The effects of graphic organizer completeness and note-taking medium on computer-based learning

Education and Information Technologies - The purpose of this study was to determine how graphic organizer completeness (complete, partial, or no organizer) and note-taking medium (longhand or...     

An integrative review of the cognitive costs and benefits of note-taking

Students frequently engage in note-taking to improve the amount of information they remember from lectures. One beneficial effect of note-taking is known as the encoding effect, which refers to deeper processing of information as a consequence of taking notes. This review consists of two parts. In the first part, four lines of research on the encoding effect are summarized: 1) manipulation of the lecture material, 2) manipulation of the method of note-taking, 3) the importance of individual differences, and 4) the testing procedure used in the empirical studies. This review highlights the fragmented nature of the current literature. In the second part of this review five forms of cognitive load that are induced by note-taking are distinguished. Cognitive load theory is used to integrate the divergent results in the literature. Based on the review, it is concluded that cognitive load theory provides a useful framework for future theory development and experimental work.     

Optimising the use of note-taking as an external cognitive aid for increasing learning

Taking notes is of uttermost importance in academic and commercial use and success. Different techniques for note-taking utilise different cognitive processes and strategies. This experimental study examined ways to enhance cognitive performance via different note-taking techniques. By comparing performances of traditional, linear style note-taking with alternative non-linear technique, we aimed to examine the efficiency and importance of different ways of taking notes. Twenty-six volunteer adult learners from an information management course participated in this study. Cognitive performance scores from a traditional linear note-taking group were compared with another group by using a commercially available non-linear note-taking technique. Both groups were tested in two settings: after a classroom lecture and a panel forum discussion. Tasks included measures on story comprehension, memory, complexity of mental representations and metacognitive skills. Data analysis revealed that the non-linear note-takers were significantly better than the linear group both in terms of the quantity and the quality of the learned material. This study demonstrates the importance of using cognitively compatible note-taking techniques. It identifies the cognitive mechanisms behind effective note-taking and knowledge representation. Using such techniques enables deeper understanding and more integrated knowledge management.     

Affordances of mobile devices and note-taking apps to support cognitively demanding note-taking

Note-taking is one of the more common and ever-present learning activities that form an important part of all students’ daily lives. The potential of using technology to enhance note-taking activities has recently come under the spotlight. However, while mobile technologies may be applauded for their mobility and the value they can add to students’ learning experience, they could easily become a distracting factor, rather than the improvement they were intended to be. In this qualitative study, eight students volunteered to experiment with various mobile devices for a period of 6 weeks, and to share their experiences in a series of five group interviews. Information found in the literature about note-taking, combined with the students’ feedback on their experiences, provided insight into how students record and process information. The affordances of mobile devices for cognitively demanding note-taking that are regarded as useful in a teaching and learning environment were also discussed in the group interviews. All the students agreed that they would not commit themselves to using only one application or device. They emphasised the fact that they used more than one device, and in some cases multiple applications on those devices, depending on their educational setting. This article gives students, lecturers and software developers insight into the affordances of mobile devices and note-taking applications (apps), in order to support cognitively demanding note-taking.     

Knowledge elaboration: A cognitive load perspective

The process of knowledge elaboration is considered from the perspective of cognitive load theory. This theory assumes that the available knowledge structures in long-term memory (LTM) are used to organize and guide cognitive processing in complex learning. Accordingly, the role of external instructional guidance in the process of knowledge elaboration could be described as providing a substitute for knowledge structures missing from LTM. Thus, the executive guidance in complex learning environments is shared between the person (based on his/her LTM knowledge structures) and another expert or instructional means. This article analyzes instructional implications of this assumption. Adaptive learning environments are suggested for tailoring knowledge elaboration processes to changing characteristics of individual learners. Means for identifying and predicting the learner's LTM-based executive guidance are proposed so that they can be utilized in the building of adaptive learning environments.     

Instructional control of cognitive load in the training of complex cognitive tasks

Limited processing capacity constrains learning and performance in complex cognitive tasks. In traditional instruction, novices' failure to adequately learn cognitive tasks can often be attributed to the inappropriate direction of attention and the related high or excessive load that is imposed on a learner's cognitive system. An instructional design model for the training of complex cognitive tasks should provide instructional strategies that control cognitive load. We propose such a model and recommend research in which the cognitive load of instructional manipulations is systematically investigated and determined with mental-effort based measures.     

Measuring cognitive load and cognition: metrics for technology-enhanced learning

This critical and reflective literature review examines international research published over the last decade to summarise the different kinds of measures that have been used to explore cognitive load and critiques the strengths and limitations of those focussed on the development of direct empirical approaches. Over the last 40?years, cognitive load theory has become established as one of the most successful and influential theoretical explanations of cognitive processing during learning. Despite this success, attempts to obtain direct objective measures of the theory's central theoretical construct – cognitive load – have proved elusive. This obstacle represents the most significant outstanding challenge for successfully embedding the theoretical and experimental work on cognitive load in empirical data from authentic learning situations. Progress to date on the theoretical and practical approaches to cognitive load are discussed along with the influences of individual differences on cognitive load in order to assess the prospects for the development and application of direct empirical measures of cognitive load especially in technology-rich contexts.     

