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Welcome to the deep dive.

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You ever feel like, I don't know,

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just overloaded with information?

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Like the internet is just too much sometimes.

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Oh yeah, definitely.

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I think we all hit that point.

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Well good news, there's this,

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it's called cognitive load theory, CLT.

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Oh yeah, I've heard of that.

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It helps explain like why we get overwhelmed,

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but the good thing is it also tells us what to do about it.

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That's really useful.

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Yeah, for this deep dive,

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we've got these two blog posts by Gary Ackerman.

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Okay.

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And he's a, let me see, yeah,

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an expert in like technology management and education

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from hackscience.education.

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Nice.

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So that background is perfect for this, right?

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Absolutely.

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Especially these days with tech everywhere.

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Totally.

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Okay, so CLT, it's all about how our brains handle information

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when we're trying to learn something new.

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Right.

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And Ackerman breaks it down into three types of,

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I guess you could call it mental effort.

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Yeah, mental effort, yeah.

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So there's intrinsic extraneous and germane load.

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Three different kinds of load.

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Yeah.

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Interesting.

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Okay, so first up, intrinsic load.

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That's like the effort needed to just understand

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the thing itself.

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Okay, so like the basic difficulty of the topic.

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Exactly.

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Gotcha.

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So like learning to ride a bike,

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that's gonna be way harder or have a higher intrinsic load

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than like learning the alphabet.

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Right, because riding a bike

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takes more mental effort to get it.

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Yeah, yeah.

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Makes sense.

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Okay, but then there's this other one.

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This is where it gets tricky.

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I think extraneous load.

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Oh, what's that?

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So that's the mental effort that we waste

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on things that don't actually help us learn.

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Okay.

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It's like distractions and obstacles.

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So it's like stuff that gets in the way

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of actually understanding.

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Yes.

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Got it.

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Oh my gosh, I experience this all the time,

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like trying to learn new software,

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but the interface is terrible.

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Yeah, I hate that.

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Or like those instruction manuals

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that are just so poorly written.

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You're like, what am I even supposed to be doing?

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The worst.

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Makes you wanna give up before you even start.

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Exactly.

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And then in Ackerman, actually,

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he uses this really good example,

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graphing calculators.

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Oh, interesting.

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Like in high school, remember those?

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Yeah.

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So at first, learning to use the calculator,

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that adds extraneous load, right?

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Right, because you're not focused on the math itself.

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Exactly, but the idea is,

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once you've mastered the calculator.

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Then it frees up mental space.

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Yes.

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To actually focus on the math.

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So it's a trade-off.

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At first it's harder, but later.

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It can actually make things easier.

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Exactly.

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I see.

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And this brings us to the third type of load.

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Okay.

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Germain load.

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This is the good stuff.

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Okay, tell me about it.

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So this is the mental effort you're using

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to actually make connections,

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understand things deeply, and actually learn.

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So it's the effort that's actually productive.

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Yes.

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Okay, does that make sense?

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So we wanna minimize the extraneous stuff.

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And maximize this germain load.

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You have the most set of learning.

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Yeah.

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But, and this is where it gets even,

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I don't know, more complex maybe.

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Okay.

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Germain says that even adding like good things

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to a learning task.

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Good things.

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How can that be bad?

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Well, so like maybe explicitly stating learning objectives.

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He says that can actually sometimes increase

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the overall cognitive load.

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Oh, interesting.

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I always thought being clear about the goals was helpful.

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Well, yeah, but our working memory

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only has so much capacity, right?

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Right.

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So even adding helpful things, it still takes up space.

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So it's about finding that balance.

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Yes, it's like, have you ever tried to pack a suitcase

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and you keep adding more stuff?

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Yeah.

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And you're like, I can make it fit, I can make it fit.

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But eventually.

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It bursts.

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Exactly.

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So much.

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So that's, I think that's where CLT is really helpful

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is it gives us this way to understand like

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how to design learning experiences

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that don't overload people.

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Yeah, whether you're a teacher

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or just trying to learn something yourself.

