Processing a large number of elements of information in the working memory simultaneously generates high element interactivity, which translates into higher cognitive load. 

Cognitive Load and Element Interactivity

There are three types of cognitive load: intrinsic cognitive load, extraneous cognitive load, and germane cognitive load. 

Types of Cognitive Load

Novakian concept maps lowers the intrinsic cognitive load because it presents the knowledge in a more readily acceptable manner which lessons the requirement for the brain to form schemas in understanding the relation of elements of information provided in passages; however, it creates a greater extraneous cognitive load (i.e., the overhead of extraneous cognitive load increases at a higher rate than the decrease of intrinsic cognitive load when the concept map gets larger). Consider the listed effects.

Cognitive Load of Novakian Concept Maps and Hybrid Maps

Studies of Cognitive Load in Non-linear Text

1. Effort rating 
2. NASA TLX
3. Scale by Eysink et al. (2009)
4. Scales by Leppink et al. (2013)
5. Dual-task methodology

Measuring Cognitive Load

The working memory load that some biologically secondary information imposes. Cognitive load is determined by element interactivity. 

Johns Hopkins University

An instructional design theory based on human cognitive architecture.

Cognitive Load Theory (CLT)

Sweller, J. (2011). Cognitive load theory. In Psychology of learning and motivation (Vol. 55, pp. 37-76). Academic Press.

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