IN PART I WE INCLUDE two chapters that summarize the basics of cognitive load theory and that describe its psychological basis. In an age in which workers must learn more in less time, more likely than not, you have taken, produced, or taught training classes that resulted in mental overload. However, you may not realize that cognitive load has a scientific basis—and even better—that research offers many proven techniques that you can use to manage cognitive load either as a consumer or a producer of training. By applying these techniques you can produce efficient instructional environments—environments that result in faster learning, better learning or both.

Cognitive load theory has its modern origins in experiments conducted by Dr. John Sweller at the University of New South Wales, Australia, in the early 1980s. Today cognitive load theory has grown into one of the most widely recognized sets of proven principles governing learning and instruction in the training profession. You can read a personal account by John Sweller of how cognitive load theory started and evolved in Chapter 13. Because most of the research on cognitive load theory is found in technical journals not written for training practitioners, we wrote this book for instructional professionals to summarize the principles and evidence behind it. Part I lays the foundation for these principles.