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Right.

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And I think what's really interesting

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is this idea of cognitive load,

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it's not just for school, right?

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No, definitely not.

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It's like anything where you're processing information.

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Exactly.

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Like navigating a website

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or even just following a recipe.

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Right.

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It's everywhere.

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Yeah.

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Okay, so we've got the three types of cognitive load,

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intrinsic, extraneous and germane.

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Now let's talk about how to actually put this knowledge

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to work.

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So first up, let's tackle extraneous load.

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How do we get rid of that stuff?

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Like Ackerman really focuses on good design, right?

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Yeah.

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He says that's crucial.

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But what does that actually look like?

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Well, I think we'll dive into that right after the break.

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So yeah, good design.

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That's super important when we're talking

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about reducing extraneous load.

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Okay, so what does that actually look like though?

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Like when you're creating actual learning materials?

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Well, think about, have you ever used a textbook

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that you just, it was just awful?

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Oh yeah, ton.

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Like cramful of text, confusing layout.

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Ugh, yeah, just like impossible to focus.

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Right, that's like the opposite of good design.

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It's actually working against the learner.

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So we need like clear layouts, easy to read fonts.

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Yeah, visuals that actually help.

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Exactly.

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And it's not just textbooks either, right?

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No, not at all.

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It's like online courses, presentations,

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even your own notes.

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Oh man, you know what this reminds me of?

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I was trying to learn this new coding language online

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a while back.

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Okay.

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And the platform was just a nightmare.

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Oh no.

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So much text, no visuals.

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Like they were trying to make it hard.

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It's funny how often that happens.

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Yeah.

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Like they don't even think about the design.

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I know, so frustrating.

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But okay, let's talk about technology

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because we were talking about graphing calculators earlier

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and how those can actually reduce cognitive load eventually.

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Right, yeah.

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But how do we make sure technology is helping

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and not hurting, especially in education?

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Oh, Ackerman actually talks about this a lot.

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He's a big believer in technology's potential, but.

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But it has to be done right.

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Exactly.

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Like those calculators, remember,

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once you master them,

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it's like they unlock this mental space.

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Right, you can do harder stuff.

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And that applies to other tech too.

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Oh, okay.

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Think about software that automates things.

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Well, those simulation that help you

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visualize complex things.

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Yeah, those are cool.

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They can take some of that intrinsic load away.

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Oh, I see.

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So you can actually like focus on the deeper stuff.

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Yeah, that makes sense.

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But I can also see how it could easily go wrong.

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Oh, totally.

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Like giving students all these gadgets, but no training.

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Oh yeah, that would be a disaster.

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Right, that wouldn't help anyone.

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It's like giving someone a race car

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but they don't know how to drive.

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Exactly.

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So training is key.

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Yeah, Ackerman emphasizes that a lot.

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It's not just about the tools,

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it's about knowing how to use them.

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Okay, that makes sense.

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So we've talked about reducing extraneous load,

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the bad stuff,

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but how do we get more of that good stuff?

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The Jemaine load.

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Ah, that's the real question, isn't it?

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Right, like how do we actually make sure

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our brains are doing the learning, the understanding?

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Ackerman doesn't give us a super clear answer, does he?

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No, not really a step-by-step guide.

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Right.

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But there are some key ideas that come up.

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Okay, so what are some of those?

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Well, one of the big ones is that learning has to be active.

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Active, what do you mean?

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It can't just be like passively absorbing information.

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You have to be doing something with it.

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Oh, okay.

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Making connections, applying the knowledge.

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So less lecture, more hands-on stuff.

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Right, exactly.

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And there are techniques that can help with this.

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Like what?

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One that Ackerman mentions is retrieval practice.

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Retrieval practice.

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Yeah, have you heard of that?

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No, what is it?

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It's basically forcing your brain to remember stuff.

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Okay.

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So instead of just rereading your notes,

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you might try like explaining the concept to someone.

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Oh, okay.

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Or taking a quiz without looking at the answers.

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So it's like you're making your brain work harder.

