Students learn more by studying a worked problem (i.e., problem and solution) than trying to solve the problem themselves. This is because problem-solving search requires one to process a larger number of elements that would generate a heavier extraneous cognitive load. 

The Worked Example Effect

Increase in the learner's expertise allows the said learner to incorporate elements into schemas and thereby lowers element interactivity, which decreases extraneous cognitive load. However, when information appropriate for novices is provided for an expert, parts of the information might be redundant which would cause the expert to have a greater extraneous cognitive load. 

The Expertise Reversal Effect

With an increase in expertise, moving from worked problems to completion problems and then to full problems would increase effectiveness of learning because of the expertise effect. This is also called the Guidance Fading Effect because in this method of instruction the guidance fades from full guidance gradually to none. 

The Problem Completion Effect and the Guidance Fading Effects

When a learner's expertise increases, imagining concepts or solutions may be superior to studying the material about the same processes. This is also a corollary of the Expertise Reversal Effect.

The Imagination Effect

1. The Worked Example Effect
2. The Expertise Reversal Effect
3. The Problem Completion Effect and the Guidance Fading Effects
4. The Imagination Effect

Johns Hopkins University

1. The Split Attention Effect
2. The Modality Effect
3. The Redundancy Effect
4. The Element Interactivity Effect
5. The Transient Information Effect

Effects of Extraneous Cognitive Load

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

Cognitive Load Theory

Splitting the attention of the learner would create extraneous cognitive load. Understanding a diagram or text requires physical or mental integration.

The Split-Attention Effect

Related information can be presented in different modalities (e.g., one visual source and one verbal source) rather than being physically integrated. Since processors of different modalities are partially independent and each has a limited capacity, dual modality presentation increase effective working memory and thereby decrease cognitive load.

The Modality Effect

Introduction of unnecessary interacting elements might result in extraneous cognitive load. For example, a self-explanatory image creates a lower cognitive load than the image plus explanatory text. 

The Redundancy Effect

If the inherent element interactivity of the information is low and therefore the intrinsic cognitive load is low, then element interactivity due to extraneous cognitive load would not have an impactful consequence. 

The Element Interactivity Effect

Information with high element interactivity presented in transient forms (i.e., non-permanent forms of presentation, like animations that cannot be easily and repeatedly accessed) will have negative consequences. 

The Transient Information Effect

Learners perform better when solving problems without a conventional goal, because to solve a conventional problem one must use a means-ends strategy where the current and goal states of the problem are both considered in order to find a way to reduce these differences; in this process, a higher extraneous cognitive load is generated.

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