Teaching complex rather than simple tasks: Balancing intrinsic and germane load to enhance transfer of learning

Applied Cognitive Psychology

Volumn 20, Issue 3, 2006, Pages 343-352

  Van Merriënboer, Jeroen J G ^a   Kester, Liesbeth ^a   Paas, Fred ^a,b  

^a OPEN UNIVERSITY OF THE NETHERLANDS   (Netherlands)

^b ERASMUS UNIVERSITY ROTTERDAM   (Netherlands)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

ADAPTIVE BEHAVIOR; ARTICLE; AUDIOVISUAL EQUIPMENT; COGNITION; EDUCATION PROGRAM; EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY; HUMAN; INTERMETHOD COMPARISON; LEARNING; LEARNING THEORY; METHODOLOGY; PATTERN RECOGNITION; PRIORITY JOURNAL; TASK PERFORMANCE; TEACHING; WORKING MEMORY;

EID: 33646436989     PISSN: 08884080     EISSN: 10990720     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1002/acp.1250     Document Type: Article

References (41)

1. Albaret, J. M., & Thon, B. (1999). Differential effects of task complexity on contextual interference in a drawing task. Acta Psychologica, 100, 9-24.
2. Atkinson, R. K., Derry, S. J., Renkl, A., & Wortham, D. (2000). Learning from examples: Instructional principles from the worked examples research. Review of Educational Research, 70, 181-214.
3. Ayres, P. (2006). Impact of reducing intrinsic cognitive load on learning in a mathematical domain. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 20, 287-298 (this issue).
4. Bainbridge, L. (1997). The change in concepts needed to account for human behaviour in complex dynamic tasks. IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man and Cybernetics, Part A: Systems and Humans, 27, 351-359.
5. Balzer, W. K., Doherty, M. E., & O'Connor, R. (1989). Effects of cognitive feedback on performance. Psychological Bulletin, 106, 410-433.
6. Clarke, T., Ayres, P., & Sweller, J. (2005). The impact of sequencing and prior knowledge on learning mathematics through spreadsheet applications. Educational Technology, Research and Development, 53, 15-24.
7. Dufresne, R. J., Gerace, W. J., Thibodeau-Hardiman, P., & Mestre, J. P. (1992). Constraining novices to perform expertlike problem analyses: Effects on schema acquisition. The Journal of the Learning Sciences, 2, 307-331.
8. Eaton, D., & Cottrell, D. (1999). Structured teaching methods enhance skill acquisition but not problem-solving abilities: An evaluation of the 'silent run through'. Medical Education, 33, 19-23.
9. Gentner, D., Brem, S., Ferguson, R. W., Markman, A. B., Levidow, B. B., Wolff, P., & Forbus, K. D. (1997). Analogical reasoning and conceptual change: A case study of Johannes Kepler. Journal of the Learning Sciences, 6, 3-40.
10. Guadagnoli, M. A., Dornier, L., & Tandy, R. D. (1996). Optimal length for summary knowledge of results: The influence of task-related experience and complexity. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 67, 239-248.
11. Hebert, E. P., Landin, D., & Solmon, M. A. (1996). Practice schedule effects on the performance and learning of low- and high-skilled students: An applied study. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 67, 52-58.
12. Kalyuga, S., Chandler, P., Tuovinen, J., & Swelter, J. (2001). When problem solving is superior to studying worked examples. Journal of Educational Psychology, 93, 579-588.
13. Kester, L., Kirschner, P. A., & van Merriënboer, J. J. G. (2004a). Just in time presentation of different types of information in learning statistics. Instructional Science, 32, 233-252.
14. Kester, L., Kirschner, P. A., & van Merriënboer, J. J. G. (2004b). Information presentation and troubleshooting in electrical circuits. International Journal of Science Education, 26, 239-256.
15. Kester, L., Kirschner, P. A., & van Merriënboer, J. J. G. (in press). Just-in-time information presentation: Improving transfer performance and learning efficiency of a complex troubleshooting skill. Contemporary Educational Psychology.
16. Lee, T. D., & Magill, R. A. (1985). Can forgetting facilitate skill acquisition? In D. Goodman, R. B. Wilberg, & I. M. Franks (Eds.), Differing perspectives on memory, learning and control (pp. 3-22). Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Elsevier North Holland.
17. Magill, R. A., & Hall, K. G. (1990). A review of the contextual interference effect in motor skill acquisition. Human Movement Science, 9, 241-289.
