Essential Learning Theories & Frameworks in IDT: Cognitive Load Theory

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Sweller, J., van Merrienboer, J. J. G., & Paas, F. G. W. C. (1998). Cognitive architecture and instructional design. Educational Psychology Review, 10(3), 251–296. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022193728205

Sweller, J., van Merriënboer, J. J. G., & Paas, F. (2019). Cognitive architecture and instructional design: 20 years later. Educational Psychology Review, 31(2), 261–292. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-019-09465-5

Sweller, J. (2020). Cognitive load theory and educational technology. Educational Technology Research & Development, 68(1), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-019-09701-3

Sweller, J. (2022). The role of evolutionary psychology in our understanding of human cognition: Consequences for cognitive load theory and instructional procedures. Educational Psychology Review, 34(4), 2229–2241. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-021-09647-0

Sweller, J. (1999). Instructional design in technical areas. Camberwell, Australia: Australian Council for Educational Research.

Castro-Alonso, J. C., de Koning, B. B., Fiorella, L., & Paas, F. (2021). Five strategies for optimizing instructional materials: Instructor- and learner-managed cognitive load. Educational Psychology Review, 33(4), 1379–1407. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-021-09606-9

Chih-Tsung Hung, Wu, S., Yi-Hsien, C., Chen-Yeu Soong, Chien‑Ping Chiang, & Wei‑Ming Wang. (2024). The evaluation of synchronous and asynchronous online learning: Student experience, learning outcomes, and cognitive load. BMC Medical Education, 24, 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-024-05311-7

Costley, J., & Lange, C. (2017). The mediating effects of germane cognitive load on the relationship between instructional design and students’ future behavioral intention. Electronic Journal of E-Learning, 15(2), 174–187.

Klepsch, M., & Seufert, T. (2020). Understanding instructional design effects by differentiated measurement of intrinsic, extraneous, and germane cognitive load. Instructional Science, 48(1), 45–77. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11251-020-09502-9

Paas, F., & van Merriënboer, J. J. G. (2020). Cognitive-load theory: Methods to manage working memory load in the learning of complex tasks. Current Directions in Psychological Science : A Journal of the American Psychological Society, 29(4), 394–398. https://doi.org/10.1177/0963721420922183

Skulmowski, A., & Xu, K. M. (2022). Understanding cognitive load in digital and online learning: a new perspective on extraneous cognitive load. Educational Psychology Review, 34(1), 171–196. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-021-09624-7

Skulmowski, A., & Rey, G. D. (2017). Measuring cognitive load in embodied learning settings. Frontiers in Psychology, 8, 1191–1191. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01191

Xu, C., Qian, Y., Chen, H., Shen, M., & Zhou, J. (2023). Remembering sets: Capacity limit and time limit of ensemble representations in working memory. Behavioral Sciences (2076-328X), 13(10), 856. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs13100856

Zhou, Y., & Lamberton, G. (2021). Teaching double-entry accounting: A simplified scaffolded technique based on cognitive load theory. Journal of Education for Business, 96(7), 445–453. https://doi.org/10.1080/08832323.2020.1848771