Cognitive Load Theory suggests that working memory has limits and presenting too much information at a time hinders learning.
As behavior scientists, we focus on what we can observe and measure, so we tend to avoid working memory as a construct. However, for decades we have demonstrated that when component skills are practiced to fluency, high rates of correct responding measured as count per minute, learners show retention, endurance, application, and agility.
- Retention, a measure of memory, occurs when a learner maintains fluency in the absence of ongoing practice.
- Endurance, a measure of attention span, occurs when a learner maintains fluency over longer testing periods or in the presence of distractions.
- Application occurs when a learner easily applies a fluent skill for the learning of something more difficult.
- Agility, a measure of overall learning ability, occurs when a learner has achieved fluency on a significant number of core skills, and then begins acquiring fluency on bigger chunks of skills more quickly. In other words, learners become better at learning.
Cognitive Load Theory proves difficult to directly measure, but its premise is solidly supported by decades of evidence from behavior science.
When core skills are practiced to fluency, not only does the demand on working memory decrease, but a learner’s working memory also expands, allowing for the learning of more content at once and in a shorter time.
The benefits of the behavioral approach involve our operational definitions, instructional design, direct measurement, and ongoing data analysis to ensure that theory becomes practice, and that measurably superior outcomes are produced with learners.