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Yeah, and that actually strengthens the learning.

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Huh, interesting.

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Are there other techniques like that?

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Oh yeah, tons.

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Another one is chunking.

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Chunking, we've talked about that before,

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with breaking down big tasks into smaller ones.

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Yeah, it's similar, but with information instead of tasks.

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Oh, okay, I'm following.

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Like our working memory can only hold so much at once, right?

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Right, that suitcase analogy?

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Exactly.

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So we break the information into smaller pieces,

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it's easier to process.

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Can you give an example?

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Sure, let's say you're learning about,

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I don't know, parts of the brain.

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Okay, yeah.

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Instead of trying to memorize all the parts at once,

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you could chunk them into groups,

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like lobes, brainstem, cerebellum.

279
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Oh yeah, that's way easier.

280
00:08:16,640 --> 00:08:19,680
Right, and then you can focus on each chunk separately.

281
00:08:19,680 --> 00:08:20,800
That's actually super helpful.

282
00:08:20,800 --> 00:08:23,000
I think I do that sometimes without even realizing it.

283
00:08:23,000 --> 00:08:24,720
And that's the cool thing about CLT.

284
00:08:24,720 --> 00:08:25,560
What's that?

285
00:08:25,560 --> 00:08:29,160
It gives us like a language to talk about this stuff.

286
00:08:29,160 --> 00:08:31,160
To make better choices about how we learn.

287
00:08:31,160 --> 00:08:32,720
Yeah, totally.

288
00:08:32,720 --> 00:08:36,720
Okay, so we've got minimizing the extraneous load,

289
00:08:36,720 --> 00:08:39,240
maximizing the germane load,

290
00:08:39,240 --> 00:08:42,040
but are they like directly related?

291
00:08:42,040 --> 00:08:43,320
Like if you reduce one,

292
00:08:43,320 --> 00:08:45,440
does the other one automatically go up?

293
00:08:45,440 --> 00:08:46,720
That's a really good question.

294
00:08:46,720 --> 00:08:48,080
And it kind of gets to the heart

295
00:08:48,080 --> 00:08:49,960
of how our working memory functions.

296
00:08:49,960 --> 00:08:52,400
Okay, so is it a direct trade-off?

297
00:08:52,400 --> 00:08:54,120
Not exactly one-to-one,

298
00:08:54,120 --> 00:08:55,840
but they definitely influence each other.

299
00:08:55,840 --> 00:08:56,880
Remember that suitcase?

300
00:08:56,880 --> 00:08:58,040
Always the suitcase.

301
00:08:58,040 --> 00:09:00,960
Right, so when we reduce extraneous load,

302
00:09:00,960 --> 00:09:03,280
it's like we're making space in the suitcase.

303
00:09:03,280 --> 00:09:04,520
Oh, okay, I see.

304
00:09:04,520 --> 00:09:06,280
But it's not just about making space.

305
00:09:06,280 --> 00:09:08,680
It's about how we use that space.

306
00:09:08,680 --> 00:09:11,960
Exactly, that's where those active learning techniques come in.

307
00:09:11,960 --> 00:09:14,800
Chunking, retrieval practice, all that stuff.

308
00:09:14,800 --> 00:09:17,000
They help us use that mental space more efficiently.

309
00:09:17,000 --> 00:09:19,440
To really maximize that germane load.

310
00:09:19,440 --> 00:09:20,280
Exactly.

311
00:09:20,280 --> 00:09:21,560
This is making a lot more sense now.

312
00:09:21,560 --> 00:09:23,440
It's not just about avoiding overload.

313
00:09:23,440 --> 00:09:26,240
It's about actually optimizing the whole process.

314
00:09:26,240 --> 00:09:28,560
It's like a user manual for your brain.

315
00:09:28,560 --> 00:09:30,280
I love that, yeah, that's a great way to put it.

316
00:09:30,280 --> 00:09:32,280
So by understanding CLT,

317
00:09:32,280 --> 00:09:35,080
we can become more intentional about how we learn.

