Friday, June 13, 2008

Cognitive Load

Cognitive Load
I have hesitated in writing about cognitive load, because it is a topic that has been very much a part of my life for the past three years. Three years ago, my daughter was hit by a car while riding her bike, and suffered a traumatic brain injury. Following her stint in the ICU (11 days in coma), I accompanied her to a locked ward at National Rehabilitation Hospital in DC where I first heard about cognitive load.

I know that is a little heavy for a blog post, but there you have it. Real life. It happens.

So, cognitive load became a part of my vocabulary. Not overwhelming the brain while it was healing. Chunking ideas and words together as she rebuilt her engine. We say she had a restart, the way computers do. She had to put little things back into the system like learning to brush her teeth, and learning to sit, and stand and walk.

Cognitive load is something we still have to watch three years later. She is particularly sensitive to cognitive fatigue, and this is caused by having too much information in her working memory at one time. This causes her to be more tired than your average kid. Recently she had three exams on the same day. She did not do well on any of them, even though she studied and knew the material. We know this is due to cognitive load.

Stress is also a factor in cognitive load. When we have more stress than usual, we tend to slow down, and need more time to process new information. For my part, I developed post-traumatic stress syndrome, and so when I am overwhelmed with a week like this one where I am packing up a room to move elsewhere in the school, and dealing with a crashing computer, AND starting a new class, I tend to slow down and chunk things into little pieces like getting things done on the day they are due.

When we are presenting teachers with new information, we need to be sensitive to the load they are already under, and also, to remind them that their students are not a one size fits all group of kids. Chunking is good for all kids. Accessing prior knowledge is good for all kids. Presenting one concept at a time and building on it is good for all kids.

There is always a silver lining. The lessons we learned in restarting our daughter have made me a better teacher, because I look at each child, and each adult learner as an individual who wants to learn, but who comes with their own ways of accessing the information.

5 comments:

Spicher113 said...

Tough way to become familiar with CLT. Not only has your experience made you a better teacher, but a better parent as well. I do appreciate the comment that the tenents of CLT are not limited to kids, that adults can also be subject to cognitive overload. Kinda like many of us were the first day of MICCA or the first day of class. CLT seems to indicate that the name of the game is scaffolding!

Lori M. Carter said...

Your comment about chunking is well taken. Especially as you related it to adult life. Many times I have found myself saying, "OK, let's break this down into smaller chunks so you can get it done!" When a task seems overwhelming, that's what we do!

I wonder how your daughter would have done if she had the choice to take the tests online - at her convenience. I remember the stress involved with multiple high-stakes tests all falling on the same day. Sometimes it seems as though our choices reflect adult convenience rather than student learning!

atechtchr2c said...

What an inspiring post. So often it is difficult to relate to a particular concept unless it has true relevance in our lives. The lesson in this is that when we can make connections with what is being taught in the classroom or during a presentation to something that is personal with students, they will be able to understand it better.

I'm glad to say that I now have a term to describe something I often experience. Having Crohn's Disease has helped me to review my everyday life under a microscope. What things happened today? How did it make me feel? How did those feelings impact my body? I've learned that not only does my brain shut down with too much overload, but also my body as well. I think it is important to consider this as we decide on how we teach our students. You mentioned that this experience has impacted you as a teacher and the approach you take in the classroom. I fully understand and admire your dedication. Would you mind sharing an example of some ways that your teaching has changed?

BarbsBlog said...

Thank you for sharing the story about your daughter. It will make discussion of this topic relevant for all of us.

I agree we all need to be aware of overwhelming students and teachers with all of the information that is available today. I believe this is why I have become a proponent for emailing snippets of information to my staff from time to time and encouraging point of need tech training. I feel for our students when they are in the situation your daughter was in with three tests in one day. Teachers need to share information about when they are testing to stagger the load a little. Your daughter may find that she appreciates online learning due to the flexibility for working on assignments.

It was even beyond cognitive load last week with all of the end of the year activities and starting a course -- life last week was on major overload! The end is in sight and we'll have a chance to come up for air!

Thanks for sharing your insights. B

BloggieDoggie said...

Thank you all for your comments to this blog entry. I agree with all of you that scaffolding, chunking, connection with the personal,snippets...these are all ways we can break down the information for students so that every one of them can succeed.

My daughter and her cousins have each started a blog this summer, so I am also keeping up with their posts. Talk about overload! Their natural propensity for online learning is amazing. I believe online learning would be a great tool for any child today who is ill or in recuperation. It fits with how their brains think, and can be tailored to their specific needs.
LJ