 89–120.

    Google Scholar 

  • Larkin, J., McDermott, J., Simon, D., and Simon H. (1980). Models of competence in solving physics problems.Cognit. Sci. 4: 317–348.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mayer, R. E., and Greeno, J. G. (1972). Structural differences between learning outcomes produced by different instructional methods.J. Educat. Psychol. 63: 165–173.

    Google Scholar 

  • Meshkati, N. (1988). Toward development of a cohesive model of workload. In Hancock, P. A., and Meshkati, N. (eds.),Human Mental Workload pp. 305–314.

  • Myers, G. L., and Fisk, A. D. (1987). Application of automatic and controlled processing theory to industrial task training: The value of consistent component training.Hum. Factors 29: 255–268.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mulder, L. J. M. (1988). Assessment of Cardiovascular Reactivity by Means of Spectral Analysis. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mulder, L. J. M. (1992). Measurement and analysis methods of heart rate and respiration for use in applied environments. Biol. Psychol. 34: 205–236.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Owen, E., and Sweller, J. (1985). What do students learn while solving mathematics problems?J. Educat. Psychol. 77: 272–284.

    Google Scholar 

  • Paas, F. G. W. C. (1992). Training strategies for attaining transfer of problem-solving skill in statistics: A cognitive-load approach.J. Educat. Psychol. 84: 429–434.

    Google Scholar 

  • Paas, F. G. W. C., and Van Merriënboer, J. J. G. (1993). The efficiency of instructional conditions: An approach to combine mental-effort and performance measures.Hum. Factors 35: 737–743.

    Google Scholar 

  • Paas, F. G. W. C., and Van Merriënboer, J. J. G. (1993). Variability of worked examples and transfer of geometrical problem-solving skill: A cognitive-load approach.J. Educat. Psychol. 86: 122–133.

    Google Scholar 

  • Paas, F. G. W. C., Van Merriënboer, J. J. G., and Adam, J. J. (1994). Measurement of cognitive load in instructional research.Percept. Motor Skills 79: 419–430.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Proctor, R. W., and Reeve, T. G. (1988). The acquisition of task-specific productions and modification of declarative representations in spatial pre-cuing tasks.J. Exp. Psychol.: General 117: 182–196.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reigeluth, C. M. (1983). Instructional design: What is it and why is it? In Reigeluth, C. M. (ed.),Instructional Design Theory and Models, Erlbaum Associates, Hillsdale, NJ, pp. 3–36.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sanders, A. F. (1979). Some remarks on mental load. In: Moray, N. (ed.),Mental Workload: Its Theory and Measurement, Plenum, New York, pp. 41–77.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schneider, W. (1985). Training high-performance skills: Fallacies and guidelines.Hum. Factors 27: 285–300.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schneider, W., and Shiffrin, R. M. (1977). Controlled and automatic human information processing: I. Detection, search, and attention.Psychol. Rev. 84: 1–66.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shiffrin, R. M., and Schneider, W. (1977). Controlled and automatic human information processing: II. Perceptual learning, automatic attending, and a general theory.Psychol. Rev. 84: 127–190.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sweller, J. (1988). Cognitive load during problem solving: Effects on learning.Cognit. Sci. 12: 257–285.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sweller, J. (1989). Cognitive technology: Some procedures for facilitating learning and problem-solving in mathematics and science.J. Educat. Psychol. 4: 457–466.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sweller, J., and Cooper, G. A. (1985). The use of worked examples as a substitute for problem-solving in learning algebra.Cognit. Instr. 2: 59–89.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sweller, J., Chandler, P., Tierney, P., and Cooper, M. (1990). Cognitive load as a factor in the structuring of technical material.J. Exp. Psychol.: General 119: 176–192.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tarmizi, R. A., and Sweller, J. (1988). Guidance during mathematical problem-solving.J. Educat. Psychol. 80: 424–436.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tulga, M. K., and Sheridan, T. B. (1980). Dynamic decisions and workload in multitask supervisory control.IEEE Trans. Syst., Man, Cybernet. 10: 217–232.

    Google Scholar 

  • Van Merriënboer, J. J. G. (1990a). Strategies for programming instruction in high school: Program completion vs. program generation.J. Educat. Comp. Res. 6: 265–287.

    Google Scholar 

  • Van Merriënboer, J. J. G. (1990b).Teaching Introductory Computer Programming: A Perspective from Instructional Technology, Bijlstra and Van Merriënboer, Enschede, The Netherlands.

    Google Scholar 

  • Van Merriënboer, J. J. G., and De Croock, M. B. M. (1992). Strategies for computer-based programming instruction: Program completion vs. program generation.J. Educat. Comp. Res. 8: 365–394.

    Google Scholar 

  • Van Merriënboer, J. J. G., and Paas, F. G. W. C. (1990). Automation and schema acquisition in learning elementary computer programming: Implications for the design of practice.Comp. Hum. Behav. 6: 273–289.

    Google Scholar 

  • Van Merriënboer, J. J. G., Jelsma, O., and Paas, F. G. W. C. (1992). Training for reflective expertise: A four-component instructional design model for complex cognitive skills.Educat. Technol. Res. Devel 40: 23–43.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ward, M., and Sweller, J. (1990). Structuring effective worked examples.Cognit. Instr. 7: 1–39.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yeh, Y.-Y. and Wickens, C. D. (1988). Dissociation of performance and subjective measures of workload.Hum. Factors 30: 111–120.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhu, X., and Simon, H. (1987). Learning mathematics from examples and by doing.Cognit. Instr. 4: 137–166.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Author notes

  1. Fred G. W. C. Paas

    Present address: Department of Movement Sciences, University of Limburg, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD, Maastricht, The Netherlands

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Instructional Technology, University of Twente, Twente, The Netherlands

    Fred G. W. C. Paas & Jeroen J. G. Van Merriënboer

Authors
  1. Fred G. W. C. Paas
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Jeroen J. G. Van Merriënboer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Paas, F.G.W.C., Van Merriënboer, J.J.G. Instructional control of cognitive load in the training of complex cognitive tasks. Educ Psychol Rev 6, 351–371 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02213420

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02213420

Key Words

Search

Navigation