Working memory has a budget
Learning objective
Spot extraneous cognitive load on a screen and remove it.
01 · Hook
Why this matters
The most common bug in workplace learning is too much on one screen. Not too much content — too much competing for attention at once.
02 · Core
Three kinds of load, one lever
The inherent difficulty of the material. Break it into smaller pieces; sequence carefully.
The cost imposed by the design itself. Stock images, redundant text, two things competing. This is the lever you can pull today.
The effort that builds the learner's mental model. Worked examples, comparisons, retrieval. Protect it by cutting extraneous load.
03 · Practice
Try it
Choose
A screen has one concept, three paragraphs, a stock photo, a margin quote and a knowledge check. Which to cut first?
04 · Carry
One thing to take back to work today
Open one screen in your current project. Identify everything that doesn't pay for its place. Cut one of those things.
Craig Stanley Studio · Microlearning 06 of 12 · Pairs with the Foundations of Instructional Design course.