318
00:09:35,080 --> 00:09:36,000
More mindful.

319
00:09:36,000 --> 00:09:38,480
Yes, and ultimately more successful.

320
00:09:38,480 --> 00:09:39,320
Right.

321
00:09:39,320 --> 00:09:41,680
Absolutely, because we're working with our brains,

322
00:09:41,680 --> 00:09:42,520
not against them.

323
00:09:42,520 --> 00:09:43,600
I like that.

324
00:09:43,600 --> 00:09:47,200
Okay, so we've covered minimizing extraneous load,

325
00:09:47,200 --> 00:09:50,240
maximizing germane load, and how they work together.

326
00:09:50,240 --> 00:09:52,080
But what about the real world?

327
00:09:52,080 --> 00:09:53,440
Like outside of school,

328
00:09:53,440 --> 00:09:55,520
outside of a formal learning environment,

329
00:09:55,520 --> 00:09:57,240
how can we use this stuff?

330
00:09:57,240 --> 00:09:59,280
Well, that's actually a really important point.

331
00:09:59,280 --> 00:10:02,760
Because CLT is really about how our brains work, period.

332
00:10:02,760 --> 00:10:05,880
Right, it's not limited to just like studying for a test.

333
00:10:05,880 --> 00:10:07,480
Exactly, it applies to,

334
00:10:07,480 --> 00:10:09,880
well, pretty much anything where you're trying to learn

335
00:10:09,880 --> 00:10:11,200
or understand something new.

336
00:10:11,200 --> 00:10:12,280
Okay, so give me an example.

337
00:10:12,280 --> 00:10:13,880
Like a real world situation.

338
00:10:13,880 --> 00:10:15,360
Okay, so let's say you're trying to learn

339
00:10:15,360 --> 00:10:16,880
a new software program.

340
00:10:16,880 --> 00:10:21,200
You open the manual, and it's just like a wall of text.

341
00:10:21,200 --> 00:10:23,440
Oh no, I've been there, it's the worst.

342
00:10:23,440 --> 00:10:24,800
Diagrams that make no sense.

343
00:10:24,800 --> 00:10:27,720
And instructions written in some alien language.

344
00:10:27,720 --> 00:10:30,200
Right, like what do you even do at that point?

345
00:10:30,200 --> 00:10:32,680
Honestly, I'd probably just close it and go watch TV.

346
00:10:32,680 --> 00:10:35,040
Yeah, it's tempting to give up, for sure.

347
00:10:35,040 --> 00:10:38,480
But instead, think about what we've learned about CLT.

348
00:10:38,480 --> 00:10:39,320
Okay.

349
00:10:39,320 --> 00:10:41,200
First, break down the task.

350
00:10:41,200 --> 00:10:43,000
Don't try to learn the whole program at once,

351
00:10:43,000 --> 00:10:44,120
pick one feature.

352
00:10:44,120 --> 00:10:45,240
Okay, small chunks.

353
00:10:45,240 --> 00:10:46,280
Exactly.

354
00:10:46,280 --> 00:10:49,840
Then, look for resources that make sense to you.

355
00:10:49,840 --> 00:10:54,360
Maybe a video tutorial, or a guide written in plain English.

356
00:10:54,360 --> 00:10:57,240
So it's about taking control of the learning process.

357
00:10:57,240 --> 00:11:01,320
Yes, and finding ways to reduce that extraneous load.

358
00:11:01,320 --> 00:11:02,640
Make it easier on your brain.

359
00:11:02,640 --> 00:11:03,480
I like that.

360
00:11:03,480 --> 00:11:04,760
And this applies to other stuff too, right?

361
00:11:04,760 --> 00:11:05,840
Oh yeah, totally.

362
00:11:05,840 --> 00:11:07,160
Like, put it together furniture.

363
00:11:07,160 --> 00:11:09,360
Oh yeah, those instructions are always terrible.

364
00:11:09,360 --> 00:11:12,200
Planning a trip, learning a new recipe,

365
00:11:12,200 --> 00:11:14,960
anything that feels overwhelming, you can use CLT.