18. Mayer, R. E., & Moreno, R. (2003). Nine ways to reduce cognitive load in multimedia learning. Educational Psychologist, 38, 43-52.
19. Merrill, M. D. (2002). First principles of instruction. Educational Technology, Research and Development, 50, 43-59.
20. Paas, F., & van Merriënboer, J. J. G. (1994). Variability of worked examples and transfer of geometrical problem-solving skills: A cognitive load approach. Journal of Educational Psychology, 86, 122-133.
21. Paas, F., Camp, G., & Rikers, R. (2001). Instructional compensation for age-related cognitive declines: Effects of goal specificity in maze learning. Journal of Educational Psychology, 93, 181-186.
22. Pollock, E., Chandler, P., & Sweller, J. (2002). Assimilating complex information. Learning and Instruction, 12, 61-86.
23. Quilici, J. L., & Mayer, R. E. (1996). Role of examples in how students learn to categorize statistics word problems. Journal of Educational Psychology, 88, 144-161.
24. Renkl, A. (2002). Worked-out examples: Instructional explanations support learning by self-explanation. Learning and Instruction, 12, 529-556.
25. Renkl, A., & Atkinson, R. K. (2003). Structuring the transition from example study to problem solving in cognitive skill acquisition: A cognitive load perspective. Educational Psychologist, 38, 15-22.
26. Robins, S., & Mayer, R. E. (1993). Schema training in analogical reasoning. Journal of Educational Psychology, 85, 529-538.
27. Ross, B. H., & Kilbane, M. C. (1997). Effects of principle explanation and superficial similarity on analogical mapping in problem solving. Journal of Experimental Psychology - Learning, Memory & Cognition, 23, 427-440.
28. Schmidt, R. A. (1991). Motor control and learning: A behavioral emphasis (2nd ed.). Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.
29. Schwartz, D. L., Martin, L., & Pfaffman, J. (2005). How mathematics propels the development of physical knowledge. Journal of Cognition and Development, 6, 65-88.
30. Shea, J. B., & Zimny, S. T. (1983). Context effects in learning movement information. In R. A. Magill (Ed.), Memory and the control of action (pp. 345-366). Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Elsevier North Holland.
31. Sweller, J. (1988). Cognitive load during problem solving: Effects on learning. Cognitive Science, 12, 257-285.
32. Sweller, J., van Merriënboer, J. J. G., & Paas, F. (1998). Cognitive architecture and instructional design. Educational Psychology Review, 10, 251-296.
33. van Merriënboer, J. J. G. (1990). Strategies for programming instruction in high school: Program completion vs. program generation. Journal of Educational Computing Research, 6, 265-285.
34. van Merriënboer, J. J. G. (1997). Training complex cognitive skills: A four-component instructional design model for technical training. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Educational Technology Publications.
35. van Merriënboer, J. J. G., Clark, R. E., & De Croock, M. B. M. (2002). Blueprints for complex learning: The 4C/ID-model. Educational Technology, Research and Development, 50, 39-64.
36. van Merriënboer, J. J. G., De Croock, M. B. M., & Jelsma, O. (1997). The transfer paradox: Effects of contextual interference on retention and transfer performance of a complex cognitive skill. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 84, 784-786.
37. van Merriënboer, J. J. G., Kirschner, P. A., & Kester, L. (2003). Taking the load of a learners' mind: Instructional design for complex learning. Educational Psychologist, 38, 5-13.
38. van Merriënboer, J. J. G., Schuurman, J. G., De Croock, M. B. M., & Paas, F. (2002). Redirecting learners' attention during training: Effects on cognitive load, transfer test performance, and training efficiency. Learning and Instruction, 12, 11-37.
39. van Merriënboer, J. J. G., & Sweller, J. (2005). Cognitive load theory and complex learning: Recent developments and future directions. Educational Psychology Review, 17, 147-177.
40. Wulf, G., & Shea, C. H. (2002). Principles derived from the study of simple skills do not generalize to complex skill learning. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 9, 185-211.
41. Wulf, G., Shea, C. H., & Whitacre, C. A. (1998). Physical guidance benefits in learning a complex motor skill. Journal of Motor Behavior, 30, 367-380.