Reducing extraneous cognitive load

In cognitive psychology, cognitive load refers to the total amount of mental effort being used in working memory. One facet of this is extraneous cognitive load (mental effort spent on distracting elements that are not relevant to the learning).

Research shows that if you can reduce extraneous cognitive load, you can make it easier for students to process the important information and move it from working memory to long-term memory. Put simply, if you remove distractions, learning occurs more readily.

Pearson MyLab Math’s presentation of content reduces extraneous cognitive load to keep students focused on what’s important.

  • Organized coherently into topics and subtopics, content is presented in manageable chunks to help students learn without becoming overwhelmed.
  • Pearson MyLab Math’s assessments are delivered via a multimedia environment that is coherent and concise, providing everything students need for the task at hand.

Taken together, these design elements help reduce extraneous cognitive load, facilitating efficient learning.

Find out how Pearson MyLab Math supports knowledge retention