| Title |
Extending Cognitive Load Theory to Incorporate Working Memory Resource Depletion: Evidence from the Spacing Effect
|
|---|---|
| Published in |
Educational Psychology Review, September 2017
|
| DOI | 10.1007/s10648-017-9426-2 |
| Authors |
Ouhao Chen, Juan C. Castro-Alonso, Fred Paas, John Sweller |
| Abstract |
© 2017, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC. Depletion of limited working memory resources may occur following extensive mental effort resulting in decreased performance compared to conditions requiring less extensive mental effort. This “depletion effect” can be incorporated into cognitive load theory that is concerned with using the properties of human cognitive architecture, especially working memory, when designing instruction. Two experiments were carried out on the spacing effect that occurs when learning that is spaced by temporal gaps between learning episodes is superior to identical, massed learning with no gaps between learning episodes. Using primary school students learning mathematics, it was found that students obtained lower scores on a working memory capacity test (Experiments 1 and 2) and higher ratings of cognitive load (Experiment 2) after massed than after spaced practice. The reduction in working memory capacity may be attributed to working memory resource depletion following the relatively prolonged mental effort associated with massed compared to spaced practice. An expansion of cognitive load theory to incorporate working memory resource depletion along with instructional design implications, including the spacing effect, is discussed. |
X Demographics
The data shown below were collected from the profiles of 26 X users who shared this research output. Click here to find out more about how the information was compiled.
Geographical breakdown
| Country | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 6 | 23% |
| Australia | 5 | 19% |
| United States | 2 | 8% |
| South Africa | 1 | 4% |
| Sweden | 1 | 4% |
| Ireland | 1 | 4% |
| France | 1 | 4% |
| Unknown | 9 | 35% |
Demographic breakdown
| Type | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Members of the public | 16 | 62% |
| Scientists | 10 | 38% |
Mendeley readers
The data shown below were compiled from readership statistics for 298 Mendeley readers of this research output. Click here to see the associated Mendeley record.
Geographical breakdown
| Country | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 298 | 100% |
Demographic breakdown
| Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Student > Ph. D. Student | 37 | 12% |
| Student > Master | 31 | 10% |
| Student > Bachelor | 25 | 8% |
| Student > Doctoral Student | 23 | 8% |
| Researcher | 19 | 6% |
| Other | 64 | 21% |
| Unknown | 99 | 33% |
| Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Psychology | 54 | 18% |
| Social Sciences | 34 | 11% |
| Medicine and Dentistry | 15 | 5% |
| Mathematics | 12 | 4% |
| Unspecified | 10 | 3% |
| Other | 62 | 21% |
| Unknown | 111 | 37% |
Attention Score in Context
This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 33. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 11 August 2023.
All research outputs
#1,235,766
of 25,758,695 outputs
Outputs from Educational Psychology Review
#107
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Outputs of similar age
#24,696
of 331,669 outputs
Outputs of similar age from Educational Psychology Review
#1
of 8 outputs
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