Cognitive Load Theory (A Primer)
Cognitive Load Theory (CLT) was given it’s first exposure in 1988 by John Sweller. It built off of a line of research dating back to George Miller’s work detailing the limitations of our working (short term) memory. The simple understanding is that our brains are extremely limited in what they can do in the short term, yet nearly unlimited in what they can store for the long term. As CLT developed, three clear classes of cognitive load were identified that provide great relevance to those of us trying to do deep work or apply deliberate practice to any area of our life. Those classes are:
- Intrinsic
- Germane
- Extraneous