366
00:11:14,960 --> 00:11:17,640
That's amazing, it's like a superpower.

367
00:11:17,640 --> 00:11:18,480
It kinda is.

368
00:11:18,480 --> 00:11:21,360
Okay, so this whole conversation has been so eye-opening.

369
00:11:21,360 --> 00:11:23,920
It feels like CLT is something we can use

370
00:11:23,920 --> 00:11:27,000
to just like, live better lives.

371
00:11:27,000 --> 00:11:27,960
I think so too.

372
00:11:27,960 --> 00:11:29,800
It's about understanding our limits

373
00:11:29,800 --> 00:11:31,080
and working within them.

374
00:11:31,080 --> 00:11:32,040
Right.

375
00:11:32,040 --> 00:11:34,840
Okay, well, I think that's about all the time we have for today.

376
00:11:34,840 --> 00:11:36,520
Yeah, this has been a great conversation.

377
00:11:36,520 --> 00:11:37,480
I agree.

378
00:11:37,480 --> 00:11:40,240
And to our listeners, thank you so much for joining us

379
00:11:40,240 --> 00:11:43,120
on this deep dive into cognitive load theory.

380
00:11:43,120 --> 00:11:45,520
We hope you learned a lot, and most importantly,

381
00:11:45,520 --> 00:11:48,440
that you can use these ideas to make learning,

382
00:11:48,440 --> 00:11:50,640
well, anything really, a little bit easier.

383
00:11:50,640 --> 00:11:51,800
Absolutely.

384
00:11:51,800 --> 00:11:52,880
Thanks for listening.

385
00:11:52,880 --> 00:11:54,520
Welcome back to the deep dive.

386
00:11:54,520 --> 00:11:56,240
We've been really digging

387
00:11:56,240 --> 00:11:58,280
into this whole cognitive load theory thing.

388
00:11:58,280 --> 00:11:59,520
Yeah, it's pretty fascinating, right?

389
00:11:59,520 --> 00:12:02,200
How our brains can only handle so much.

390
00:12:02,200 --> 00:12:03,280
It explains so much.

391
00:12:03,280 --> 00:12:04,760
Like why sometimes, I don't know,

392
00:12:04,760 --> 00:12:06,160
I just feel completely fried

393
00:12:06,160 --> 00:12:07,520
after trying to learn something new.

394
00:12:07,520 --> 00:12:08,360
Oh yeah, totally.

395
00:12:08,360 --> 00:12:09,360
Information overload.

396
00:12:09,360 --> 00:12:12,240
But the cool thing is CLT isn't just theory.

397
00:12:12,240 --> 00:12:16,480
It actually gives us tools to like, make learning better.

398
00:12:16,480 --> 00:12:17,320
Exactly.

399
00:12:17,320 --> 00:12:18,840
Whether you're a student, teacher,

400
00:12:18,840 --> 00:12:21,640
or just trying to figure something out on your own.

401
00:12:21,640 --> 00:12:22,480
Right.

402
00:12:22,480 --> 00:12:23,920
So for this last part of our deep dive,

403
00:12:23,920 --> 00:12:24,960
let's talk about that.

404
00:12:24,960 --> 00:12:28,200
Like, how do we actually use this stuff in real life?

405
00:12:28,200 --> 00:12:29,640
Okay, yeah, let's get practical.

406
00:12:29,640 --> 00:12:31,640
So imagine you're a student, right?

407
00:12:31,640 --> 00:12:32,800
Sitting in a lecture hall

408
00:12:32,800 --> 00:12:35,000
and the professor's just going on and on,

409
00:12:35,000 --> 00:12:37,320
information overload central.

410
00:12:37,320 --> 00:12:38,160
Been there.

411
00:12:38,160 --> 00:12:39,080
Right.

412
00:12:39,080 --> 00:12:41,880
What can you do in that moment

413
00:12:41,880 --> 00:12:44,280
to manage your cognitive load?

