The Role of Evolutionary Psychology in Our Understanding of Human Cognition: Consequences for Cognitive Load Theory and Instructional Procedures

Knowledge of Learning Strategies and Motivation to Use Them: Similarities and Differences between School Levels

Students' motivation to learn and the strategies they use during learning are two important factors that affect their learning outcomes. Some learning strategies are more effective, and some are less effective (deep and surface strategies). Both the knowledge of and motivation to use certain learning strategies depend on students' individual characteristics (prior knowledge) and the context (classroom practices). The aims of the present study were (1) to examine differences between middle and high school students' perceptions of the effectiveness of specific learning strategies and motivation to use effective strategies and (2) to explore relations between motivation, learning strategies, and grades in these two subgroups. The participants were 6287 middle school students (aged 13-16) and 5476 high school students (aged 17-20 years). The students completed an electronic questionnaire during school hours. Their perceptions of the effectiveness of specific learning strategies in certain learning scenarios and motivational beliefs (self-efficacy, utility, and cost) concerning the use of effective strategies were assessed with rating scales; additionally, students' self-reported math and history grades were used. A network analysis was used to examine the relations between constructs. The results show small between-group differences in accordance with the theoretical expectations. The findings are discussed in relation to school level and educational context.

Biological evolution and human cognition are analogous information processing systems

The mechanisms that govern biological evolution and human cognition are analogous, as both follow the same principles of natural information processing systems. In this article, we describe the following five principles that provide an analogy between biological evolution and human cognition: (a) Randomness as Genesis Principle and (b) Borrowing and Reorganizing Principle, which indicate how natural information processing systems obtain information; (c) Narrow Limits of Change Principle and (d) Information Store Principle, which indicate how information is processed and stored; and (e) Environmental Organizing and Linking Principle, which indicate how stored information is used to generate actions appropriate to an environment. In human cognition, these analogs only apply to cognitive processes associated with biologically secondary knowledge, the knowledge typically taught in educational institutions. Based on these five principles, cognitive load theory researchers have provided diverse prescriptions to optimize instructional activities and materials. We conclude by discussing general instructional implications and future research directions based on this analogy.

Did the Rapid Transition to Online Learning in Response to COVID-19 Impact Students' Cognitive Load and Performance in Veterinary Anatomy?

COVID-19 safety required rapid transitions to online learning across education. This posed unique challenges for veterinary anatomy, which is a practical subject. This study compares the cognitive load and academic performance of first- and second-year veterinary students studying anatomy in 2019 (pre-COVID-19) and 2020 (post-COVID-19 teaching adjustme nts). Importantly, the core teaching content remained identical for both courses in 2019 and 2020 apart from teaching method (in-person vs. online), allowing us to isolate the effects of teaching method on cognitive load and academic performance. Cognitive load was measured among first- (n2019 = 105, n2020 = 49) and second-year students (n2019 = 85, n2020 = 42) at the end of each teaching semester, using a validated instrument. The instrument measures intrinsic load (IL, study material complexity), extraneous load (EL, presentation of material), and germane load (GL, self-perceived learning). t-Tests compared the 2019 and 2020 cohorts with respect to both cognitive load and academic performance. The results indicated that 2019 and 2020 cohorts did not differ on IL or EL in either the first- or second-year subject. However, among both first- and second-year students, the 2020 cohort reported significantly less GL compared to the 2019 cohort. Additionally, the first-year 2020 cohort performed at a significantly lower level than the first-year 2019 cohort. No significant difference in performances was reported between second-year cohorts. Therefore, despite being less inclined to perceive that online course activities enhanced their understanding of anatomy, second-year students with previous experience of learning anatomy in an in-person tertiary environment adjusted better than first-year students with limited experience.

Teaching with social context in instructional video facilitates second language vocabulary learning

Video lectures are becoming an important and accessible way for adults to learn a new second language (L2). Unlike face-to-face classroom teaching, teachers are more challenged by the asynchronous mode of video teaching. Finding more effective teaching methods is a great concern for teachers. The present study examined adults' second language (L2) vocabulary learning in a video-based social learning environment. Participants included 116 Chinese undergraduates. They learned German words through one of three pedagogical video lecture conditions: social-context (SC) condition, picture-phonics (PP) condition, and non-picture phonics (NPP) condition. We measured learners' learning performance, cognitive load, intrinsic motivation, and learning satisfaction. The results indicated that adult learners in the SC condition performed significantly better in word meaning retention, had significantly higher intrinsic motivation, and perceived significantly lower cognitive load as compared to the PP and NPP conditions. The implications are that teachers could use social learning pedagogy to create a better video-based learning environment for L2 adult learners for better learning performance.

A Systematic Meta-analysis of the Reliability and Validity of Subjective Cognitive Load Questionnaires in Experimental Multimedia Learning Research

For more than three decades, cognitive load theory has been addressing learning from a cognitive perspective. Based on this instructional theory, design recommendations and principles have been derived to manage the load on working memory while learning. The increasing attention paid to cognitive load theory in educational science quickly culminated in the need to measure its types of cognitive load — intrinsic, extraneous, and germane cognitive load which additively contribute to the overall load. In this meta-analysis, four frequently used cognitive load questionnaires were examined concerning their reliability (internal consistency) and validity (construct validity and criterion validity). Results revealed that the internal consistency of the subjective cognitive load questionnaires can be considered satisfactory across all four questionnaires. Moreover, moderator analyses showed that reliability estimates of the cognitive load questionnaires did not differ between educational settings, domains of the instructional materials, presentation modes, or number of scale points. Correlations among the cognitive load types partially contradict theory-based assumptions, whereas correlations with learning-related variables support assumptions derived from cognitive load theory. In particular, results seem to support the three-factor model consisting of intrinsic cognitive load, extraneous cognitive load, and germane cognitive load. Results are discussed in relation to current trends in cognitive load theory and recommendations for the future use of cognitive load questionnaires in experimental research are suggested.

Evolution of Self-Awareness and the Cultural Emergence of Academic and Non-academic Self-Concepts

Schooling is ubiquitous in the modern world and academic development is now a critical aspect of preparation for adulthood. A step back in time to pre-modern societies and an examination of life in remaining traditional societies today reveals that universal formal schooling is an historically recent phenomenon. This evolutionary and historical recency has profound implications for understanding academic development, including how instructional practices modify evolved or biological primary abilities (e.g., spoken language) to create evolutionarily novel or biologically secondary academic competencies (e.g., reading). We propose the development of secondary abilities promotes the emergence of academic self-concepts that in turn are supported by evolved systems for self-awareness and self-knowledge. Unlike some forms of self-knowledge (e.g., relative physical abilities) that appear to be universal and central to many people's overall self-concept, the relative importance of academic self-concepts are expected to be dependent on explicit social and cultural supports for their valuation. These culturally contingent self-concepts are contrasted with universal social and physical self-concepts, with implications for understanding variation students' relative valuation of academic competencies and their motivations to engage in academic learning.