── ── Mental model

Cognitive Load Theory

Working memory holds ~4 chunks of novel information — a hard limit. Instruction that exceeds it produces no learning regardless of effort. CLT (Sweller 1988) identifies three load types: intrinsic (task complexity), extraneous (poor presentation), germane (schema-building effort). Target: minimize extraneous, manage intrinsic by sequencing low-to-high element-interactivity, maximize germane.

How it works

Step 1 — Diagnose: Who is learning (expertise level) · What · Where stuck · Current instruction format · Overload signals (frustration, drop-off, error patterns).

Step 2 — Identify load types: Intrinsic (element interactivity, 1-5) · Extraneous sources (split attention / redundancy / wrong modality / irrelevant info / confusing notation) · Germane opportunity.

Step 3 — Reduce extraneous load: Split-attention → integrate diagram + label · Redundancy → cut duplicated text · Modality → narration over diagram, not text + text · Irrelevant → cut.

When to use it

• someone says 'this is too much to take in at once', 'learners aren't getting it despite good material', 'our onboarding is overwhelming new hires', 'why does this tutorial confuse people', 'how do I design training that actually works', 'this documentation is hard to follow', 'cognitive load', 'working memory'

Worked example

Sweller 1988 and the Development of CLT

The 1988 paper that founded CLT was Sweller's analysis of why traditional problem-solving instruction often failed to produce learning. Sweller observed (and empirically demonstrated) that students who spent time solving problems often learned less than students who studied worked examples — even though intuition (and most pedagogical practice) suggested that "learning by doing" should be superior.

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