414
00:12:44,280 --> 00:12:45,640
Well, I remember when I was a student,

415
00:12:45,640 --> 00:12:48,440
my instinct was to try and write down everything.

416
00:12:48,440 --> 00:12:49,480
Oh yeah, me too.

417
00:12:49,480 --> 00:12:50,920
Like if I didn't get it all on my notes,

418
00:12:50,920 --> 00:12:52,360
I'd miss something important.

419
00:12:52,360 --> 00:12:54,960
But honestly, that could actually make things worse.

420
00:12:54,960 --> 00:12:55,800
Real.

421
00:12:55,800 --> 00:12:57,000
Yeah, because you're so focused

422
00:12:57,000 --> 00:12:58,720
on just getting the words down.

423
00:12:58,720 --> 00:12:59,560
Yeah.

424
00:12:59,560 --> 00:13:00,800
You're not really processing the information.

425
00:13:00,800 --> 00:13:01,640
Oh, okay.

426
00:13:01,640 --> 00:13:02,720
So it's like shallow learning, right?

427
00:13:02,720 --> 00:13:03,960
You're not really understanding it.

428
00:13:03,960 --> 00:13:04,880
Exactly.

429
00:13:04,880 --> 00:13:06,560
So a better approach is to,

430
00:13:06,560 --> 00:13:08,560
instead of trying to capture everything,

431
00:13:08,560 --> 00:13:11,840
focus on distilling the key ideas.

432
00:13:11,840 --> 00:13:13,080
So be more selective.

433
00:13:13,080 --> 00:13:14,560
Like what are the main points

434
00:13:14,560 --> 00:13:16,680
the professor is trying to get across?

435
00:13:16,680 --> 00:13:17,720
Right.

436
00:13:17,720 --> 00:13:19,560
Think of yourself as a journalist,

437
00:13:19,560 --> 00:13:20,720
writing a headline.

438
00:13:20,720 --> 00:13:22,160
What's the most important takeaway?

439
00:13:22,160 --> 00:13:23,600
I like that.

440
00:13:23,600 --> 00:13:26,980
But how do you actually do that while someone's talking?

441
00:13:26,980 --> 00:13:28,360
Well, one thing that can help

442
00:13:28,360 --> 00:13:30,320
is using different note-taking methods.

443
00:13:30,320 --> 00:13:31,200
Different methods.

444
00:13:31,200 --> 00:13:32,040
Yeah.

445
00:13:32,040 --> 00:13:34,280
So not just like writing sentences,

446
00:13:34,280 --> 00:13:36,320
maybe use bullet points, draw diagrams,

447
00:13:36,320 --> 00:13:37,520
or even little doodles.

448
00:13:37,520 --> 00:13:38,440
Doodle.

449
00:13:38,440 --> 00:13:39,280
Yeah.

450
00:13:39,280 --> 00:13:40,600
Whatever helps you visualize the information

451
00:13:40,600 --> 00:13:41,600
and make sense of it.

452
00:13:41,600 --> 00:13:44,600
It's about finding what works for your brain.

453
00:13:44,600 --> 00:13:45,680
Okay, that makes sense.

454
00:13:45,680 --> 00:13:47,160
So it's not just about what you're writing

455
00:13:47,160 --> 00:13:48,680
is how you're organizing it.

456
00:13:48,680 --> 00:13:49,520
Exactly.

457
00:13:49,520 --> 00:13:50,640
Okay, so that's for students.

458
00:13:50,640 --> 00:13:51,880
But what about educators?

459
00:13:51,880 --> 00:13:53,120
How can they use CLT?

460
00:13:53,120 --> 00:13:56,000
Yeah, like how do you design a lesson or a course

461
00:13:56,000 --> 00:13:57,960
that doesn't overload students?

462
00:13:57,960 --> 00:13:59,760
Well, we've talked about good design, right?

463
00:13:59,760 --> 00:14:02,560
Right, clear layouts, concise language, all that.

464
00:14:02,560 --> 00:14:04,880
Yeah, that's all still crucial.

465
00:14:04,880 --> 00:14:07,160
But there are also instructional strategies that can help.

