64 Crayons

The features in the instructional design tools available today are robust to say the least.  When you first encounter the feature sets, it can feel like you have opened a vast treasure of capabilities.

It reminds me of when I was a kid in school.  Like many, my first box of crayons had eight colors.  But as I got a little older, Mom and Dad got me a box of 64 crayons.  Wow, look at all those colors!  I had to use every one of them.  While we don't use crayons for instruction design today, understanding the proper use of the many tools we have at our disposal is important.

One of the most interesting articles I have read recently was by Cynthia Brame at Vanderbilt University, regarding cognitive load on the learner.  In that article, Ms. Brame talks about three types of cognitive load:

Intrinsic load - that which is due to the subject matter of the material.
Germane load - that which is required to convey the knowledge.
Extraneous load - that which does not help the learner.

An instructional designer must ensure that there is specific intention toward the learning objectives in everything they use in their video or module.  Background music that continues beyond the intro adds extraneous cognitive load to the learner.  It is something else the learner's brain must process while they are dealing with the subject matter and trying to absorb what is being taught.

Ms. Brame discusses the concept of signaling or cueing, the process of helping the learner identify key points and connections in the material.  Signaling should be intentional and focus on those key learning objectives.

Remembering that the objective is to help someone learn the material, helps us to be strategic and intentional with our signaling.  It also helps us focus on the cognitive load we place on the learner.  Will some simple color highlighting drive the point home?  How do we lower the extra cognitive noise so that our signaling is clear and easily perceived by the learner?

I have seen videos where everything was animated, everything was flying in from off-screen, and everything was moving.  Why is this moving?  Did I miss an important point about this moving item that is being emphasized?  What is coming next?  Lots of extraneous cognitive load.

What learners need and want, is a pleasant, straightforward experience with clear learning that is easy to absorb.

Granted, the rich feature sets are amazing, and I love trying new techniques in my work.  But an instructional designer cannot forget the fundamental goal:  Help people learn.  You don't have to use all 64 colors.