A review of note-taking: The encoding-storage paradigm and beyond

This review article investigates the encoding and storage functions of note-taking. The encoding function suggests that the process of taking notes, which are not reviewed, is facilitative. Research specifying optimal note-taking behaviors is discussed as are several means for facilitating note-taking, such as viewing a lecture multiple times, note-taking on a provided framework, or generative note-taking activities. The storage function suggests that the review of notes also is facilitative. Research addressing particular review behaviors, such as organization and elaboration, is discussed as are the advantages of reviewing provided notes, borrowed notes, or notes organized in a matrix form. In addition, cognitive factors related to note-taking and review are discussed. The article concludes with an alternative means for defining and investigating the functions of note-taking, and with implications for education and for research.     

论交传笔记的误区及合理精力分配

交传笔记具有减轻译员记忆负担,保证译文准确性的作用,而如果在笔记上分配过多的精力,会占用过多的认知资源,起到相反效果。本文分析了交传的合理精力分配,及笔记中存在的误区。     

Reducing transience during animation: a cognitive load perspective

Animation has an inherent advantage over static graphics when presenting dynamic content because it provides a more accurate and realistic depiction. Simultaneously, animation has an inherent disadvantage because most animated information is perceptually transient. In this quasi-experimental study, cognitive load theory was used to investigate the extent to which animation’s transience could be ameliorated with the incorporation of a pause/play feature or a tracing feature that lets previous information remain visually available on screen instead of disappearing after a brief display. Continuous animation, animation with pause/play and their equivalent static graphics, each designed with either a trace or no trace, were used to instruct 228 post-secondary technical education students on how an electrical circuit works. All formats were accompanied with the same on-screen text. The pattern of results, especially the interactions, indicated that animation with a pause/play format obtained the highest efficiency in the no tracing condition, while the continuous animation format obtained the highest efficiency in the tracing condition. These results suggest that by restructuring the dynamic information, the negative instructional consequences of the transient nature of animation can be counteracted to make it more efficient for learning than static graphics.     

Research on cognitive load theory: Application to e-learning

The purpose of this article is to review and critique each of the research studies published in this special issue. We will critique each article, derive one or more instructional design heuristics based on the findings for each study, and provide recommendations for extending particular lines of research. Three suggestions are provided concerning cognitive load theory and instructional design adaptations for e-learning.     

Science teaching based on cognitive load theory: Engaged students,but cognitive deficiencies

To improve science learning under demanding conditions, we designed an out-of-school lesson in compliance with cognitive load theory (CLT). We extracted student clusters based on individual effectiveness, and compared instructional efficiency, mental effort, and persistence of learning. The present study analyses students’ engagement. 50.0% of our sample (n = 250, 5th–8th graders) showed satisfying results, 11.2% were not motivated; 38.8% had difficulties to cope with the learning situation. Presumably, most of them had problems in identifying relevant contents, some were precarious about their capabilities. We suppose that those students may have improved performance with extended active support. We may advance future research on guidance in CLT, and its integration in the field of science education.     

Comparing cognitive load and self-regulatory depletion: Effects on emotions and cognitions

Prior research has found both similar and different effects of self-regulatory resource depletion and cognitive load. To resolve these seeming contradictions, we experimentally compared the effects of cognitive load and self-regulatory depletion. Ego depletion led participants to pay more attention to pain and to persist less on a pain test, whereas load had opposite effects (Study 1). Load distracted people from processing and reacting to negative emotional content of pictures (Study 2), and boosted positive feelings even without an overt emotion induction (Study 3), whereas depletion did not change how people felt relative to control. Depletion and load had equivalent null effects on visual recognition memory (Study 2) but different effects on semantic processing involving emotional connections (Study 3). Taken together, results suggest that load distracts attention away from, whereas ego depletion undermines top-down control over the processing of pain and negatively-valenced content. We discuss implications for learning and instruction.     

The interplay between cognitive and motivational variables in a problem-based learning environment

Problem-based learning (PBL) is a student centered approach whereby students deal with ill-structured problems while working in small groups. In this study, a path model was utilized to model the relationships among reasoning ability, learning approach, prior knowledge, motivational variables, and achievement in genetics in PBL classes. 126 eighth grade students participated in the study. Results showed that reasoning ability, learning approach, task value, and prior knowledge had direct effects on achievement in genetics. Moreover, reasoning ability and task value were found to have indirect effects which were mediated by learning approach. Interrelationships found among the variables in the path model were discussed considering the characteristics of the PBL environments and suggestions were made for further research.     