466
00:14:07,160 --> 00:14:09,240
Like remember, chunking.

467
00:14:09,240 --> 00:14:10,400
Chunking, yeah.

468
00:14:10,400 --> 00:14:12,480
Breaking things down into smaller pieces.

469
00:14:12,480 --> 00:14:13,320
Exactly.

470
00:14:13,320 --> 00:14:15,420
So if you're teaching a complex topic,

471
00:14:15,420 --> 00:14:17,720
don't just throw the whole thing at them at once.

472
00:14:17,720 --> 00:14:18,560
Break it up.

473
00:14:18,560 --> 00:14:20,600
Give them time to process each part.

474
00:14:20,600 --> 00:14:21,440
Right.

475
00:14:21,440 --> 00:14:23,120
And give them opportunities to practice,

476
00:14:23,120 --> 00:14:26,000
to apply what they've learned before moving on.

477
00:14:26,000 --> 00:14:26,840
Makes sense.

478
00:14:26,840 --> 00:14:28,080
So it's like building a house, right?

479
00:14:28,080 --> 00:14:29,040
Brick by brick.

480
00:14:29,040 --> 00:14:29,880
Perfect analogy.

481
00:14:29,880 --> 00:14:30,880
Okay.

482
00:14:30,880 --> 00:14:32,780
Another strategy is scaffolding.

483
00:14:32,780 --> 00:14:33,680
Scaffolding.

484
00:14:33,680 --> 00:14:36,000
Yeah, it's like providing support for students

485
00:14:36,000 --> 00:14:37,000
while they're learning.

486
00:14:37,000 --> 00:14:38,120
Oh, okay, I've heard of that.

487
00:14:38,120 --> 00:14:39,800
Like giving them extra help at first

488
00:14:39,800 --> 00:14:41,360
and then gradually fading it out

489
00:14:41,360 --> 00:14:42,520
as they get more confident.

490
00:14:42,520 --> 00:14:43,360
Exactly.

491
00:14:43,360 --> 00:14:45,440
And CLT can help you figure out

492
00:14:45,440 --> 00:14:47,520
how much scaffolding is needed

493
00:14:47,520 --> 00:14:50,960
because too much can actually be a bad thing.

494
00:14:50,960 --> 00:14:51,800
Oh, really?

495
00:14:51,800 --> 00:14:52,640
Why?

496
00:14:52,640 --> 00:14:54,880
Because if you're doing too much for them,

497
00:14:54,880 --> 00:14:57,800
they're not really engaging with the material themselves.

498
00:14:57,800 --> 00:14:59,840
Ah, so they're not really learning.

499
00:14:59,840 --> 00:15:00,680
Right.

500
00:15:00,680 --> 00:15:01,920
It's all about finding that balance.

501
00:15:01,920 --> 00:15:04,520
Enough support to prevent them from getting overwhelmed,

502
00:15:04,520 --> 00:15:06,760
but not so much that they become passive.

503
00:15:06,760 --> 00:15:07,840
Challenge and support.

504
00:15:07,840 --> 00:15:08,680
Exactly.

505
00:15:08,680 --> 00:15:11,040
Okay, so we've covered students and teachers,

506
00:15:11,040 --> 00:15:13,320
but what about, you know, everyone else?

507
00:15:13,320 --> 00:15:14,160
Good point.

508
00:15:14,160 --> 00:15:15,000
Yeah.

509
00:15:15,000 --> 00:15:16,080
Because we're all learning all the time, right?

510
00:15:16,080 --> 00:15:17,240
Yeah, constantly.

511
00:15:17,240 --> 00:15:18,840
Whether we realize it or not.

512
00:15:18,840 --> 00:15:21,320
So how can we use CLT in everyday life?

513
00:15:21,320 --> 00:15:22,160
Yeah.

514
00:15:22,160 --> 00:15:23,000
For example.

515
00:15:23,000 --> 00:15:24,200
Okay, let's say you're trying to,

516
00:15:24,200 --> 00:15:25,800
I don't know, learn a new software program.

