Applying Cognitive Principles to eLearning Design
Understanding the Science Behind Learning
Designing effective eLearning courses requires a deep understanding of how people process and retain information.
The science of how individuals learn is multifaceted, drawing on insights from psychology, neuroscience, and education. Various theories have emerged over time, but several core principles are widely accepted in the field. Here are a few foundational concepts:
Active Learning: Based on the constructivist theory, learning is an active process, where individuals don't merely absorb information—they actively build knowledge by linking new information to what they already know.
Cognitive Development Stages: Jean Piaget's theory outlines how learners progress through different stages of cognitive development: Sensorimotor, Pre-operational, Concrete Operational, and Formal Operational, each marking a significant leap in cognitive abilities.
Social Learning: Albert Bandura's theory posits that learning occurs by observing others. This means that individuals can acquire knowledge and behaviors through modeling, imitation, and observation, highlighting the power of social interaction in learning.
Experiential Learning: David Kolb's model emphasizes that the most effective learning happens through experience. Learners go through a cycle that includes experiencing, reflecting, thinking, and acting to solidify understanding and skills.
Multiple Intelligences: Howard Gardner’s theory suggests that people possess various types of intelligences—linguistic, logical-mathematical, spatial, musical, bodily-kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and naturalist. Recognizing these diverse intelligences allows for personalized learning experiences that cater to different learning styles.
Incorporating these insights into eLearning design helps create more engaging and effective courses that meet the diverse needs of learners.
Cognitive principles provide a framework for designing eLearning content
Cognitive Load Theory:
People's working memory is limited, so instructional design should avoid overloading it. To minimize cognitive load, information should be presented in a structured, organized manner. Complex tasks should be broken down into manageable parts : nano of Micro Learning.
Information should be always broken down into small, digestible "chunks" to avoid overwhelming the learner. This helps the learner to better absorb and remember information.
Dual Coding Theory:
This principle suggests that people learn better when information is presented in both visual and verbal formats. This doesn't mean simply adding text to images, but rather using both modalities to reinforce and complement each other.
LMSs with Authoring Tool offer this mix of medias to better memorize the information. A Audio and video-based LMS like the Learning Lab LMS is best adapted to this practice.
Multimedia Principle:
People learn more deeply from words and pictures or better videos than from words alone. Using multimedia (audio, visual, video and textual content) can enhance learning by catering to different learning styles and providing multiple representations of the information. It is difficult to learn online so any text should be transformed onto audio files.
Spacing Effect:
Information is more effectively retained when it's spread out over time, rather than crammed into a short period. In eLearning design, this could involve delivering learning modules across several days or weeks, rather than cramming them into one intensive session. Consider diversifying the presentation of the same information in various formats to help improve comprehension and recall. This approach is easy to implement using our Slide Builder tool, which offers a wide selection of pre-designed templates.
Retrieval Practice:
Testing learners periodically on the material they’ve covered enhances memory retention. This could take the form of quizzes, tests, or other assessments at key intervals during the course. It's also crucial to integrate interactive elements like activities, experiments, and reflective questions to create an emotional connection with the content, further aiding memory retention.
Interleaved Practice:
Mixing different types of problems or subjects can boost learning. Instead of focusing on one topic until mastery before moving to the next, learners should alternate between topics. This method encourages them to recognize the similarities and differences between subjects, fostering deeper understanding.
Elaboration:
Helping learners connect new information to what they already know can make learning more meaningful. Activities like discussions, assignments, and reflection exercises can support this process. Reinforcing knowledge helps learners build expertise and retain critical concepts.
Feedback and Reinforcement:
Immediate and specific feedback is key to effective learning. It allows learners to correct misconceptions, reinforce their understanding, and stay motivated. Recognizing achievements with rewards like badges, certificates, or other milestones encourages continuous engagement and progress.
Personalization Principle:
Learners are more likely to engage with content when it feels personal and relevant to them. This could involve addressing them by name, referring to their past experiences, or tailoring content that aligns with their interests or goals. Personalized learning experiences significantly increase learner motivation and retention.
5E's Model
Another widely used instructional design framework, the 5E's Model, though not explicitly framed as "Cognitive Principles," aligns closely with our understanding of cognitive processes. Let’s explore the phases of the 5E's:
Engagement:
This initial phase focuses on capturing learners' attention and sparking their interest in the subject. It often involves presenting a problem or scenario that prompts learners to activate prior knowledge or recognize gaps in their understanding. The key is to ensure that the lesson is relevant to real-world challenges, making it deeply connected to professional scenarios learners may encounter.
Exploration:
In this phase, learners are given the opportunity to explore the concept or skill on their own. This often includes interactive activities, discussions, or hands-on exercises that allow them to delve deeper into the topic and begin forming their understanding. Peer-to-peer and social learning play a crucial role here, fostering collaboration and shared knowledge.
Explanation:
At this stage, the instructor steps in to provide a clear explanation or demonstration of the concept or skill. Learners receive new information through various forms of direct instruction, such as multimedia presentations, lectures, readings, or other resources. To enhance the learning experience, consider integrating audio or video-based learning, as it provides a more engaging and effective way of delivering content—especially since reading long text online can be challenging for many learners.
Elaboration:
Often referred to as "Extend" in some versions of the model, this phase encourages learners to deepen their understanding by applying what they've learned in new, real-world contexts. It might involve solving complex problems, completing projects, participating in simulations, or engaging in activities that require them to build on their initial knowledge. To enhance this phase, consider integrating video assessments and blended learning strategies, which offer dynamic and interactive ways to expand on concepts.
Evaluation:
The final phase focuses on assessing learners' grasp of the topic. This can take various forms, such as quizzes, tests, projects, presentations, or self-assessment activities. The evaluation phase helps both learners and instructors measure the extent to which learning objectives have been achieved. Don’t be afraid to get creative—quizzes, for example, can not only evaluate but also reinforce the learning process itself!
The 5E's—Engagement, Exploration, Explanation, Elaboration, and Evaluation—are grounded in constructivist learning theory, which emphasizes that learning is an active, hands-on process where learners build new knowledge based on what they already know.
This framework aligns well with cognitive principles, as it takes into account how learners actively process and assimilate new information, ensuring a deeper and more meaningful learning experience.