Using pictorial mnemonics in the learning of tax: a cognitive load perspective

The scope and complexity of the Australian taxation system (as with other tax regimes) is daunting for many accounting students. This paper documents the implementation of new practices that were initiated in an effort to address some of the challenges faced by undergraduate students studying taxation. Based on the principles of cognitive load theory, summaries of the lecture material became the focus of tutorials. These summaries provided the impetus for teaching staff to experiment with illustrations as a strategic means of delivery. Drawing diagrams and presenting them in the form of pictorial mnemonics proved to be effective tools in helping students understand and synthesize basic taxation concepts, thereby promoting effective deep learning. Both formal and informal feedback was overwhelmingly positive and affirming of this innovative approach to the subject. A selection of the pictorial mnemonics we designed is provided.     

Neuroimaging of cognitive load in instructional multimedia

This paper reviews research literature on cognitive load measurement in learning and neuroimaging, and describes a mapping between the main elements of cognitive load theory and findings in functional neuroanatomy. It is argued that these findings may lead to the improved measurement of cognitive load using neuroimaging. The paper describes how current measures of cognitive load cannot accurately show the distinction between different types of cognitive load in different learning conditions, and existing approaches to cognitive load assessment are limited in terms of their precision and methodology. A literature review discusses the conceptual framework of Sweller's [Sweller, J. (1994). Cognitive load theory, learning difficulty, and instructional design. Learning and Instruction 4, 295-312; Sweller, J. (1999). Instructional design in technical areas. Camberwell, Australia: ACER Press] cognitive load theory, and describes various approaches to load measurement and their limitations. The paper then describes how the core components of cognitive load - intrinsic, extraneous, and germane load - may be observable using neuroimaging techniques, and argues for the exploration of new links between education research and neuroscience.     

Translating words into equations: a cognitive load theory approach

The conditions under which explicit instruction in checking, combined with worked examples, may be beneficial in learning how to translate sentences into algebraic equations was examined from the perspective of cognitive load theory. In two experiments it was shown that Grade 8 and 9 students were initially disadvantaged by the inclusion of a checking method. However, after a more substantial period of acquisition, students with a low level of mathematical knowledge performed significantly better after receiving checking instructions than those who did not receive checking instructions. In contrast, higher knowledge students were continually disadvantaged by the inclusion of a checking method. The positive effect of checking for lower knowledge students and the negative effect for higher knowledge students in this domain is a further example of the expertise reversal effect.     

Navigational spatial displays: The role of metacognition as cognitive load

One hundred and six undergraduates searched a hypermedia environment under three navigational conditions, wrote an essay measuring their comprehension, and completed a test of metacognition. The map conditions were spatial/semantic, spatial only, and none. Analyses revealed that a navigational map capable of incurring an integrative cognitive model of the meaningful relationships underlying website content incurs significantly more metacognitive load and higher levels of comprehension. When the map was incapable of revealing these relationships, metacognitive skills were of no value and compromised learning performance. The results demonstrate that a navigational map can create significantly more cognitive load; however, the nature of the load—whether germane or extraneous—is based on the degree to which the map permits integrative model construction during processing.     

Rapid Assessment of Learners’ Proficiency: A cognitive load approach

To tailor instruction to levels of learner proficiency in a domain in adaptive learning environments, rapid on‐line methods of assessing learner knowledge and skills are required. Cognitive studies indicate that major factors in expert performance are organised structures in the person’s knowledge base. Measuring different levels of acquisition of such knowledge structures should be a major purpose of cognitive diagnostic assessment. Traditional tests may not provide reliable evidence for diagnostic purposes and are not suitable for dynamic learning environments. This paper discusses an alternative diagnostic approach based on monitoring immediate traces of students’ knowledge structures in working memory. Results of an experimental study applying this method to assessment of user reading skills are described. The study demonstrated a sufficiently high level of correlation (.66) between obtained measures and traditional test scores, and a substantial increase in reliability, with testing time reduced by a factor of 3.8.     

Self-efficacy and performance feedback: Impacts on cognitive load during creative thinking

Creative thinking is the ability to produce responses that are both original and useful. Like other complex thinking processes, creative thinking draws on higher-order cognitive resources. The impacts of feedback, cognitive load, and self-efficacy on traditional complex thinking activities are well documented; however, little is known about how these factors influence creative thinking, which is unique in its requirement of originality. We investigated the impacts of social comparison performance feedback and creative self-efficacy on cognitive load during two creative thinking (divergent thinking) tasks. Higher creative self-efficacy was associated with lower cognitive load during creative thinking. Positive feedback was associated with lower cognitive load compared to negative feedback. Higher cognitive load negatively impacted creative thinking performance, and the impacts of creative self-efficacy and performance feedback on creative thinking were partially mediated by cognitive load. Implications for providing feedback to students during creative thinking tasks are discussed.