Efficiency in Learning: Evidence-Based Guidelines to Manage Cognitive Load First Edition

I've been a big fan of Ruth Clark since I attended one of her workshops in 2002, and especially since buying her book, e-Learning and the Science of Instruction, in 2004. There are at least a few reasons. One, Ruth's guidance for instructional designers is based in research - not fad and not personal belief. Two, she bridges the gap between educational research and training for adults. Three, she always makes sure to build specific, useful guidelines from the research and theory she cites.This time out, Ruth, along with Frank Nguyen of Intel and John Sweller of the University of New South Wales, lay down a host of design recommendations based on cognitive load theory. The theory centers around the reality of working memory - the in-the-now processing capacity of the brain, limited to 7 bits, plus or minus two. Learning is limited by the capacity of working memory, and there are a number of strategies instructional designers can use to manage the cognitive load placed on it so that learning is made more effective, more efficient or both. I'll point out just two important ideas from the book and trust that you will be sufficiently tempted to take possession of this important book.The theory has evolved three types of cognitive load: intrinsic, extrinsic and germane. Intrinsic load is the demand placed on working memory by the nature of the task, more specifically the interactivity between content elements that must be learned. The amount of intrinsic load can be seen in the difference between learning the alphabet and learning to read. Reading involves understanding grouped letters as words, attaching meaning to them and understanding them when placed with other words that create complete thoughts. Extraneous load is that imposed on working memory that does not add to learning. Poor writing increases extraneous load, the kind that needs to be minimized or eliminated. Germane load places demand on working memory that contributes to learning - practice exercises, varied examples and the like. Ruth and friends cite plenty of research to support the theory and then provide many practical guidelines flowing from it.The other big idea, at least for me, is the realization that managing cognitive load for experts is very different than for novices. Most of the guidelines used for designing instruction for novices must be faded and eventually eliminated as learners gain expertise. Again, research and practical guidelines follow from this insight.My single - and small - criticism for Ruth Clark is the continued inclusion of material from her previous works. For example, I keep seeing the same little guy and his memory looking at the computer screen and listening to his computer speakers in every one of her books. She also continues to treat the reader as a novice, supplying all those supports for novices that frustrate me a little. The obvious answer is to ignore those supports and move on the the more meaty content. Problem is, from a value perspective, I'd be skipping over about a third of the book!In sum, I find this book to be essential for instructional designers and those who manage or purchase learning programs. Just as the practice of medicine is improved by evidence-based procedures and guidelines, so too is instructional design.

This book shows you how to make complex things easy to understand, and it is based on solid research. If you are involved in communicating or teaching anything that is complex (to the audience), you need this book. The authors practice what they teach; a fairly complex set of well-researched recommendations is presented in a clear and easily digestible format. Nothing is "dumbed down," just presented clearly.I have been following the research into "cognitive load" (difficulty in learning) on the Internet for some years now, but I yearned for single, coherent book to tie it all together. One day I typed that phrase into the search box on Amazon, and up came this book. It has more than met my expectations.The book supplies research to support its assertions, but focuses on concrete recommendations that any teacher or communicator can apply right away.It should be placed in the hands of anybody teaching a complex topic at any grade level, such as-mathematics-statistics-economics-engineering-physics-chemistry-etc.I initially ordered this book on interlibrary loan. Although I could easily read it in the three week loan period, I decided to buy it within a few days.Efficiency in Learning teaching for the 21st century. The sooner the world catches on to this, the better.

This is the second Ruth Clark book on instruction and learning that I've read. I believe her work is amongst the most accessible and relevant in instruction & presentation, from both an academic and practical standpoint. Here she ties practical, logical approaches and solutions to managing cognitive load in various learning environments, and supports those solutions with simple documentation of viable research. As with her book, 'Developing Technical Training,' her style in 'Efficiency in Learning...' is uncluttered and really delivers valuable insight. It's one of those book you come away from feeling you've really learned something relevant, and reference back to again and again.

I use Adobe Captivate to teach a high school science class. This book allows me to go through my lessons and polish them in a way that will help students understand, learn and retain the material more efficiently. This is exactly the research I was looking for. It is very practical. She shows the research, the results and then how to apply these results to designing effective lessons. Thankyou.That said, the book continuously refers to a CD which apparently the kindle version doesn't have. So there is a significant difference between the Kindle version and the book. This is a book about Elearning and using multimedia, you would think they would have been able to include anything on the CD with the book in the Kindle edition.

I was looking for a book that explained cognitive load theory, identified the research that supported it, and provided clear guidelines for implementing it in instructional design. This is exactly the book I needed! There is also a CD with a wonderful extended interview with Dr. John Sweller, the originator of cognitive load theory, that brings the entire theory to life.The book was written with instructional designers in mind and the expectation that it might be used as a text book. They provide examples of research-based evidence to support every guideline. This is an excellent book and I strongly recommend it to anyone interested in learning about and applying cognitive load theory to their instructional design to increase the likelihood of learning and retention.