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Cognitive
Overload Instructor Led Training
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Lesson Plan
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Problem
Statement
Cognitive overload is an important topic in adult education because it
directly affects the learning process. Instructional designers and trainers
need to understand the concept of cognitive overload, prepare to avoid
cognitive overload in the design of the course, and recognize when learners
experience it and adjust the course accordingly.
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Situation
Analysis
This course provided the avenue to experience cognitive overload and identified
instructional strategies to reduce cognitive load for learners and as
learners. My goals with the tutorial were to increase the awareness of
cognitive overload and provide instructional strategies for trainers and
designers to manage cognitive load in their learners.
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Rationale
One of the most effective pieces of this design is the activity where
learners effectively experience Cognitive Overload in a safe environment.
Learners are able to then identify with the concept and recognize it when
it happens to themselves as learners as well as to learners in their classrooms.
Another key piece to the design is the discussion of instructional strategies
that manage cognitive load. Most designers and trainers are aware of these
strategies, this discussion provides more tools for the toolbox and reiterates
the necessity of a good design plan and the constant needs analysis.
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Results
Report
This one-hour class was given to my classmates of IT6740 in October 2000.
The feedback received was that the course was informative and interactive,
yet needed more time to make an action plan to manage cognitive load back
in their workplace. This suggestion has been incorporated into the design.
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Evidence
of Value
The research and planning for this instructor-led class provided the
base content for another project where I re-purposed the material into
an online tutorial. The value for myself as an instructional designer
was immense. This is a real-world learning experience; existing content
everywhere is being re-purposed from instructor-led training to online
learning and back again and that a design document and/or lesson plan
is a necessary component to understand the madness behind the methods.
The value added for
the participants of this course is the obvious awareness they have for
the topic after taking the class. Instructional designers chunk the content
a bit more, and trainers perform a mini on-the-spot needs analysis in
their class isn't going as planned.
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Reflections
This project was a stretch from the previous semester where all of the
work was done collaboratively. The solo instructional design plan and
class facilitation put our skills to the test. I enjoyed being able to
share this fascinating topic with the rest of the cohort, however I must
admit the actual facilitation of the class was much more nerve racking
that facilitating a class for complete strangers. I did receive valuable
feedback from the class, which was kind of a formative evaluation, and
I made the subsequent changes to this design plan.
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Responsibilities
Met
Responsibility #2-
Designs instruction or human performance strategy to meet the needs of
learners. This design included a number of strategies to engage the learners
in class. This design meets all criteria of the experiential learning
cycle.
Responsibility #3-Uses
a variety of media to deliver instruction to students and to engage student
in learning. This instructional design makes use of a variety of media
to deliver instruction, from a PowerPoint presentation, to hands-on activities
to a discussion and brainstorming session.
Responsibility #4-Understands
how to capitalize on the capacities and abilities of each learner. The
instructor-led design provides flexibility for each learner. There will
be some learners with more knowledge of the subject than others. By engaging
all learners, the participation and discussions are richer and provide
a sense of relevancy for novice learners.
Responsibility #6-Uses
incisive and relevant assessment and evaluation techniques. At the end
of the training course facilitated in my Adult Learning Processes class,
we went through a formative evaluation. A self-assessment was included
in the formative evaluation as well.
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