LEVELS OF EXPERTISE AND INSTRUCTIONAL-DESIGN

Cognitive load theory assumes that information should be structured to eliminate any avoidable load on working memory in order to enhance le arning. We hypothesized that the appropriate type of structure may dep end on the learner's level of expertise. Less expert learners using a diagram might require the diagram to be physically integrated with rel ated text-based information in order to reduce cognitive load. However , the same diagram might be intelligible in isolation by more experien ced learners, who might require the elimination of redundant text to r educe cognitive load. The results of three experiments indicated that as level of expertise increased, the best instructional designs change d from ones in which diagrams and text were physically integrated to o nes in which the text was eliminated.