Cognitive Load Theory in Action

What is it that enables students to learn from some classroom activities, yet leaves them totally confused by others? 

Although we can’t see directly into students’ minds, we do have Cognitive Load Theory, and this is the next best thing.  Built on the foundation of all learning, the human memory system, Cognitive Load Theory details specific actions that teachers can take to maximise student outcomes.  

Written under the guidance of, and thoroughly reviewed by, the originator of CLT, John Sweller, this practical guide summarises over 30 years of research in this field into clear and easily understandable terms.  This book features both a thorough discussion of the core prinicples of CLT and a wide array of classroom-ready strategies to apply it to art, music, history, chemistry, PE, mathematics, computer science, economics, biology, and more.  

About the Author:  Oliver Lovell is a secondary mathematics and physics teacher, and head of senior mathematics, in Melbourne, Australia.  He has an insatiable curiosity for all things teaching and learning, and finds few things more enjoyable than gaining a new insight into what makes learning happen.