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Teaching and Learning

Cognitive Load Theory – Understanding & Applying

Cognitive load theory explains why pupils forget what you taught last lesson, and what you can change so more of it sticks.

  • 13 minutes
  • 6 modules
  • 0.5 CPD hours
  • Certificate

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What you'll learn

  • Explain how working memory limits what pupils can take in at once
  • Plan worked examples and remove the scaffolding as pupils gain confidence
  • Use dual coding to present information in words and pictures together
  • Strip out content that competes with what pupils need to learn
  • Link lessons together with reflection, concept maps and knowledge organisers

About this course

You ask "what did we do last lesson?" and get a room of blank faces. Often it comes down to load. Working memory can only hold so much at once, and whatever doesn't get processed never makes it into long-term memory.

This course explains cognitive load theory in plain terms and turns it into habits for planning and teaching. Model a worked example on the board, let pupils follow your steps, then take the scaffolding away as their confidence grows. Give a spoken explanation alongside a diagram, rather than handing out notes afterwards, which is dual coding. And cut the interesting but non-essential extras, especially in revision lessons.

Starting each lesson where the last one ended, with concept maps and knowledge organisers, helps pupils connect what they learn over time.

  • For governors and teachers. Post-16, primary and secondary.

6 modules

Open in order

  1. Introduction

    2 min

  2. The relevance to the classroom

    3 min

  3. Plan lessons to include worked examples and cater to students’ existing knowledge

    4 min

  4. Simplify difficult information by presenting it in a range of formats

    3 min

  5. Wrap up

    2 min

  6. Exclude non-essential content

    2 min