Efficiency in Learning Evidence-based Guidelines to Manage Cognitive Load

Efficient learning environments lead to faster and better learning. In this important book, Ruth Clark, Frank Nguyen, and John Sweller offer guidelines based on more than twenty-five years of research on cognitive load theory that will help you create efficient instructional environments'and they show why they work! Efficiency in Learning offers a road map of the most effective ways to use the three fundamental communication of training: visuals, written text, and audio. Regardless of how you are delivering your training materials-in the classroom, in print, by synchronous or asynchronous media-the book's methods are easily applied to your lesson presentations, handouts, reference guides, or e-learning screens. Designed to be a down-to-earth resource for all instructional professionals, this book is clearly illustrated with real-world examples. Efficiency in Learning guidelines are proven to accelerate learning by helping you avoid common pitfalls such as split attention and redundancy in your presentations and content. In addition, the authors summarize the research evidence and the psychological reasons for the guidelines, so you will know not only what to do, but also why you are doing it. Efficiency in Learning comes with a companion CD-ROM that includes sample lessons and video commentary from John Sweller. Praise for Efficiency in Learning "Sweller's Cognitive Load Theory has emerged as one of the most important and best researched bases for improving design of instruction. . . provides the first book-length practical design guide to the application of CLT." -Rob Foshay, senior vice president, Instructional Design and Research, Whitney University "Riveting reading for anyone who wants to understand human mental processes and how they influence our behavior." -Nancy Curtis, instructional designer, Element K "Provides a distinguished example demonstrating how research findings can be made usable for practitioners." -Alexander Renkl, professor, Department of Psychology, Educational Psychology, University of Freiburg "Research on cognitive load theory has yielded many guidelines for the design of effective instruction. This excellent book clearly describes and illustrates those guidelines for practitioners in the field of education and training." -Jeroen J.G. van Merri'nboer, coauthor, Integrated E-Learning "Nowhere else in book form will you find the guidelines that are here." -Timothy W. Spannaus, instructional technology, Wayne State UniversityClark, Ruth Colvin is the author of 'Efficiency in Learning Evidence-based Guidelines to Manage Cognitive Load', published 2005 under ISBN 9780787977283 and ISBN 0787977284.