Contents of Presentation

Reducing Cognitive Overload in the Virtual ClassroomAlicia AdamsEDU 656Richelle McMillan-JohnsonJuly 2, 2012

Contents of Presentation • Overview • What is cognitive overload? • Why is cognitive overload so prevalent? • How to reduce cognitive overload? • Less is more • Identify need-to-know content • Identify content appropriate for the virtual classroom

Contents of Presentation continued… • Keep sessions brief • Avoid redundant information • Types of distractions • Minimize distractions • Minimize split attention • Summary • References

OverVIew • Cognitive overload stems from the amount of mental capacity it takes to participate in a virtual environment. With as much data and technology that there is in the world these days, it’s hard not to be distracted. In this presentation we will go over how to reduce and minimize cognitive overload in a virtual environment.

What is cognitive overload? • Cognitive overload is the amount of mental workload produced from a virtual classroom that is self-paced and asynchronous. • “Learning from a dynamic environment-one the presents new knowledge and skills at a rate outside the individuals’ control-adds considerable mental overhead,” (Clark and Kwinn, 2007).

Why is cognitive overload so prevalent? • Living in a very technological world, it is hard not to use multiple devices at one time in order to multi-task. • Reduction in this would help significantly. • “Everyone has so many tasks and obligations that multi-tasking is our way of life. Information is relentlessly pushed at us, and no matter how much we get we feel we need more, and of better quality and focus,” (Kirsh, 2000).

How to reduce Cognitive overload • Less is more! • Identify need-to-know content • Identify content appropriate for the virtual classroom • Keep sessions brief • Avoid redundant information • Minimize distractions

Less is more! • Think of your brain power like a light bulb. Sure you can use more than one bulb to give off energy to light a room, but more efficient bulbs only require one to do the job. • The same goes for cognitive load. By harnessing brain power and minimizing distractions we can reduce cognitive overload.

Identify Need-to-know content • Identifying need-to-know content is to focus on the job before you, and to guide yourself from there. • By focusing on the job needed to be accomplished, one can significantly reduce their content inventory. • “…eliminate extra mental baggage by focusing on need-to-know content and identifying which topics among the need-to-know are best handled in the virtual classroom,” (Clark and Kwinn, 2007).

Identify content appropriate for the virtual classroom • Figure out which topics are best for the virtual classroom. • By doing so we can use this type of interaction to the best of its abilities. • Use straight delivery of information by using documents and internet sites. • Avoid topics that are more appropriate for face to face learning as well.

Keep sessions brief • Lengthy online sessions can be tiring. • Try not to exceed two hours in length. • Any sessions over 90 minutes should give their students a break.

Avoid Redundant Information • It was once believed that giving the same information over and over was helpful, but that turned out to not be true. • “Recently, however, instructional psychologists have discovered that learning is better when you stick to the essentials,” (Clark and Kwinn, 2007). • Letting students learn on their own can help as well. • If a presentation consists of text have them read it to themselves, or out loud.

Types of distractions • Other students • Cellphones • Chat boxes • Social media • Etc.

Minimize distractions • Try to minimize off topic conversation in the chat rooms. • Some students may not be aware that the instructor can see what they are typing. • Set ground rules during the introduction to the course to help avoid this. • “While establishing ground rules, ask participants to turn off cell phones, email, and other potential distracters in order to focus full attention to the instructional event,” (Clark and Kwinn, 2007).

Minimize Split Attention • Split attention occurs when someone is using their mind to do two different things at once. • This is another type of multi-tasking. • “Split attention can occur on pages or screens where, for example, text describing a visual is positioned away from the diagram,” (Clark and Kwinn, 2007).

Summary • Cognitive overload is not something to take lightly. In the virtual classroom this may seem very tempting and easy to do, but will where on a student very quickly if they are not careful. By identifying what is causing the overload, and finding ways to minimize it, we can significantly reduce mental strain when it comes to using technology in the virtual classroom.

References • Clark, Ruth & Kwinn, A. (2007). The new virtual classroom: Evidence-based guidelines for synchronous e-learning. San Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons, Inc./Pfeiffer. ISBN: 9780787986520. • Kirsh, D. (2000).A Few Thoughts on Cognitive Overload, Intellectica

Contents of Presentation