517
00:15:25,800 --> 00:15:27,600
Oh, I'm already feeling overwhelmed.

518
00:15:27,600 --> 00:15:28,640
Right, you open the manual

519
00:15:28,640 --> 00:15:31,320
and it's just this dense, confusing mess.

520
00:15:31,320 --> 00:15:32,240
What do you do?

521
00:15:32,240 --> 00:15:33,400
Well, usually I just give up

522
00:15:33,400 --> 00:15:34,800
and find something else to do.

523
00:15:34,800 --> 00:15:35,840
I hear you.

524
00:15:35,840 --> 00:15:38,360
But instead of giving up, think about CLT.

525
00:15:38,360 --> 00:15:39,200
Okay.

526
00:15:39,200 --> 00:15:41,640
First, break down the task.

527
00:15:41,640 --> 00:15:43,920
Instead of trying to learn the whole program,

528
00:15:43,920 --> 00:15:45,400
pick one feature you want to learn.

529
00:15:45,400 --> 00:15:46,440
Okay, small chunks.

530
00:15:46,440 --> 00:15:47,280
Right.

531
00:15:47,280 --> 00:15:50,680
Then, find a resource that explains it clearly.

532
00:15:50,680 --> 00:15:53,160
Maybe a video tutorial or a blog post.

533
00:15:53,160 --> 00:15:54,560
Something that's easy to understand.

534
00:15:54,560 --> 00:15:57,520
So it's about taking control of the learning process.

535
00:15:57,520 --> 00:15:59,880
Finding ways to make it less overwhelming.

536
00:15:59,880 --> 00:16:00,720
Exactly.

537
00:16:00,720 --> 00:16:02,320
And you can apply that same principle

538
00:16:02,320 --> 00:16:03,520
to all sorts of things.

539
00:16:03,520 --> 00:16:06,000
Putting together furniture, planning a trip,

540
00:16:06,000 --> 00:16:07,200
even learning a new recipe.

541
00:16:07,200 --> 00:16:08,640
Wow, that's really cool.

542
00:16:08,640 --> 00:16:11,080
It's like CLT gives us a framework

543
00:16:11,080 --> 00:16:13,680
for approaching any kind of learning challenge.

544
00:16:13,680 --> 00:16:14,720
That's a great way to put it.

545
00:16:14,720 --> 00:16:17,280
It's about understanding how your brain works.

546
00:16:17,280 --> 00:16:19,800
And working with it, not against it.

547
00:16:19,800 --> 00:16:20,760
I love that.

548
00:16:20,760 --> 00:16:23,040
Okay, so we've covered a lot of ground today.

549
00:16:23,040 --> 00:16:25,760
We talked about the three types of cognitive load,

550
00:16:25,760 --> 00:16:27,960
how to minimize extraneous load,

551
00:16:27,960 --> 00:16:30,160
and maximize germane load.

552
00:16:30,160 --> 00:16:32,080
We talked about how educators can design

553
00:16:32,080 --> 00:16:33,640
better learning experiences.

554
00:16:33,640 --> 00:16:35,840
And how all of us can use these principles

555
00:16:35,840 --> 00:16:37,240
to become more efficient learners

556
00:16:37,240 --> 00:16:38,680
no matter what we're trying to learn.

557
00:16:38,680 --> 00:16:39,520
Absolutely.

558
00:16:39,520 --> 00:16:41,120
This has been such a great conversation.

559
00:16:41,120 --> 00:16:41,960
I agree.

560
00:16:41,960 --> 00:16:42,960
Thanks for having me.

561
00:16:42,960 --> 00:16:44,600
And to our listeners, thank you so much

562
00:16:44,600 --> 00:16:46,280
for joining us on the deep dive.

563
00:16:46,280 --> 00:16:48,320
We hope you learned some valuable things today.

564
00:16:48,320 --> 00:16:51,120
Keep those cognitive load principles in mind,

565
00:16:51,120 --> 00:17:20,080
and happy learning.