title: In Respect to the Cognitive Load Theory: Adjusting Instructional Guidance with Student Expertise.
abstract: The amount of guidance supplied by educators to students in allied health programs is a factor in student learning. According to the cognitive load theory of learning, without adequate instructional support, novice learners will be overwhelmed and unable to store information, while unnecessary guidance supplied to advanced students will cause extraneous cognitive load on the working memory system. Adjusting instructional guidance for students according to their level of expertise to minimize extraneous cognitive load and optimize working memory storage capacity will enhance learning effectiveness. Novice students presented with complex subject matter require significant guidance during the initial stages, using strategies such as worked examples. As students comprehend information, instructional guidance needs to gradually fade to avoid elevated extraneous cognitive load from the expertise reversal effect. An instructional strategy that utilizes a systemic (fixed) or adjustable (adaptive) tapering of guidance to students in allied health programs depending on their expertise will optimize learning capability.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Therapy and Athletic Training, Northern Arizona University, 435 N. 5th St., Phoenix, AZ 85004, USA. Tel 207-400-9098, fax 602-827-2425. jim.schilling@nau.edu.
authors.forename: Jim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schilling
mesh_terms: D016390:Allied Health Occupations / Q000193:education*; D003071:Cognition; D006801:Humans; D011939:Mental Recall; D013336:Students, Health Occupations / Q000523:psychology*; D013663:Teaching