ABSTRACT
This chapter presents an overview of the model and key principles of cognitive load learning theory; an application of these principles to the design of actual web-based instruction; a description of the design and results of a usability test of the instruction; a redesign of the instruction based on user test results; and, finally, a checklist for incorporating cognitive load learning theory in the design of effective instruction. Cognitive load theory describes an information-processing system that involves a modal model of memory. The modal model of memory distinguishes among three distinct memory types: sensory memory, working memory, and long-term memory. The three approaches such as split-attention effect, the redundancy effect, and the modality effect have direct application in the generation of web-based instruction using multimedia technology and therefore provide the focus of the remaining discussion of cognitive load theory. Multiple sources of mutually referring information require mental integration that is cognitively taxing.
